Gina Johnson
Sleep is an essential part of a child's development, and it can be distressing for parents when their child experiences sleep problems. While it is normal for toddlers to experience sleep regression and separation anxiety, there are several strategies that parents can use to help their toddlers fall asleep more easily. It is important to remember that sleep medicines should only be given to children under the advice and supervision of a doctor. Instead, parents can try natural remedies such as exposing their child to sunlight or giving them cherry juice, which contains traces of natural melatonin. Other methods include bedtime fading, parental presence, camping out, and responsive settling.
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What You'll Learn
Sleep training methods
Parental Presence
This method involves using your presence to help your toddler self-settle. It requires you to stay in your toddler's room whenever they are awake for 7 to 10 days. Gradually, you can increase the distance from the bed or cot, allowing your toddler to fall asleep before you leave the room. This approach may take longer than other methods and requires more effort from the caregiver.
Bedtime Fading
Bedtime fading is a physiological approach that aims to establish sleep by limiting your toddler's time in bed. It involves putting your toddler to bed only when they feel naturally tired or drowsy, which can result in fewer night-time wakings. To implement this method, record your toddler's bedtime for a week and identify the latest time they fall asleep. Then, gradually push back or advance bedtime by 15 minutes every 2 days until they adjust to the new bedtime.
Responsive Settling
Responsive settling is about recognizing your toddler's needs and responding appropriately. It involves understanding their cues, tired signs, and the intensity of their cry. By being emotionally and physically available, you can help your toddler feel secure and supported as they learn to self-settle.
Gradual or Slow Fading
This method emphasizes gradual changes and is preferred by parents who want to minimize tears. If your toddler usually falls asleep with patting, you can gradually reduce the patting until it's no longer needed. You stay in the room to offer support and can keep your hand on your child to help them drift off. Eventually, you'll be able to step out of the room before they fall asleep.
Cry It Out (CIO)
The Cry It Out method allows your toddler to cry themselves to sleep without providing immediate comfort or reassurance. It can be challenging for parents and may result in more crying, especially if the toddler is not developmentally ready to self-soothe. If you choose this method, set clear expectations and consider checking on your toddler periodically to ensure their well-being.
Additional Tips for Sleep Training:
- Create a positive sleep environment with a night light and white noise or calming music.
- Expose your toddler to sunlight in the morning and evening to regulate their sleep-wake cycle.
- Maintain a consistent daily schedule with age-appropriate activities to promote healthy sleep.
- Offer a pacifier, thumb sucking, or a lovey for comfort, ensuring it aligns with your parenting style.
- Provide warm milk or cherry juice, which contains natural melatonin, to help induce sleepiness.
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Natural remedies
It is important to remember that medicines can have side effects and that sleep medicines are rarely used to help children sleep. Before considering medication, it is best to try sleep and lifestyle changes to help your child sleep better.
Sun Exposure
Exposing your child to the sun in the morning and evening can help prepare their body for sleep at night. Aim for sun exposure when your child first wakes up, and also in the evening before bedtime. This signals to their brain that it is time to start the day and helps establish a healthy sleep-wake cycle.
Cherry Juice
Cherry juice contains natural melatonin, which is a hormone that regulates sleep. Giving your child a few ounces of cherry juice before bed can be a safe and natural way to help them fall asleep. If your child finds the taste too tart, you can mix it with apple or orange juice.
Positive Sleep Environments and Routines
Developing positive sleep environments and routines can help your toddler self-settle. This includes keeping their bedroom dark and quiet, providing a consistent blanket or stuffed animal, and establishing a bedtime routine that is calming and consistent.
Self-Soothing
If your toddler knows how to sleep independently, you can give them the opportunity to self-soothe. Let them sleep with their favourite toy or "lovey", and try to avoid rushing into their room as soon as they call for you. Give them a chance to settle on their own, and keep your interactions minimal if you do go in, so they don't think it's time to wake up.
Parental Presence
Using your presence to help your toddler self-settle can be effective, but it may take longer and require more effort. This involves staying in your toddler's room for 7 to 10 days whenever they are awake, so they know you are there and available if they need you.
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Sun exposure
However, it is important to be mindful of sun safety when exposing your child to sunlight. While some sunlight is beneficial for bone health and vitamin D absorption, overexposure to UV radiation can lead to skin damage, dehydration, and eye problems such as cataracts and macular degeneration.
- Use sunscreen: Choose a sunscreen that is specifically designed for infant or young children's skin. Look for a minimum SPF of 30, with UVA/UVB protection. Apply it to all exposed areas, including the face, hands, and other exposed skin.
- Wear protective clothing: Dress your child in lightweight, breathable clothing that covers their skin. The more skin covered, the better. Look for clothes with a UPF rating, which indicates the fabric's ability to block UV rays.
- Wear sunglasses: Protect your child's eyes with sunglasses that block 99-100% of UVA and UVB rays. If your child requires prescription glasses, invest in prescription sunglasses.
- Avoid peak sunlight hours: The sun's UVB rays are strongest between 11 am and 3 pm. If possible, avoid taking your child outdoors during these hours. If you must go out, ensure they are in the shade and consider attaching a parasol or sunshade to their pushchair.
- Monitor UV index: Follow the daily UV index readings to plan outdoor activities. Take extra protection measures if the UV index is high (above 3).
- Stay hydrated: Offer your child plenty of water to prevent dehydration, especially in hot weather.
By incorporating sun exposure into your child's daily routine and following sun safety guidelines, you can help improve their sleep while also reaping the health benefits of sunlight.
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Sleep regression
At three years old, children are navigating significant developmental milestones, growing independence, and the transition away from naps. This often results in bedtime battles, night wakings, or early rising. Three-year-olds are learning new skills, such as improving gross and fine motor skills, increasing language, memory, and creativity, and developing a growing interest in pretend play and imitation. They also experience a growing desire for independence and an understanding of the impact of their voice.
- Parental presence and responsive settling: Recognise that your toddler needs help and respond appropriately. Know your toddler's cues, tired signs, and the intensity of their cry. Make sure they know you are emotionally and physically available if they become distressed.
- Positive sleep environments and routines: Develop a consistent bedtime routine and ensure your toddler's bedroom is a safe and comfortable space.
- Bedtime fading: Based on the physiological theory of establishing sleep by limiting your toddler's time in bed. With this approach, your toddler only goes to bed when they feel naturally tired or drowsy, resulting in fewer night-time wakings. Gradually push back bedtime by 15 minutes every two days until they adjust to the new bedtime.
- Sun exposure: Expose your child to sunlight in the morning and evening. This signals to their brain that it's time to start the day or prepare for sleep.
- Cherry juice: Cherry juice contains natural melatonin, which can help regulate sleep.
- Keep them active during the day: Your toddler has a lot of energy, so provide opportunities for them to practice their new skills and tire themselves out.
- Avoid screens and electronic devices before bedtime: These can overstimulate your child and make it harder for them to fall asleep.
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Creating a positive sleep environment
Sleep is an essential building block for your child's mental and physical health. Understanding their sleep needs is the first step towards providing better sleep for your children. Creating a positive sleep environment can help your toddler develop a healthy relationship with sleep. Here are some tips for creating a positive sleep environment for your 3-year-old:
Establish a bedtime routine
Developing positive sleep routines can support your toddler in self-soothing and settling. A bedtime routine might include activities such as reading a book, having a bath, or listening to calming music. Try to be consistent with the bedtime routine, as this can help signal to your toddler that it is time to wind down and prepare for sleep.
Create a calm and safe bedroom environment
Make sure your toddler's bedroom is a peaceful and safe space. You can use calming colours such as pale pink, lilac, or lemon to create a relaxing atmosphere. Avoid bright or bold colours that can be overpowering or stimulating. Consider using blackout blinds or heavy curtains to block out any external light, as a dark room can help with the release of melatonin, the body's natural sleep hormone. Keep the temperature in the bedroom cool, ideally between 15 and 19 degrees Celsius, as a cooler room can aid sleep. Remove any potential hazards or choking risks from the bedroom, especially if your toddler is in a bed and can move around freely.
Encourage sun exposure during the day
Exposing your toddler to sunlight during the day, especially in the morning and evening, can help to regulate their sleep-wake cycle. Sun exposure energizes the body in the morning and prepares it for sleep at night. It helps signal to your toddler's brain that it is time to start the day and, later, time to stop sleeping.
Address separation anxiety
Many young children experience separation anxiety, which can sometimes last until they are 3 years old. Leaving them alone in a room to sleep can induce feelings of anxiety. To help ease this, you can use the 'camping out' method, where you gradually increase the distance between you and your toddler's bed over several nights. This helps your toddler learn to self-settle while still knowing you are nearby.
Avoid over-exhaustion
While regular exercise and activity during the day are important, avoid over-tiring your toddler. Learn to recognize the signs that your toddler is getting too tired, such as a certain level of hyperactivity, and adjust their bedtime accordingly. Too much daytime sleep can also make it harder for your toddler to settle at night, so aim for a balance that ensures they are tired but not overtired at bedtime.
Remember, every family and toddler is different, so find a strategy that suits your unique situation and that you feel comfortable with.
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Frequently asked questions
There are a few natural remedies that can help your toddler sleep. Exposing your child to sunlight in the morning and evening can help prepare their body for sleep. You can also give them a few ounces of cherry juice before bed, as it contains natural melatonin. Other remedies include giving them a pacifier or thumb to suck on, warm milk, or a consistent blanket or stuffed animal.
Sleep training methods such as Ferber, gentle, and cry-it-out can help your toddler sleep independently. With the Ferber method, you let your child cry for gradually increasing periods before responding. You can also try bedtime fading, where your toddler only goes to bed when they feel naturally tired, and parental presence, where you use your presence to help your child self-settle.
Sleep medicines are rarely recommended for children and should only be given if advised by a doctor. The FDA has not approved any prescription or over-the-counter sleep medication for children under 16, and there is limited evidence of their safety and effectiveness. Melatonin, a natural sleep aid, should also be given only under medical advice and supervision.
