Helping Your Toddler Sleep

The definition of sleep problems can vary widely, depending on an individuals need for sleep and the dynamics of that person's family.

There are parents who don't have a problem having their kid sleep in their bed. For others, the night is spent moving children back to their own beds once they have fallen asleep. There are other parents who need 12 hours without their children interrupting their sleep. So whether or not your family is experiencing a sleep problem with a toddler depends entirely on whether or not you feel there is a problem.

In the event that you think there's a sleep problem, you can solve it in many ways. Some parents can not stand to hear the heartbreaking sobs of unhappy children at night, and so they choose to take the path that is most likely to involve upsetting their toddler. You might decide instead to just go with whatever makes the kid happy, in the hopes that their schedule will eventually coincide with yours, and you'll all do fine.

To accomplish this, they may sleep the same room or even in the same bed as their toddler. That way when the child wakes in the night, they are reassured by the parent's proximity. This strategy involves the theory that you can eventually teach the toddler how to sleep in their own space, and sleep training is no longer required.

The great thing about this process is that you can prevent the agony and stress that can come with sleep training. With that said, you can still do sleep training without any sort of drama.

One disadvantage to the approach where your child chooses the bed he sleeps in is that for some parents, they need that time away from their children and allowing the children to share their bed is absolutely not an option for them. For these parents, a different approach is needed.

First, take a deep breath and work on one thing at a time. Move slowly. You can't address all of the problems inherent in a constantly waking child who starts screaming and running throughout the house breaking things because they can't establish a routine for sleep. Just solve one problem after another.

If you decide to begin sleep training, it is important that you take the time to talk with your toddler regarding the situation. In your sleep deprived state, the first words out of your mouth in the morning are probably, 'Why were you up again last night?' as you bang pots and pans about in the kitchen. However, having a conversation with your toddler is vital to the process.