It’s 3am and you hear that cry from your baby’s room which you fear every night. It’s very uncomfortable for you to wake up at that time and then deal with that moody child who has insomnia. You ask yourself in frustration why is my toddler not sleeping at night.
Most children are suffering from sleep problems. Night terrors, bed-wetting, bedtime fear, insomnia, and sleepwalking can be the cause of sleep disruption.
Sleep problems are related to bedtime activities and daytime behavior. You can work to change their habits to help them to get more sleep leading to more restful nights for you.
If your child is 2 years old and suddenly starts fighting bedtime and gets up too early in the morning, your child may be undergoing 2 years old sleep regression.
Read this article to know how to put your toddler to sleep, the best sleep timing, and food to help him sleep more.
Table of Contents
How can I get my toddler to sleep through the night?
A good night-sleep is healthy for both you and your little one. It includes getting to sleep immediately and staying asleep.
Most children take about 20 minutes to fall asleep but it depends on their routines (bedtime and daytime). If your child’s body is sleepy, it will help him to fall asleep within a short time.
Are you struggling with how can I get my toddler to sleep through the night, try our tips?
- Setting a bedtime routine and making your kid sleep at the same time daily encourages good sleep patterns. The bedtime routine may include a bath and a story on the bed can create a sleeping environment.
- Relax your child before bedtime by practicing breathing for relaxation. If your toddler takes more than 30 minutes to fall asleep, increase the wind-down time.
- Some toddlers have nighttime fears and are unable to sleep in dark. Encourage your child and appreciate him for his bravery. Don’t let your child watch horror TV shows or scary games.
- Check the light of your child’s room and remove the screen time from your kid’s routine. The blue light of the screen suppresses the melatonin level leading to delayed sleepiness. The bright light of the room at night can have similar effects. If your child wants the night light, choose the warm-colored globe instead of a cool-colored globe.
- Make sure your child eats all his meals at the proper time. A satisfying evening meal can enhance the chances of sleeping comfortably. Your child must not feel hungry before bed. Similarly feeling too full can cause trouble falling asleep by making him uncomfortable.
- Encourage your child to be in the natural bright light during the day especially in the morning. The bright light suppresses the level of melatonin and makes your child feel alert during the day. Such a child will be more sleepy towards bedtime.
- Don’t offer your child coffee, cola, chocolate, and other energy drink in the late afternoon. These things have caffeine in them which suppresses sleep.
- Don’t forget to praise your child when he is adapting good sleeping patterns.
What time should a 2-year-old go to bed?
Most parents ask what time should a 2-year-old go to bed. You need a solid sleep plan to get them solid sleep. Most kids of age 1-5 (toddlers) sleep 12-14 hours a day.
If you don’t have a plan, your toddler will wake up at midnight. So try to have a toddler bedtime to catch more ZZZ’s and reduce tuck-in trouble.
The parents want their toddler to sleep between 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and wake up between 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. But it is too much for them and they can’t sleep straight for this long. The best time for 2 years’ toddler to sleep is between 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Your toddler will have deep sleep from 8 pm to the mid of the night. You should pick a timetable that is comfortable for you and works for your little one.
Why does my toddler wake up multiple times a night?
One of the frequently asked questions by parents is why does my toddler wakes up multiple times a night. It’s normal for kids to wake up multiple times at night but what’s alarming is when they need an adult to put them back to sleep.
There can be many reasons for this and some of them are:
- 1) Separation anxiety
- 2) Developmental advances can be the reason. As they learn more things day by day and all that learning can be the reason for their sleep regression
- 3) Your toddler may be overtired and cannot calm himself down to sleep easily.
- 4) Family changes like the addition of siblings to the family can lead to sleep disturbances in kids.
- 5) Teething
- 6) Any changes to the night schedule
- 7) Fears of something scary or that of darkness
Why do toddlers fight sleep?
To diagnose why do toddlers fight sleep can be challenging. The common reasons are head colds, allergies, earaches, and teething pain, etc. In addition, the excitement for the day is the sleep wrecker which can be easily diagnosed and tackled.
But your toddler might be suffering from some serious issues like sleepwalking, obstructive sleep apnea, and chronic snoring. Such problems need to be tackled and take an appointment with your practitioner to check up on your toddler.
If your child is snoring 3-4 nights a week that can be due to a medical condition known as obstructive sleep apnea.
What foods help toddlers sleep?
If you are the victim of your child’s sleep regression, don’t worry some foods may be helpful.
But what foods help toddlers to sleep? All the foods that I am going to enlist have tryptophan which produces melatonin (sleep regulatory hormone).
- Milk and milk products
- Cheese
- Meat
- Fruit (Apple, peaches, bananas, avocado, strawberries, pineapples, and blueberries)
- Vegetables (Tomatoes, potatoes, spinach, cucumbers, green peas, cauliflower, broccoli, and mushrooms)
- Nuts
- Pulses and grains
- Whole wheat bread
Conclusion
You can help your toddler to sleep better with comfortable sleep environment, healthy diet, regular bedtimes, and healthy daytime habits.
The simple answer to your question “Why is my toddler not sleeping at night?” is separation anxiety, fear of darkness, physical condition like teething, headache, and earache etc.
But there might be some serious medical condition like obstructive sleep apnea.
