Sleep Training Your Toddler

Toddlers are usually very energetic and they tend to tire parents out. While your child may have been a “good sleeper” as an infant, you may find that this may change once they become toddlers. Sleep becomes the last thing on their minds.
Sleep Training Methods for Toddlers
There is no singular way to get your child to sleep. Hence, you may need to experiment with different methods to find the one that works for them.

1. Fading Method
If your toddler is used to being held or rocked to sleep, you might need to consider a fading method that is similar to the pick up put down method of sleep training, that’s best suited for babies.
The fading method gives your child the cuddles and hugs they need, while allowing them to gradually adjust to falling asleep in their own. It involves putting your child to bed while they are awake but drowsy. If your child fusses, do not immediately enter the room unless crying continues. If you do need to soothe the child again, gently rub their back until they calm down and then leave them. Repeat the process until they fall asleep.

2. Cry it Out Method
Understandably, the cry it out method is not a favorite for most parents. No parent wants to listen to their child cry for an hour or more before falling asleep. This method, however, is more effective than the fading method especially for toddlers who aea particularly sleep resistant. In time, they learn to fall asleep on their own instead of waiting for hugs and kisses always. You may need to return at set, longer intervals to offer reassuring loving words. This method will most probably be very rough as the crying can get very loud and last for hours.

3. Camp it out method
If you need to transition a toddler from your own bed to their own bed, the camp it out method is the best way to go. It involves moving the child to their own bed and then camping out in the same room with them on a mattress or on a chair. It is important to keep the environment familiar and comfortable.