The Best Nap and Bedtime Tips for Toddlers – Get Them to Sleep Quickly
This post is sponsored by The Honest Company. All content is my own.
Toddlers are tricky ones to get to sleep. They are going through changes in growth, finding their little personalities, and learning how to fight off nap time and bedtime. Even if you have the most strict sleep routine.
Terrible two’s are real, so you have to learn tips and tricks that work for your toddler to get them locked in a sleep routine. Our toddler can have emotions comparable to teen angst. One minute he’s playing happily outside with his toys and the next we are in a meltdown because he’s obviously tired and needs sleep.
Why do toddlers need sleep during nap time and bedtime?
We need our toddlers to sleep through their naps and through the night. As moms, we get so many benefits from our toddlers sleeping –
Toddlers are less cranky when they get their naps. I’ve experienced the no-nap toddler and it’s not fun.
Toddlers have more energy to play, learn, and have fun when they get the sleep they need. A result of the decreased crankiness, no doubt.
Moms get more sleep at night and as a result are less tired and stressed to keep up with endless toddler energy.
Moms have some “me time” during that precious toddler nap. I use these times to get some work done, catch up on TV series, take a nap myself, or spend one on one time with my older kids.
Getting Your Toddler to Sleep Easily!
Our toddlers play hard during the day. Although each of my kids has been different, our third child loves getting dirty outside, making mud pies and playing with bugs.
Here are my favorite tricks that I’ve used with all three kids as toddlers to get them to sleep EASY!
Tire them out– Get your toddler tired. If they are tired they will eventually go to sleep, probably more quickly.
You can tire your toddler out mentally and physically. Playing imaginary games, building blocks & puzzles, and reading together are great mental activities. You can play outdoor games, let them explore and play outside with toys (shovels, buckets, water, action figures, etc.), go on family walks together, and let them join you when you exercise at home.
Make a routine– Toddlers are going to challenge this routine, but they still need it, they just don’t always know they do. The key to toddler routines is flexibility. If they are pushing back on nap time go play outside for 20 minutes and try again. Same with bedtime, read a few more stories and try again.
Bath time works wonders– Build bath time into your daily routine. Even before naps a quick bath can be the ticket. Like I said my toddler gets DIRTY. He likes to feel fresh and clean before going to sleep.
Using The Honest Company Truely Calming Shampoo + Body Wash makes it even more effective. That lavender smell and chamomile honestly gets them every time, making them sleepy and ready for bed.
I love their Lavender Wash because it’s hypoallergenic, gentle, and won’t dry out your toddler’s skin or hair, which makes it easy to use twice a day if you need to give a quick bath before nap time.
You can find Honest Lavender washonline at Costco!
Read stories and sing songs– I can’t tell you how important this step is. I can still get my 5 year old to sleep just reading a few stories and singing a couple songs every night. In fact both of them fall asleep this way. Everything leading up to this helps though. The routine and the bath time are just as important.
Remember to be flexible. Some days might be harder with teething or growth spurts. Reading extra stories, playing longer, or singing a few extra songs can help.