HOW TO ADOPT BETTER SLEEPING HABITS TO AVOID TERRIBLE TWO BEHAVIOUR
Written by Jana Angeles
Sleep is important for everyone, especially for your little one! If you’ve ever felt grumpy and rude because of not getting enough sleep, chances are, your toddler is feeling the same too. When your child misses a nap or stays awake past their bedtime, it can affect their day-to-day activities planned for the next day.
If they are constantly crying and not listening to a word you have to say, the terrible two behaviour just gets worse and you need to find a plan that will help them sleep better during the day and night. Adopting better sleeping habits can make all the difference, which could then reduce the occurence of tantrums and crying. Here are some top tips you should consider to help your child fall into a sweet slumber.
Give them a bath before bedtime
Having a night time bath can be what your child needs to help them feel relaxed and comforted. This is a great way for them to unwind and soothe them to sleep. Using bubble baths with the smell of lavender can encourage sleep since the smell is quite pleasant and gives off those relaxing vibes. There is nothing like a warm bath and this can help them be less tense before they go to bed.
Read books together
Reading a book to your child can be quality time well-spent. It also helps with your child’s development, strengthening their listening and reading skills when they get older. With all the chaos that comes in life, reading a book during bedtime is a break away from screens of the TV and your phone, which needless to say can be a blessing sometimes. When picking a book to read during bed time, try and stick to simple books that don’t go on for too long. Choosing some of the classic books that have been loved by children over the years is a good rule of thumb to stick to.
Avoid any sugary treats close to bedtime and give them a warm beverage
Heating up a glass of milk is another effective way to help your child go to sleep with ease. If you find that your child gets hungry in the middle of the night, this may do the trick and curb their hunger pangs and enable them to sleep uninterrupted.
Minimise any distractions as much as possible
You may be used to the sound of the roaring television but when you’re trying to get your child to sleep, this noise disruption won’t help at all! Shut off anything that creates noise before settling your child to bed. Try and remove anything distracting in their room and create a setting where they can easily sleep in. Minimising noise can do wonders to your child’s sleeping pattern and it will help them fall asleep earlier if you’re strategic enough. If you are sneakily binge-watching a TV show while your kid is asleep, consider using your laptop instead so in that way, you get to use earphones, reducing the chances of your child hearing any noise.
Do a clear out of toys in your child’s room
Before you start settling your child for bedtime, do a bit of a clean up in their room and pack away all the toys that are a distraction. If you already know that your child has the habit of staying up late because they want to play with their toys instead, it’s best to not take the risk and pack them away so they don’t feed into their own temptation. If your child is prone to nightmares and has that one toy for comforting purposes, leave that one out as the exception.
The points mentioned above are all great tips to consider if your child is having trouble sleeping. Exhaustion may be the reason why they are constantly misbehaving, so it’s important to adopt a sleeping schedule that puts them into a routine. Do your best to minimise distraction at all times and consider tucking in your child earlier, so they can sleep longer and avoid the dreaded terrible two behaviour.