photo credit: phil41dean

This is a guest post by Alan Murray.  Alan is a parent of two boys and runs a baby names website. The site cover more than just baby names, it has sections on Pregnancy tips, Baby health, Breastfeeding and more.

What is the best time to put your toddler down at night?

There is no right or wrong on this. Suit the time to your child although most toddlers are in bed by 8pm. One of the most important things is to decide on the most suitable time and stick to it. Get your toddle into a routine at bedtime – read them a book – brush their teeth – all things that will help calm them down and get them ready for sleep. The last hour before bed should be a calm hour – especially if you do have a restless sleeper.

Naps during the day.

Naps during the day are important and I also recommend putting them down at the same time every day if possible. Depending on what time you toddler gets up in the morning then putting them down anytime between 11 am to 1pm should work. It does vary considerably from child to child. Basically you need to work out what suits you and your child the most. Some children may also go for a second nap around 3pm to 4pm.

Toddler an early riser?

Toddlers are never the same and that goes for sleep patterns as well! Some toddlers like to sleep past 8am and some like to get around 5 or 6 am! This can cause serious problems because of you the parent not getting your full allowance of sleep making you irritable and more likely to be less patient with your child.

Putting them to bed later is not always the answer – they tend to wake at the same time but because they have slept less, they tend to be irritable and more difficult to deal with. Cutting out the afternoon sleep again can just make them irritable during the day and night.

Toddler waking during the night

Some toddlers wake during the night and often want to play with toys. Parents need to be aware this will happen and make sure the dangers are limited as much as that is possible. Ensure all the toys within the cot are child friendly. Ensure there is nothing nearby the cot that your child can reach out to and grab. Damage limitation is the name of the game here!

Cot in the parents’ bedroom.

Most young children are kept in the parent’s bedroom till there are more than 6 months old. Safety and ease of feeding being the main reasons for this. Keeping them in your bedroom will of course break up your sleep. Some parents choose to keep their children in their room for longer and this can sometimes be forced onto parents if there is a lack of rooms in the house. I certainly would recommend moving your child to another room after 6 months but not before. Getting woken up repeatedly during the night is never the answer and also by this point your child will be moving themselves during the night.

If you leave moving them till later then this, it may cause anxiety in your baby and they will not be able to sense your presence and may not settle until they are back in the same room as you. 6 months is an ideal time for the transition for both of you so look forward to an unbroken sleep…not unless your other half snores of course!

Escaping from the cot!

Children even before they reach their first birthday are already working on their climbing skills! Escaping from cots is a popular thing with a child and one that you need to prepare for. Making sure the cot is high enough to prevent them getting out and if you can’t do this give them a soft landing by putting down cushions or a mattress.

It is when your child breaks a bone or hurts themselves that another solution has to be found such as moving them to a kid’s bed near to the ground. One that worked for us was to keep our son in a grow bag until he was 18 months old. The grow bag prevented him from climbing or indeed any real movement.