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In this post, I’m sharing one thing you can do to improve sleep TONIGHT! This simple change to your toddler bedtime routines will have a huge impact on how well your child sleeps.
Because I know that when you’re looking for sleep help, you want to answers NOW!
>>Watch this blog on my NEW! Awesome Little Sleepers YouTube channel! 👇
Improve Sleep Tonight
This piece of advice is the easiest, most impactful thing you can do to help improve your child’s sleep. Now, I’m not promising that everything can be solved with one tip. Believe me, I wish it were that easy. But this tip can go a long way to helping you make bedtime smoother and less meltdown-ey and get your child to sleep longer.
Here it is - start putting your child to bed earlier.
Kids are chronically going to bed too late.
Why Pushing Bedtime Later is a Problem
When kids stay up too late, they get a second wind - a jolt of energy caused by a spike in cortisol. And once they get that spike, they’re not going to be able to fall asleep until they come back down off the cortisol rush.
So, you actually want to get your kid to bed BEFORE that jolt of energy happens.
Getting hyper in the evening is a secret sign of extreme sleepiness. Did you know that?
Benefits of Early Bedtime for Toddlers
There’s a saying when it comes to bedtime - "Perfect timing produces no crying."
With a toddler, it’s more like, "Perfect timing produces less stalling" or "Perfect timing produces less nuclear meltdowns."
Getting them in bed BEFORE the cortisol surge is KEY to a peaceful bedtime.
That’s why I call it the Magic of the Early Bedtime
How To Find the Perfect Bedtime
Each child's perfect bedtime will be a little bit different.
First, watch them like a hawk and look for subtle sleepy signs like getting quiet, zoning out. losing interest in playing, body getting heavy, holding his head in his hands or laying down.
Start watching a hour or so BEFORE you typically start to see some of that hyper behavior.
When you start to see those signs of sleepiness, THAT is his bedtime.
If your child is overtired and seems to be in a constant hyper state, look for where it starts to amp up. Then shift their bedtime to 15 minutes before that time.
In kids 2.5 to 6, it’s going to be between 6:30 and 7:45 depending on if they nap and how well they sleep overnight. But all kids under 6 should be ASLEEP by 8pm. That’s your goal.
Once you find a new bedtime, you have to stick with it for 5 days to see if it makes a difference. What you should see is your child falling asleep faster and maybe even sleeping later in the morning.
Common Questions About Toddler Bedtime Routines
In the full video, I answer common questions and speak to challenges like...
My kid's bedtime is 7:30 but it still takes them forever to fall asleep
We just can’t get her to bed that early
My kid isn’t tired that early, or my kid doesn’t need a lot of sleep
You'll know that you've found the perfect bedtime when
Your child falls asleep within 10-15 minutes of lights out
They sleep until at least 6 am
Sound magical? It kinda is!
If you can’t say yes to both of those on most nights, take my advice and put the Magic of the Early Bedtime to work for you!