As a parent, seeing your toddler not going to sleep until late might be a major concern and a source of panic since you are used to them dozing off as early as 8 P.M.
You might be thinking of visiting the pediatrician. Still, there are other reasons why your toddler will not sleep until late. And it isn’t always because they are sick! But, what are the main reasons your toddler is not going to sleep until late?
Check out the reasons below, along with 5 tips to help you!
Your toddler is not going to sleep until late because they were used to you being their sleep aide, and now that you have stopped, it becomes hard for them to find any sleep till late when it comes knocking heavily.
Fatigue
This might seem ironic since toddlers fall asleep quickly when tired. However, this is not always the case. If they are over-tired, it might be hard to have a sweet and smooth sleep or even get any sleep.
The brain processes sleep, and if fatigue is a constant obstacle, you will need to address it pretty quickly, or it could lead to a habit.
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No established bedtime routine
Nothing that works perfectly for kids, such as a well-followed routine.
The body, especially at a young age, is very disciplined at following a set routine, including a bedtime routine.
Doing the same thing night after night helps your toddler and their body know its bedtime and respond accordingly.
With no bedtime routine, your toddler may take a nap late in the evening and wake up as you walk into the house from work or watch the 9 P.M news bulletin, and from here, it will be hard to go to sleep till late.
Asthma, allergies
Toddlers are vulnerable to allergic reactions, asthma, and other health conditions. These may make it hard for them to fall asleep quickly. However, medical conditions such as asthma make toddlers very uncomfortable, and as much as they want to sleep, the discomfort does not allow them the luxury to go to sleep till late.
Some drugs, such as ADHD drugs used as interventions for these and other conditions, contain some elements that deprive your toddler of sleep, making them stay awake till very late.
It is common for parents to pimp and over-decorate their toddlers’ room to make it cool and give them a wonderful childhood. Unknown to you, this might be why your toddler cannot fall asleep till late in the night.
A room full of cool toys and gadgets with new ones bring brought in often will be telling you, kid, to stay up and feed their curiosity and urge to play.
How to help if a toddler is not going to sleep till late
Develop independence
It’s in a parent’s nature to want to be present for their toddlers. It is not wrong to soothe your toddler or rock them to sleep once in a while. Instead, you should slowly desist from this and let them become independent when falling asleep.
Put them to bed when sleepy and let them fall to sleep independently. Within no time, they will become a self-soother, and it also becomes easier for them to fall back to sleep when they wake up in the middle of the night.
Bath your toddler
A good shower or bath is a catalyst for quick and deep sleep. Fatigue is part of their growth process as they spend the entire day jumping up and down and being toddlers.
As a good parent, give your toddler a warm bath in the evening after dinner and watch them peacefully fall asleep within no time.
Old habits die hard, and this is what you need to workaround. Developing a bedtime routine for your toddler will see them through years of falling asleep early without any struggle.
Toddlers’ brains are the best at responding to routine, and you need to take advantage of it. For example, depending on their dinner time, make them sleep as early as four months.
After a month or so of repeating this every night, your kid will have no problem sleeping early. If you are lucky, it might be every night! No matter the occasion.
See a pediatrician in case of any illness or a sleep-depriving prescription
Once you notice that your toddler is having a hard time going to sleep, consider any medication they may be on.
Toddlers are not the best at communicating exactly what they feel or what their bodies are going through. Instead, their habits and body language will always alert you.
Visit a pediatrician and ask them to change the dose or diagnose the condition making it difficult to fall asleep.
Create a sleep conducive room
Do not stop spoiling your toddler with cool toys, dolls, and gadgets but know where to keep them when it is time to go to bed.
Kids’ curiosity can only be matched to that of cats, and constantly feeding their interest will not let them sleep early.
Consider confiscating these toys when its bedtime everyday or also controlling the number of gadgets they get access to.
You need to consider going easy on the interior decor for their room if it’s why they are not falling asleep till late.
There are potentially many reasons why your toddler will not sleep until late. In this post, I have identified the top 5, and there are 5 things you can do to improve them!
Seek to establish the cause for their lack of sleep first before seeking an intervention.
