The Quilts Zone Blog

You just celebrated your baby’s first birthday and boy! You realize that so many things have changed. Your parenting skills have sharpened. Your baby now needs fewer but longer naps easily accounting for about 11 hours at night. But you also see that sometimes he has trouble sleeping especially if he’s engrossed with baby toys or games, or if his mum is away from him.

If you see that your child only sleeps when you are around, this is something to worry about. It could form into a habit that is hard to break. You will need to take efforts to help him soothe himself. It might help to follow a fixed nightly ritual so your child can learn what is expected of him. Assure him that he’s safe and that you are just in the next room if need be.

Toddlers are great negotiators, and they’re no different when it comes to bedtime. And because they so enjoy the time they spend with you, they’ll do what they can to prolong the time they have with you. Your child may take his time doing his usual nightly routine, ask repeatedly for a glass of water, or keep requesting that you come to his room because he needs something. If you suspect he’s stalling, don’t let him. Tell him it’s time for bed and that he can finish working on his art project the next day or find the stuffed bunny the following morning. Make the nighttime routine more “business like” when you kiss your baby and tuck him/her in. Don’t wait around for your baby to fuss. Just leave and close the door and wait about ten minutes before you go back in the room.

Sometimes it’s just a battle for control. Your toddler wants to control his environment as much as possible. You can’t force him to fall asleep. Try reverse psychology and tell him he doesn’t have to go to sleep, but can play in his crib. Eventually, he’ll fall asleep on his own.