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Toddler Bedtimes
Developing a Schedule and Routine
By Keath Castelloe Low
Sometimes one of the hardest things about parenting a toddler is getting them to bed. Just ask Kristen Kirk, mom of two from Chesapeake, Va.
"The biggest problem for me is that my husband and I never worked together on a bedtime routine," Kirk says. "We would often come up with a plan and then he would cave, or I would cave."
Kirk admits that they had a hard time being consistent. "My kids are now 8 and 7 and I have to lie in bed with them for at least a half hour, sometimes an hour (each!) until they go to sleep," she says.
Sherry Antonetti, a mom from Gaithersburg, Md., has two toddlers. She sums up the frustrations many parents of little ones face with a simple tongue-in-cheek question: "Wait ... toddlers sleep?"
Dr. Daniel S. Lewin, a licensed clinical psychologist and director of the Pediatric Behavioral Sleep Medicine program at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., notes that sleep is critical for both maintenance of physical health and for our children's brain development. On average, toddlers need approximately 12 to 14 hours of sleep, including naps and nighttime sleep, within a 24-hour period.
Sleep actually serves many purposes. Adequate sleep contributes to the control of attention, mood and behavior. When children are well rested, they are less irritable, are better able to listen and follow directions, and are overall easier to manage and parent. "Sleep also allows downtime for toddlers and their parents," Dr. Lewin says. As any parent of a toddler knows, this downtime is vital for our well-being, too. Parents also benefit from adequate sleep!
Ever heard of the old wives' tale that when we are tired, we eat more? Turns out this isn't a tale at all. Dr. Lewin explains that decreased sleep time has recently been linked to weight gain and obesity in both children and adults.