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Sweet Dreams
Helping Toddlers Build
Healthy Sleep Habits By Alex Powell
Healthy Sleep Habits
After dinner, they go for a short walk to burn off some toddler energy. If the weather is bad, Joe gets to run a few laps through the house. Then Joe gets ready for sleep. "We change his diaper, put on his pjs and choose a pile of stories to read together," says Salmon. "Once we are done, it's time to go to bed."
Having a bedtime routine offers toddlers the consistency they crave, and helps them wind down after their busy days. It doesn't have to be time consuming or complicated. In fact, says Dr. Mindell, the typical toddler bedtime routine consists of a bath, pajamas and two bedtime stories.
"You want the routine to be three to four activities that are the same every night, and you want the last part of it stories, lullabies or whatever your child prefers to occur in the child's room," says Dr. Mindell. Bedtime routines should be about 30 to 45 minutes long.
To help build this skill, let the bedtime routine end before lights out. "You want your child to fall asleep in an environment exactly like the one she'll be in when she wakes up at 1 a.m.," says Dr. Mindell. "If you play music at bedtime, she is going to need it at 1 a.m. If you lie down with her at bedtime, she's going to need you to do that at 1 a.m."