Getting a toddler to sleep can often be quite an ordeal. With many children, they simply don't want to go to sleep. There are too many things to do and toys to play with, and they want to stay up with mummy and daddy. Given all of these distractions, how does one best go about getting a child to sleep consistently every night? In this article, I discuss the various ways of getting a toddler to sleep, as well as some tips of what not to do:

1. Changing the Afternoon Nap: If you are having trouble getting your child to sleep every night, and your child has an afternoon nap every day, the nap itself might be the problem. Your child won't sleep if he or she isn't tired. There are three different ways you can deal with this. You can either move the nap earlier in the day, or make the nap shorter, or skip it entirely. Earlier and shorter naps will often work for many parents. Skipping it entirely may create other problems, but some toddlers are able to do so happily.



2. Avoid Exciting Games Before Bed: Games that involve physical activity will often excite your child, and an excited child is hard to get to bed, even when he or she is tired. A good general rule is that, if your child is giggling, the game is too exciting for before bed. Television also excites the child because it over-stimulates the senses. For about an hour before bedtime, play only calming games like reading books, playing with toys or making puzzles.



3. Give a Warning Activity: Don't suddenly tell your child it's bedtime. It will take them by surprise, and they will often fight you. Give them a "warning activity", and say something like, "After this book, it's time for bed". Be aware, too, that children don't understand time very well, and won't really understand "five minutes". Tie it to an actual activity.



4. Make a Bedtime Routine: Make a bedtime routine for your child so that he or she understands that it is time for bed. Brush teeth, put on pyjamas, nurse, read a book, pray and anything else in a set order, so the child can anticipate when it is time to lie down and go to sleep. I find my toddler will often crawl himself into bed before the end of our nightly ritual.



5. Read the Right Books: Certain kinds of books have been shown to help get a child to sleep. The first are books with counting, which help center the mind. The second are books about going to bed. Many children's books have a final page where someone goes to sleep. This isn't enough. Books like, "Guess How Much I Love You" or "Goodnight Moon" are about going to sleep. This helps your child imagine sleeping, which helps him or her go to sleep.