Frustrated when your baby doesn't fall asleep on his own? Learn how to teach your baby self soothing techniques to sleep with these effective techniques. I was on a rocking cycle, rocking my baby until he fell asleep in my arms. Because once I placed him in the crib, his eyes flew open, forcing me to start the cycle again. So then I tried another approach: I rocked him until he was completely knocked out. While he didn't wake up immediately, he eventually would a few minutes later, realizing he was no longer in the same place. In the newborn stage, I understood the need to help him … [Read more...]
10 Things You Should Do when You Transition from Crib to Toddler Bed
Most parents start the transition from crib to toddler bed because their child climbed out. I know that's true for me. My eldest climbed out of the crib and fell smack on the floor. One of the twins somehow landed on his feet. As for his twin brother, we found him straddling the crib, hooting, "Horse-y!" (Get more tips about helping your child stay in bed.) For other kids, the transition happened because they liked the idea of a big bed. They associate cribs with babies and want their own beds instead. And still others are 'forced out' of their cribs when a new baby arrives. Whether … [Read more...]
What to Do when Your Child Plays Instead of Sleeps
Finding bedtime difficult with your toddler not sleeping? Discover effective tips to get your child to finally fall asleep. My son knew it was time for bed. We went through our bedtime routine of taking a bath, changing into pajamas and reading four books. Except once he was tucked in bed, he wouldn't sleep. He wasn't crying—in fact, he was playing, talking, and even getting out of bed. I'd already reminded him a few times that it was time to sleep, but he wouldn't listen. Each time I walked in, I'd find him playing instead of tucked in bed. And so I'd get upset. I took his … [Read more...]
How to Get Your Child to Stay in Bed All Night
Struggling when your toddler will not stay in bed? Learn 7 effective tips on how to keep a toddler in bed (and stay there the whole night). Getting your child to stay in bed all night has been a challenge. You've tried positive reinforcement. You've crafted a rewards chart with stickers. You've even threatened her with punishment. But you still wonder how to stop your toddler from sleeping in your bed. Sure, you run through the bedtime routine. And she'll even fall asleep after you've turned off the lights. But at least once a night for the past several weeks, she wakes up for various … [Read more...]
6 Tips to Help Your Kids Sleep in Their Own Beds
Need tips on getting your toddler to sleep in their own bed? Check out these 6 tips to get your child to sleep—and stay—in his own bed the whole night. This article contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support! After months of sleep deprivation, Nick's daughter proved she could sleep a solid 11 to 12 hours straight. But just when he thought she'd sleep through the night from now until forever, he faced a new problem: His daughter began to refuse sleeping in her room. Right on cue, she'd creep into their bed, too afraid to sleep in her own. Other times, she refused to sleep … [Read more...]
How to End Bedtime Battles and Get Your Child to Finally Sleep
Bedtimes for children can be a challenge for many parents. Here's how to end toddler bedtime tantrums, from resisting sleep to not staying in their room. On most nights, bath time starts at 6:30, followed by pajamas and reading. By 7pm, our three-year-old is tucked into his twin bed and dozing the night away. But bedtime wasn't always like that. From screaming fits to not staying in his bed, my husband and I have had our share of bedtime tantrums. Common toddler bedtime tantrums and battles Look at a few we've gone through and the tips we used to end bedtime battles. Bedtime battle 1: … [Read more...]
How to Get Your Baby to Sleep Through the Night
Are you still rocking your child to asleep? Does your toddler wake up in the middle of the night? Here's how to get your baby to sleep through the night. Exhausted doesn't even fully describe those nights. With the baby waking up throughout the night, I'd fumble through the nights delirious, looking forward to the day the sleep deprivation would finally end. My baby needed to nurse to fall asleep and didn't know how to self soothe just yet. I had heard that, past the newborn stage, babies can start to sleep through the night—a solid 10-12 hours of sleep, straight. They'd be able to take … [Read more...]
Why I Regret Rocking My Baby To Sleep
When I was pregnant, a co-worker advised, "Don't get in the habit of rocking baby to sleep — he'll get used to it." As I nodded my head and smiled, all I could think was, "Cruel woman! How could she suggest such an idea?!" Well... six months, two broken knees, and many sleep deprived nights later, I knew why. (I'll get to the broken knees later.) After bringing my baby home, I realized he'd dozed off after a few bouncing and rocking in my arms. Somehow he only fell asleep in mine—a fact I took great pride in: "Only mama has the special touch!" I used all sorts of crazy rocking, … [Read more...]