Toddler Sleep

Toddler sleep can be just as challenging, if not more than when they were younger. Toddlers tend to get fussy during bedtime whenever they get that chance, often stalling the process or even fighting it. Ensuring they get proper sleep is paramount – it can impact their behaviour, development, skill acquisition, mood, as well as their physical and emotional well-being. If your little one’s sleep issues are bothering you, then you’re in the right place to find a solution.

At Riff Raff Sleep Toys, we strive to provide quality sleep aid products, so your toddler finds bedtime the most pleasant affair of the day, thereby ensuring they welcome it and get the rest they need. No matter what you’re looking for – from dummy comforters, toys for cot, baby security blankets, newborn toys, teething toys to baby hooded towels, you can find something in our range of characters that will help improve toddler sleep.

How much sleep does your toddler need?

Toddlers usually need 11 to 14 hours of sleep every day. That means they should get 10 to 12 hours each night and 1 to 2 hours during the day as it is essential for their growth and development – except they’re not aware of this and would much rather muck around and play than settle themselves to sleep.

How to get your toddler to sleep?

Fortunately, there are ways to overcome the push-back scenarios and ensure that you’re getting your toddler to sleep at the appropriate time so they can achieve some quality sleep – and also for you to catch up on a few winks. Here are a few tips we’ve gathered so you can expertly dismantle unwanted cycles like a pro.

Stay firm but positive

Remember that when it comes to toddler sleep, what gets tolerated gets maintained, and children love running the show and being in charge of what time they go to bed. They’ll soon work out that they can easily push their luck and make bedtime a negotiating table. A practical approach to this behaviour is to stay positive and confident. If you respond with frustration and pressure, it may exacerbate the situation by creating a negative association with bedtime and making the process even more difficult.

Another effective way to help get them into the habit of welcoming bedtime is to introduce a sleep aid toy like our adorable plush cuties at Riff Raff Sleep Toys. Whenever it’s time for a bedtime story, pop out these ultrasoft toys so your little one can hold on to the toy’s blanket body as they sit in rapture listening. Then, after the story ends, you can trigger the soothing lullaby sound that they will always look forward to as they drift off to slumberland.

Build boundaries

We recommend using a stamp chart listing their activities leading up to toddler sleep. For example, your stamp chart can look like this: Playtime – Bath – Bedtime Story – Sleep. By popping a stamp or a sticker next to each activity right after doing it, you can keep track of bedtime routines and ensure nothing disrupts the cycle. With a stamp chart, you can also limit the wiggle room your toddlers have for negotiating to do other activities. If they want you to read another book, you can simply point and say you’ve already done that. To help make things easier, we recommend having sleep toys like Riff Raff. Not only are they great as sleep aids, but they can serve as transitional objects to guide your toddler through routines. If you always pop out their best pal during bedtime, your little one will subconsciously accept the turn of events instead of rebelling against it – they want to sleep next to their best friend after all!

Break unwanted habits

It’s one thing to stay in the room for your toddler’s comfort and another thing entirely to sit for two hours watching them play around as you watch their performance. Gently but firmly reinforce that bedtime means lying down quietly. Phrases like ‘Lie quietly in bed or Mummy/Daddy will leave the room’ can be an effective card to pull out when encouraging good habits in toddler sleep. The important thing is that your little one should not be encouraged to be in a wired state; bedtime means winding down and snuggling next to their Riff Raff buddy.

At Riff Raff Sleep Toys, we strive to provide quality sleep aid products, so your toddler finds bedtime the most pleasant affair of the day, thereby ensuring they welcome it and get the rest they need. Shopping online with us is extremely easy, and we offer deliveries for both Australian and international orders. Add our baby sleep toys to your cart now to promote quality toddler sleep.