Why a bedtime routine is good for your toddler
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If you’re looking to improve your toddler’s sleep and sleep habits, adopting a bedtime routine is a good place to start. Establishing and maintaining a bedtime routine comes with many benefits and will help your toddler to fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up rested and refreshed. Here are 5 reasons why adopting a bedtime routine is good for your toddler.
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Establishing and maintaining a bedtime routine comes with many benefits and will help your toddler to fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up rested and refreshed.
Why a bedtime routine is good for your toddler
Here are 5 reasons why adopting a bedtime routine is good for your toddler.
1. A bedtime routine adds predictability into your toddler’s day
This predictability helps your toddler to feel safe and secure. This really is important at a time when they’re continuously experiencing and learning so many new things.
Your toddler’s brain is like a super sponge, taking in new experiences everyday, which can sometimes get a bit overwhelming.
A good bedtime routine lets their brain wind down and relax because it can stop taking in new information and just chill for a bit. It comes to learn the routine and doesn’t need to be on high alert for new experiences anymore.
2. A bedtime routine helps nurture your relationship with your toddler
Time before bed should be fun and relaxing, and it’s a great time for you to be one-on-one with your toddler without all the other daily distractions.
Sharing that bedtime story really can become a special time for the two of you every day.
3. A bedtime routine helps set your toddler’s internal body clock
We all have a circadian rhythm, a 24-hour biological clock that tell us when to go to sleep, and when to wake up. A bedtime routine helps set this clock.
Think of a bedtime routine as setting your toddler’s alarm clock for sleep.
4. A bedtime routine is an integral first step in establishing your toddler’s healthy sleep habits
It’s been demonstrated that children with good bedtime routines are more likely to fall asleep quickly and sleep more soundly.
Without a good bedtime routine, your toddler's body can sometimes get a bit out of whack which is not healthy for them in the long run.
5. A good bedtime routine helps your toddler to relax during stressful stages of their development
A good bedtime routine promotes the feeling of safety and security. It’s the predictability, and often the time spent together during the bedtime routine, that helps calm your toddler during their early developmental stages. It makes them feel safe.
The fact that there is at least one stable thing in your toddler’s day can make all the difference to their resilience.
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Source: This article was written by Kim Corley, a certified sleep sense consultant at Cherished Sleep.