How to Get a Hyperactive Toddler to Sleep
It's after midnight and your hyperactive toddler isn't showing any signs of slowing down. You close your eyes and wonder how you will ever get to sleep if he refuses to go to bed. Knowing your friends' kids have already been asleep for hours makes it more difficult to cope. Having a hyperactive toddler can be stressful; however, knowing that you can take steps to help him get to sleep can significantly reduce your stress level.
Designate a bedtime for your toddler. Put her to bed at the same time every night to establish a routine.
Give your toddler a bath one hour before the appointed bedtime. This will help relax him and will signal that the bedtime routine has begun.
Encourage your toddler to take part in quiet-time activities such as cuddling or reading a favorite book together. Make this a nightly activity that occurs right after the bath, so she understands that bedtime is approaching.
Put your toddler to bed, turn on some soft music and leave the room. Do not return unless there is an emergency. Follow the same routine every night, until he accepts it.
Find a special song or poem that you and your toddler can recite each night just as you leave the bedroom. It will establish that the day has ended, and it will provide security for your little one.
Do not deviate from the routine until your toddler has accepted it completely. The first few nights will be rough because the routine is new. Refuse to give in, refuse to deviate from the steps, and your toddler will accept the routine and begin looking forward to the special bath and reading time she has with her parent each night before going to sleep.
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