Toddler sleep routine: Establishing a sleep zone

Establishing healthy sleep habits from the start will ensure that your child will fit smoothly into your family’s routine.

Having enough sleep is as important to your toddler as following a healthy diet and providing him with adequate stimulation. A well-rested child is less frustrated, more predictable and happier in his world.

Remember, your toddler may not necessarily develop healthy sleep habits automatically. He may need a little help from you!

Whether you have chosen to sleep with your child in the family bed, or whether your child sleeps on his own is determined by your personal beliefs, cultural views and your ability to separate from your child. Either way, choose a sleep zone that suits you.

It is important to regulate your child’s environment to ensure that his sleep zone supports sleep. I would recommend that by the time your child is two years old, that you try to let him sleep in his own sleep zone.

Children need to have their own space, and sleep space is interconnected with physical and emotional boundaries. Encouraging your child to foster some independence from you in the sleep zone paves the way for a sense of security with his own separateness and provides a sound basis for the development of self esteem and self reliance.

Some ideas of creating a calm and nurturing ‘sleep zone’ include:

• Darkened room at night ( with a dim night light if necessary), and closed curtains for day time naps.
• Special ‘sleep friends’ such as a stuffed animal or favourite toy.
• A muted colour scheme in his room, avoiding bright or primary colours.
• Avoid menacing posters/wall murals and shelves piled with stuffed animals.
• Don’t hang dressing gowns or towels on the back of his door – they can look scary in dim light.
• Avoid glare from a window or a passage or bathroom light.
• If possible, try to keep his play zone in another area of the house, so that he does not associate play with his sleep zone. If it is not possible, pack all toys away before sleep time.
• Keep the cot or bed away from plug points because of electric magnetic radiation

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Ann Richardson

Qualified nurse and midwife Ann Richardson, co-author of Baby Sense, Sleep Sense and author of Toddler Sense, all bestsellers, has worked in the midwifery and paediatric fields for over 30 years. Ann has been in private practice for the past 22 years, and introduced the first private well-baby clinics, now a well-known phenomenon at Doctors’ rooms and pharmacies across the country.Passionate about her work and dedicated to ensuring that parents have the necessary knowledge to enjoy and rejoice in their children, she regularly lectures to both professionals and parents on various baby and childcare issues, in particular the effects of the sensory system on infant behaviour, and the management of sleeping disorders. Her specialisation is the treatment of “difficult babies and toddlers”, in particular those with feeding and sleeping disorders.She is a regular contributor to childcare publications, TV and radio. Ann is married with two daughters, and lives and practices in Johannesburg.

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