Feeling Helpless? 6 Sleep Hacks To Get You On Track!

It’s a scary and uncertain time and I think it’s fair to say that we’re all feeling it. Over the past week or so, I’ve been thinking a lot about the quote “When you feel helpless, help someone.” As we navigate these trying times together, I want to do as much as I can to help and since my expertise is around young children and sleep, I wanted to share a few tips that I hope you find helpful.

Since we’re all ultra-focused on staying healthy right now, it’s a good time to remember that one of the very best ways to maintain a strong immune system is by getting proper sleep (fun fact: stress hormones are at their lowest when we are asleep!)

Of course, if you have a baby or young child in the house who isn’t sleeping well, getting a good night’s sleep is obviously a little tricky. I wanted to share some tips that you can try – starting tonight – that can make a big difference.

Sleep Hack #1: Watch awake time!

One of the BIGGEST enemies of sleep – especially for babies and toddlers – is over-tiredness…and many parents are surprised to learn just how easily their baby get overtired! Here’s a quick guide to how long your child should be awake between naps during the day:

Newborns (0-12 Weeks): 45 – 60 minutes

3-5 Months: 1.5–2 hours

6–8 months: 2–3 hours

9–12 months: 3-4 hours

13 months to 2.5 years: 5–6 hours

If you make sure that your child is put down for naps BEFORE they get overtired, you’ll find that they fall asleep more easily at nap time…and that they are more relaxed at bedtime, too!!

Sleep Hack #2: Keep the room dark!

We all (babies and toddlers included) sleep better in the dark.

Try making your child’s room as dark as possible. (I recommend using blackout blinds, taping up garbage bags or whatever it takes!)

In many cases, even the glow from a nightlight or a digital alarm clock can be enough to disrupt your child’s sleep cycle! Try to keep your child’s room as dark as possible during daytime naps, too. It’s amazing what a big difference this can make in how long your child will nap during the day!

Sleep Hack #3: Predictability!

Babies and toddlers love predictable routines. And a predictable bedtime routine (lasting no longer than 30 minutes) is a great way to let your child know when the time for sleep is coming.

Once the bedtime routine is complete, keep things low key and calm. Lots of children will try to “drag out” bedtime by playing games, throwing toys out of the crib, standing up, etc. Don’t participate.

If your child has thrown their blanket or favourite stuffed toy out of the crib, calmly return the item without saying a word. If you don’t engage, the games shouldn’t last long.

Sleep Hack #4: Feed AFTER Naps, Not Before

For a lot of babies and toddlers, the single biggest reason they don’t sleep well has to do with a feed-sleep association. They think that they need a bottle or nursing BEFORE they can fall asleep. By feeding after a nap – instead of right before – you can help your child break this sleep association.

Sleep Hack #5: Same Place, Same Time

Remembering that our children love predictability, it’s a good idea to have your child sleep in the same place – at the same time – every day.

This means that nap time should happen in the same place as nighttime sleep – rather than in car seats, strollers, your lap, etc.

For many parents, simply changing WHERE their child naps during the day results in a big improvement in their child’s nighttime sleep.

Sleep Hack #6: Take Five

Before you put your child to bed (for naps or at bedtime), make sure the five-minute period before they are put to bed is very calm and relaxing.

No throwing your toddler in the air… or watching TV… or tickle fights in the five minutes immediately before bed. This will help settle them into sleep easier.

I hope at least one or two of these will be helpful for you. If your child’s sleep problems have been going on for a long time – there’s a good chance that no single “hack” is going to get them sleeping through the night but I encourage you to give some of these a try and let me know how you make out!