Morning Monster and a Sleepyhead - These two adjectives are for your little wizard. Whether he wakes early or stays awake at night, he needs to sleep well because insufficient or fragmented sleep can hinder his growth and development. We aren't just talking about the hours he sleeps but also about the quality of sleep along with the ambiance he gets and the routines he follows to wake him fresh and energetic for the next day.
There are many more aspects to consider if you really want your toddler to sleep well, eat well, and be a rockstar performer in his academics. If you are excited to know how well-rested toddlers become better students, what schedules they should follow, and how to prioritize their sleep for success at school, then this blog is for you. Let's dive into the cozy and comfortable world of sleep and understand its influence on your toddler's physical, mental, and emotional development.
Toddlers need plenty of sleep to thrive.
Every parent must first understand that kids don't hold to limits while sleeping. Sleep is the primary method they use to grow and develop. As adults, the amount of sleep we need varies with age and the number of activities we do. However, for most toddlers, their number of sleeping hours ranges between 11 to 14 hours per day. This standard sleeping range includes both nighttime sleep and afternoon naps.
As per experts, most children need naps even after they reach the age of 2.5 to 3 years. Uninterrupted and continuous sleep routines are vital for the all-around development of your toddler's body and mind. Through regular sleep patterns, their bodies regulate the internal bio-clocks, leading to better sleep quality. Children who take consistent and stress-free sleep show consistent energy levels throughout the day. Adequate rest can improve their focus, attention, and overall readiness to learn.
Please refer to the following table based on your child’s age.
Meant for | Age range | Daily sleeping hours, including naps |
| Infants | 4–12 months | 12-16 |
| Toddlers | 1–2 years | 11-14 |
| Pre-schoolers | 3–5 years | 10-13 |
| School-age children | 6–12 years | 9-12 |
| Teenagers | 13–18 years | 8-10 |
You might have noticed a few odd days when your toddler struggled to stay awake during the day. You would also have seen him facing trouble while waking up and getting ready for school. Teachers may see frequent meltdowns in a few selected students. Such kids exhibit behavioral issues within the class.
They might fail to respond to questions or may not interact with other children during group activity class. Hence, parents and teachers must understand that those students lack adequate sleep at home. In some other cases, you might see signs of sleep deprivation. These children would cry excessively, have difficulty concentrating, not listen to their elders, and easily get irritated.
Play the “Smart Sherlock Holmes.”
Closely observe if your toddler is getting enough rest. If he isn't, adjust his sleeping schedule, create a calming bedtime routine, and provide him with a dark, quiet, and comfortable sleep environment that inspires him to sleep well.
Save your kid from that Bitter Experience.
Sleep has immense significance in our lives. In its absence, your child can be negatively impacted, and the same would be visible in his learning and behavior. Struggling with poor concentration, lack of adequate attention within the classroom, and reduced problem-solving skills are a few significant signals showing that your child is sleep-deprived.
Imagine the amount of stress and mental overload your child would be going through when he arrives at his school in a sleep-deprived condition. It actually becomes challenging for him to stay awake, be aware, and participate fully in classroom activities. Learning new facts and concepts and digesting new information would sound like an alien language, making him feel uncomfortable.
Mood swings, irritability, and unnecessary and increased aggression are quite common in adults. As a matter of fact, kids, too, experience these horrible emotions, and the saddest story is they cannot understand the reason behind such behavior. Both parents and teachers must be concerned about such emotions as they harm the Toddler's Sleep and School Performance.
These behavioral changes do more harm than good, making it difficult for your toddler to interact positively and respond properly with his peers and teachers. Such emotions can negatively harm your kid's mindset, potentially leaving a memory scar during his school experience.
Waking up fresh and energetic is the outcome of a consistent bedtime routine. Your toddler needs sound, uninterrupted sleep to wind down and prepare for the new day. As part of a positive Bedtime Routine for Toddlers, parents can create a calming routine. This routine will direct your child's body (and mind) to begin relaxing, as it's the best time to be in his Dream World.
There are many cool activities you can ask your child to do, like taking a warm, refreshing shower, performing bedtime relaxation and stretching exercises, or grabbing his favorite bedtime storybook from the study closet.
Parents can make it a habit to have one fixed time for all to go to bed. Suppose you decide to fix 10 PM as bedtime for your kid. Now, you will have to teach him to stop using (or playing with) his digital gadgets after 8 PM. Allow a 'No Screen Time of 2 hours,' during which his brain begins to settle and start secreting Melatonin hormone.
With the reduced screen time and the absence of blue light from mobile-like devices, your child's body prepares to embrace his sweetest sleep. If you follow this bedtime routine, you will be delighted to see him waking up happily to a new dawn.
Create a peaceful, predictable, and easy-to-follow bedtime routine for your toddler. Help him develop disciplined and healthy sleeping habits that improve his overall well-being and keep him charged for the whole day.
Related Blog: Healthy Sleep Habits For Kids And Its Importance
Promote restful sleep with a sleep-friendly ambiance.
Nothing is sweeter than a good night's sleep in a quiet, dark, and comfortable room encapsulated within a sleep-friendly environment. It is essential for promoting restful sleep. This peaceful atmosphere will help your child relax, recharge, and prepare him for the 'New Day's Challenges.'
Moderate and welcoming room temperature delivers your child the gift of consistent and uninterrupted sleep. Making sure that noise levels are low to negligible can enhance his sleep at a deeper level. A good practice is to minimize traffic noise or household sounds from infiltrating your child's bedroom.
Sleeping in a cozy and comfortable bed with his favorite teddy bear or a plushy soft toy can help your toddler feel safe and secure. This setup will deliver sound sleep throughout the night.
Toddlers must enjoy their daily naps without clashing with school schedules.
Besides the 10 to 12 hours of nighttime sleep, toddlers do need afternoon naps to complete their daily sleep cycle. In some cases, these naps can clash with their school schedules, and kids might be deprived of their favorite naps.
Hence, parents must strike a balance between the school schedules and their afternoon nap times. If your child's school doesn't have a designated nap time, consider incorporating a short nap ranging up to one hour during the afternoon or after the child returns home.
There is a small issue with these naps. If they are taken too late in the day, they might interfere with the child's nighttime sleep, which disturbs his bio-time clock.
Every parent wants their child to stay refreshed and energized throughout the day. Hence, it is inevitable to manage their afternoon nap times in a way that your kids enjoy enough sleep at night. Also, ensure that the kids don't oversleep because oversleeping might make them lazy and non-responsive to their daily routines.
By now, you would have understood the importance of adequate sleep in your toddler's life. Sufficient sleep supports his academic and social development. You must follow sleep guidelines, establish a consistent bedtime routine, and create a sleep-friendly environment for your kid. All these, put together, build a strong foundation necessary for him to thrive at school and in life.
When your toddler gets enough sleep, they focus better on things around them, learn well at school, and can remember information for an extended time. Good mood, positive interaction with peers and teachers, and less irritable behavior are the gifts of sound and adequate sleep.
The benefits of adequate sleep aren't limited to their academic and social development but also extend to your toddler's physical and mental health. Sleep-Friendly Environment for Toddlers helps their bodies to repair and heal themselves. A good night's sleep in kids also ensures the development of a stronger immune system that keeps illness at bay.
Simple thumb rules to help your child develop into a healthy individual are following sleep guidelines, establishing a consistent bedtime routine, and creating a sleep-friendly environment.
At Bloom Learning Centre, we go beyond academics. We understand the role of adequate sleep and its criticality in your child's development. We have meticulously designed our programs to help your child focus on a balanced routine where he rests well at home and performs excellently in all the dimensions of life.
A good night's sleep builds the foundation for a thriving child. When your child gets the necessary rest, he becomes physically prepared to learn and mentally and emotionally equipped to take on the world around them.
At Bloom, we:
Prioritize sleep routines: Parents must create a calming and consistent sleep schedule for each child, promoting restful sleep and a sense of security.
Balance learning and rest: Our curriculum seamlessly integrates activities with quiet time, ensuring children are energized and ready to absorb new information.
Support healthy sleep habits: We work closely with parents, address their issues, and offer positive solutions to help them establish proper sleep routines at home.
Want to learn more about Bloom Learning Centre and how it supports your child's growth and development? Visit us today at https://www.bloom.ky/. You may drop an email at info@bloom.ky. Join hands with Bloom Learning Centre to help your child blossom to their fullest potential.
