Most mommies and daddies, at some point, need toddler naptime help or other types of clever parenting tips for those uneasy child-rearing moments. You may need a little parenting help on days when continuously trying to figure out how to get your toddler to nap seems ineffective. Practicing any or all of these techniques should help your toddler nap without putting up much of a fuss or fight.
Get your toddler to nap with the right food. Feeding your child bananas, chicken, fish, brown rice, or other foods high in tryptophan for a snack, prior to naptime, are clever parenting tips. The tryptophan helps produce serotonin and melatonin: hormones that help us sleep. In addition, giving your toddler high-carbohydrate foods like whole grain bread or warm milk in combination with tryptophan foods before a nap, will work even better.
Help toddler nap by not giving sugary treats and candy. Rewarding or pacifying your lovely little tot with sweet treats may be tempting at times, but also comes with a cost. Sugar often gives kids a burst of energy, interfering with their sleep, and leaves parents desperate for toddler naptime help. Only provide your children with a healthy snack or treat that will relax and not energize them close to naps.
Get your toddler to nap with exercise and play time. Allowing toddlers to engage in outdoor physical activity is a great way for them to burn energy. All children need a certain amount of exercise each day and it is a good idea to schedule some of that physical activity time before their nap. After burning enough energy while playing outdoors, there is a possibility they will wind down and become sleepy. A good 30 minutes to an hour to run, jump, hop, and climb might help to get your child to take a nap. Each toddler is different, so the amount of exercise it takes for them to wind down varies.
Get your child to take a nap with a calming bath. Baths relax just about everyone including children. Many children become irritable, restless or hyper when they are tired and don’t know how to sooth themselves to sleep. See if a nice calming bath will help your toddler to take a nap. Try keeping children in the water long enough to relax their bodies so they will be settled down and fall asleep shortly after bathing.
Make sure the atmosphere is quiet to get your toddler to nap. Turn off all televisions, radios, and other noisy distractions that will prevent your child from sleeping. It is best to keep the whole house quiet because kids will be curious and fight sleep when they hear noise coming from other rooms.
Make a regular schedule to get your child to take a nap. When you pick a specific time each day for your toddler to take a nap eventually his or her body may become adjusted to it. If you make sure they consistently take a nap at the same time, they are likely to understand this particular time of the day is set aside for a nap. Also, tell your child each day that this specific time is naptime. This might create a more willingness and help your toddler to nap easily.
Singing softly or toning down bright lights might also work well to get your toddler to take a nap. Although parenting tips are often handy, each loving mother or father has clever parenting skills within. It is really a matter of being familiar with your child’s personality and needs.