Maybe you don’t have your infant or toddler on a regular sleep schedule or you don’t have much time with her after work, so you keep her up a little later to play. “Letting children go to sleep too late as babies and toddlers creates overfatigue, When they become overtired, they have a harder time falling asleep and staying asleep, and they get up earlier than if they were put down at an appropriate time.”
Good habit: Set regular bedtimes and stick to them. And don’t wait until your kid is rubbing his eyes, yawning, or whining — that’s probably too late.
2. Mistake: Relying on motion
What parents haven’t breathed a sigh of relief watching their baby snooze in an infant swing or doze in the backseat of the car? Often these wonderful moments occur when you least expect it — and most need a break.
Good habit: Use motion for calming, not naps
3. Mistake: Overstimulation in dreamland
Good habit: Keep it dark, and cut the action at nap time and nighttime
4. Mistake: Skipping the bedtime routine
With a baby, you might assume that a routine consisting of a bath, a book, and a lullaby isn’t yet necessary.
Good habit: A comforting bedtime ritual. Regardless of your child’s age, the key is to have a predictable series of steps that help him wind down from the day.
5. Mistake: Inconsistency
A couple of times a week, when he’s really whiny, you lie down with your preschooler in his bed until he falls asleep. Or maybe you put your big kid down in his room but allow him to crawl into bed with you in the middle of the night.
Good habit: Set guidelines for where to sleep.
6. Mistake: Going from a crib to a big bed too early
Your child turns 2 and you want to celebrate by buying that cute toddler bed you saw on sale. But as soon as you make the switch, he starts getting up after lights out or waking up in the wee hours.
