Three’s a crowd, especially at 3 a.m. If your toddler is hogging the blankets and testing your patience, it’s time to get your bed (and your life) back. How? Use this crib sheet.
1. Nip it in the…bed. "Most co-sleepers are kids who started out with good sleeping habits but got derailed by an illness—like an ear infection or a bad dream—that caused them to seek comfort and companionship in the middle of the night," notes Lynn D’Andrea, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics and a director at the Sleep Center at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. "That one-time incident can easily snowball into a longtime habit." Don’t let it: Redirect your child back to his own room. "The longer you let the situation progress," she notes, "the harder it will be to correct."
2. Form a dream team. "The main thing a co-sleeper wants is reassurance," says Dr. D’Andrea. "If a child wants mom or dad in the middle of the night, it’s okay for one of you to sit beside him and be a presence for awhile." Just keep interaction down to a minimum. "Don’t talk, don’t read a story, don’t offer a snack," says Dr. D’Andrea. "You need to establish that nighttime is for sleeping. Period."
3. Don’t pull the old switcheroo. "Many parents I see have a child who can’t fall asleep independently and puts up a fight at bedtime," says Dr. D’Andrea. "Often, they allow ‘split-night’ sleeping, letting their child doze off in their bed and then transferring him to his own once he’s asleep," she says. "But that is the absolute worst tactic. Imagine how you would feel if you fell asleep in one place and woke up in another!" Kids who find themselves suddenly alone get scared—and zoom back to your bed. Don’t perpetuate the cycle, cautions Dr. D’Andrea: "Children need to fall asleep on their own at the beginning of the night so they have the skills to self-soothe when they rouse briefly in the middle of the night."
4. Lights out (sort of). A nightlight is comforting because your child won’t feel so isolated in the darkness. You can also try a sound machine, but get one that plays continuously or you’ll be getting up in the middle of the night to hit the play button over and over again.
5. Establish a routine. "Everyone—babies, toddlers, children and adults—benefits from a bedtime routine," says Dr. D’Andrea. She recommends creating a storyboard of what happens at bedtime—snack, bath, and story reading—so kids can really identify with what’s going on. "Your child will feel prepared for sleep and will ultimately find comfort and reassurance in the routine—not you!"
An article from the HUGGIES® Brand
