By the end of the day, you’re wiped out. But your energetic toddler is still up and about -- and fighting your every attempt at getting him to sleep.

It’s not unusual for toddlers to resist bedtime. But good sleep is essential to your toddler’s health, not to mention your sanity. It’s up to you to help him develop the healthy sleep habits he’ll need for the rest of his life. Here’s what to do.

Create a routine
Start each night with a relaxing routine that will set the stage for going to sleep. Changing into pajamas, brushing your child’s teeth, and washing his face every night will help establish that these are the things that happen before bedtime. Other ways to relax include listening to quiet music, reading a book, or giving him a bath. Resist the urge to play with your toddler at this hour, since it will only get him more excited than relaxed.

Be consistent
Stick with the same routine every night, so your toddler learns to expect that bedtime is coming. Soon he’ll know what’s expected of him, too.

Make it comfortable
Let your child take his beloved teddy bear to bed with him. Give him his favorite blanket, and allow him a drink of water. Turn on a nightlight before closing the door. Taking care of your toddler’s comforts will make it easier for him to relax -- and give him fewer excuses for climbing out of bed again.

Pause before answering every call
Children this age are likely to call out to you after you leave the room. Resist the urge to respond every time your toddler calls for you, and wait several seconds before answering. With each time he calls for you, wait a few seconds longer, which will give him the chance to fall asleep before you respond. When you do, remind him that it’s bedtime. If you go into his room, don’t turn on the light or stay too long. Engaging your toddler more than necessary will only wake him up more. As much as possible, stay farther away from his bed each time you go in.

Be patient
Teaching a toddler good sleep habits doesn’t happen overnight. And it isn’t easy, since toddlers love your companionship. But keep doing the same thing every night. Eventually, your toddler will learn to go along with the plan and get the most out of this good night’s sleep.

Photo by Juan Encalada on Unsplash

Experts agree that reading to your toddler is a great way to foster both fun and developmental learning. And incorporating baby books into your daily baby bedtime routine is a good idea for various reasons.

For starters, it’s hard to argue with the fact that a child’s reading skills are intricately linked to his later success. But reading to your toddler can also be an interactive way to spend time with him and cultivate his imagination.   

Especially for babies, who are developing their sensory skills, books that include pages of various textures (e.g., felt, fuzzy, smooth, soft) are a great way to introduce different touch sensations, too.

Reading to your child will also help with the following:

1. Bonding. As you read to your toddler or baby, cuddle with him or hold him. This intimacy and the sound of your voice will help your child associate reading with good memories, making him more likely to take up the habit when he grows older as well.
    
2. Picture association. Helping your toddler identify objects in a book and reciprocate words will aid in developing reading skills and visual accuracy.
    
3. Developmental skills. Parent-child reading promotes social and emotional development. There are five essential early reading skills: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and fluency. Your child will naturally absorb them all as you read to him before bed every night.
    
4. Language development. Access to books and reading prior to school help facilitate language development in toddlers, which is an essential skill.

The following are a few great books for babies and toddlers:

• A Good Day by Kevin Henkes
• When I Was a Baby by Deborah Niland
   
• The Birthday Box by Leslie Patricelli
   
• One Naked Baby by Maggie Smith
   
• This Little Piggy by Jane Yolen
   
• The Wheels on the Bus by Paul Zelinsky
   
• The Cow Who Clucked by Denise Fleming
   
• Baby Talk: A Book of First Words and Phrases by Judy Hindley
   
• We’ve All Got Bellybuttons! by David Martin
   
• Hurry, Hurry by Eve Bunting

Soothe your baby or toddler with any of these books during his bedtime routine, and it’ll quickly become one of his favorite memories -- and yours, too.

Photo by Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash

By the time your child is around 24 months, he will probably be ready to graduate to a toddler bed. It will most likely be one of his first big-kid moves to independence -- good for him! At this point, your child may be tall enough to lift his legs up and over the sides of a crib, so making the switch is a good idea for his development and best for his safety.

Making the move to a toddler bed is a big one, and there are definitely some factors to keep in mind before doing so. Remember, being in a bed that’s closer to the ground means that your child now has easy access to his room and the house in a way he never had before. That would make any child a little curious.

Before making the big move to a toddler bed, keep the following safety concerns in mind:

Avoid sleepy-time hazards
Sleepy (or mischievous) children can get into trouble if they try to wander around the house unsupervised at night. In order to sidestep this potential issue, try putting a bell on your child’s door so you’ll hear him when he tries to wander.

Put all toys away
Your child doesn’t have to leave his room to get into trouble -- he’s probably tempted enough as it is right in his very own space. Make sure you safely remove any toys or objects that could break or are a potential choking hazard before you put your child to sleep. Also do a quick sweep of the floor to remove anything that could trip up your child if he does get out of bed in the dark.

Place the bed properly

A toddler bed is much closer to the ground than a crib, but even so, it’s not a bad idea to keep the area around your child’s new bed cushioned, at least with a rug. Also, position it away from the window to avoid drafts or any dangling cords or curtains.

Once you have these safety precautions in place, it’s time to celebrate! Moving to a toddler bed is a big step, and it’s important you show your child how proud of him you are.