When my son was born the midwives told me on the first night he would sleep really well and I would get some rest. They were wrong. He didn’t, he cried all night and wouldn’t settle. I got no rest. That was the start of many many sleepless nights and three years later, although things have improved, my preschooler is still not sleeping through the night!
As children grow and develop there is so much that they are processing. Sleep is important for their growth and development and I also know that if my son has a good nights sleep he’s much happier and less grumpy (as am I!) the next day.
So I asked my mum friends from the blogging community for their top tips for preschooler sleep advice. Here’s what they suggested:
Top Tips for preschooler sleep advice from mum bloggers
“My little one goes to bed with a cup of water so he can help himself to a drink if he’s thirsty in the night and less likely to wake up fully. We use a Munchkin 360 so no risk of spills- he can simply grab, glug and go straight back to sleep.”
Nicola from Travelling with Boys
“My son was 4 before he slept through the night. My tips are ensuring you don’t let them in your bed, which is difficult but not long after we had stopped doing that, and he knew he couldn’t get into our bed each time he woke, he soon stopped waking up and stayed in his own bed all night. We made sure that each morning he came in for extra snuggles.”
Sarah from Champagne and Petals
“We co slept with all of ours, our 6 year old has only just started to go into her own room! But one thing that helped my girls is making them feel safe.”
Amy from Crazy Carneys
“Routine. Say the same words, keep the same routine so every time they wake they get the same response. Whether it’s a drink, water, quick cuddle, all three.
Anna from Twins and Travels
Do they have a nightlight? My twins decided they wanted a light on one day.
Also we have a sheep (like a grow clock) and they can’t get up until the sheep is awake. That has been great for the girls. 7am wake ups!”
“Gin and shed loads of it….for yourself not the baby!!!
Lisa from The Family Ticket
We have a music and lights box that if he wakes up he sticks on himself and nods back off again. It’s worked for both my boys ones now 6 and the other is 3 and now sleeping through the night….making him sleep in after 5.30am is a totally different problem though.”
Bedtime routine for a preschooler
There are some great top tips for toddler sleep advice and interesting that some of the tips contradict each other. It goes to show that every child is different. What works for one won’t necessarily work for another and it may take some experimenting to find what is best for your little one.
One common theme that comes up is having a bedtime routine. It’s difficult if you’ve been working all day and your child has been at pre-school. They will be tired but excited to see you and happy to be home with their toys. As such my bedtime routine includes a bit of playtime to help my son unwind, a snack like a banana or peanut butter on toast and a cup of milk, a bath (not every night), brush teeth and go to the toilet and then the fun bit. Bedtime story and snuggles. I’ve put together a bedtime routine infographic below which is what we aim to achieve each night.
I hope this has been helpful and you get some restful nights. It’s important to remember that each child is different and some just take longer to learn to sleep through. For more preschooler advice visit the Top Tips on my blog.
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I miss the toddler-version of my kids; they grew up too fast. I wish I could relive some of those days again.
Great tips…not just for kids…but for some of us adult toddlers too. LOL!
Got no kids but i am pretty sure the infant to toddler years are very challenging for parents especially for moms. I have friends who also loose sleep or have erratic sleep paterns because of their babies.
Great tips especially for the new parents or parents to be. Having a sleeping routine really works. I drink water too before sleeping so can I consider myself a kid too? lol – just kidding.
Routines are very important for children because this helps them develop a sense of security. Thanks for all these valuable information you shared.
Perfect routine for kids. My son is 10 years old, but I had maintained his reading, sleeping and playing routine perfectly so as not to overstress himself.
My nephew apparently sleeps like a rock, but these tips are super helpful! Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
yes, it is very important to have a good routine for your kids.
When you are just a little bit too late with bringing them to bed, you are screwed.
Nothing worse than a tired kid that doesn’t want to sleep.
My niece is going to join the pre-school.
Thanks for the quick advice.
I had many struggles with my first child and the tips you’ve mentioned helped me with my second one) you do find the best practeces here. I enjoyed reading it and recollecting my own experience.
This is a Great tips. The routine is so perfect and very simple to follow. Thank you so much for this wonderful tips!
I think 7-7:30 is a good time for sleep.Kids needs to be in bed early for the best energy the next day and growing bodies.
I like those clocks that tell them when they can get up. They’re easy and effective to use!
I usually go crazy if my kids are not already sleeping by 8 p.m.
But I don’t have anything to worry now, because I’ve mastered several skills to put them to bed fast and also make them sleep for a very long time.