Are you struggling with getting your toddler to sleep under the covers or just getting them to sleep in their bed?
Young parents and experienced parents sometimes face this battle of wills. It’s time to get your toddler to bed without that never-ending battle day in day out. It’s a struggle, I know.
Often, we don’t realize how much trouble it is to get toddlers to sleep under the covers. The best way is to remove any pre-bedtime chaos like games that raise the excitement level and create a baseline for both adults and toddlers to adhere to.
So, how to teach toddler to sleep with blanket? Here are a few tips for teaching your toddler to sleep with a blanket:
- Start by introducing the blanket during naptime: Begin by using the blanket during naptime, when your child is already in a relaxed and sleepy state. This can help them associate the blanket with sleep.
- Use a lightweight blanket: Choose a lightweight blanket that your child can easily move around with, rather than a heavy comforter or quilt. This will help prevent them from feeling overwhelmed or restricted.
- Demonstrate how to use the blanket: Show your child how to tuck the blanket in around themselves, or how to lay it over their body like a “taco” (folded in half with the open ends at their feet).
- Encourage your child to play with the blanket: Give your child time to play with the blanket during the day, so they can become familiar with it and feel more comfortable using it at night.
- Be patient: It may take some time for your child to get used to sleeping with a blanket. Be patient and continue to offer encouragement and support as they learn this new skill.
Remember to also keep safety in mind, and make sure that your child’s blanket is not too large or heavy and that they cannot accidentally cover their face with it while sleeping.
Routine
Even as adults without routing in our lives, we can spiral out of control and become anxious, developing traits of insomnia, so how much more is routing critical to a toddler’s daily life.
Examine what happens every evening for bedtime, from food to watching TV or playing harmless video games.
After All, you need the time to get on with your housework, right?
It’s vital that we set some ground rules, which must also apply to us.
Set a schedule for eating, sit with your toddler, and ensure that the evening mealtime is a pleasant experience.
Select natural food and not be full of sugar; otherwise, you will have a hyper child who will never sleep, let alone under the covers.
Bathtime
Try to make playtime a bathroom experience at this time of the day. Of course, an hour of their favorite tv program is not going to cause any harm but keep the programs calm, designed for toddlers.
Bath time is an excellent experience for the toddler and mum or dad. There is no need to rush the process. A nice warm bath with some calming-smelling suds will all help when it comes to bedtime.
Of course, never leave your toddler alone. Enjoy the bonding experience and keep soft tones in your voice. We are building a picture here.
Toys are ok to use in the bath. In fact, the longer the experience in the warm water should have a calming effect on the child.
Getting Ready For Bed
Nice clean, warm clothes after a bath will all be part of the routine you are building. There is no rush at this point. Take your time getting the toddler dressed.
A nice warm bottle of milk always helps settle a toddler. If they are not using a bottle at bedtime, then a nonleak cup will be perfect.
Set aside some time to talk and read to your toddler at bedtime. The process will pay dividends quickly.
Choose relaxing stories and are not going to excite the child. The stories need not be thought-provoking. You are trying to relax the mind and stop the thought process from continuing.
Most toddlers are not keen on the dark. However, it is best to have dark liners on the curtains to keep light to a minimum.
Use a nightlight to illuminate the room. The light is not so bright that it will keep the toddler from sleeping.
When your toddler is relaxing in bed, listening to their favorite story, tucking in the bedclothes around them, making them feel secure, and keeping the bedroom cool enough for the toddler not to overheat.
Why Doesn’t My Toddler Sleep With A Blanket?
Toddlers tend to sleep hotter than adults, and the blanket may be too much for the toddler to bear. Of course, your toddler is wearing a vest, a nappy, and an all-in-one baby grow. This is sufficient to keep your toddler warm.
Don’t worry. If your toddler gets cold, they will wake and let you know.
Why Doesn’t My Toddler Sleep With Bed Covers?
The fact is that some young children just hate the covers. They find them restrictive. How many times do you find your toddler sleeping with his bottom in the air? It’s a usual way to sleep, and sleep covers could prevent this comfortable posture for your toddler.
You could try playing a bedtime game, not a game that will over-excite the toddler. You can pretend you will sleep with the cover in your room and the toddler to the same. Who lasts the longest wins the game.
The idea is your toddler will eventually learn to fall asleep under the covers. It will work eventually as your toddler gets used to the weight of bedcovers.
As parents, we may have kept the child in a room with us and even let them share our bed. Breaking this habit will take a little time, but as the toddler realizes they are safe and mum or dad is just next door, it will happen.
Here is the truth, Does it matter if your toddler falls asleep under the covers? It’s easy to go back to the bedroom 20 minutes later and cover them up.
If your toddler is sleeping without bed covers throughout the night, it is no big deal, and if the toddler becomes cold, they will wake.
Depending on the toddler’s age, you will be checking through a baby monitor and know they are just fine at all times.
When you go to bed, it’s worth checking on the toddler and, depending on age, changing over the nappy will help with a dry night’s sleep.
Treatment Or Therapy
Many parents think that having a child with sleep problems is unique to them. It’s not!
Please don’t treat building this routine as a treatment or therapy. It’s a routine for the very best results. If it’s possible, keep the routine going without breaking it at the weekend. You’ll be glad you did.
Toddler Bed Clothes
The majority of parents dress their toddlers in all-in-one sleepwear. This practice has been around for decades.
With a vest and a nappy, it’s easy to imagine the temperature inside an all-in-one sleeping bag can be pretty warm. You can buy a fleece all in one of the bedrooms in your home that are cold.
Instead of the all-in-one growth, try your toddler sleeping in a vest during the warmer months. The toddler may adapt quickly to having covers for warmth.
Can A Child Suffocate From Sleeping Under The Covers?
Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is a genuine concern. You can find lots of advice regarding SIDs online.
It is a significant concern for many parents, and if you have time, read up and take the advice offered.
Can A Toddler Suffocate Under A Duvet?
It’s the same answer as above. Toddlers need to be able to regulate temperature and breathe as we do. Placing a toddler under a duvet cover could prove disastrous if the toddler is not being observed.
Toddlers are not coordinated enough to remove the duvet should the duvet cover the toddler’s face. The toddler will become distressed, overheat and possibly suffocate.
Can A 2 Year Old Sleep With A Blanket?
The answer is yes. You may find the toddler will kick the blanket off or riddle from underneath it. Blankets are safer than duvets, and toddler blankets usually have a soft open weave to let air flow through the blanket.
How To Teach Toddler To Sleep Under Duvet
If you are adamant you want to use a duvet on your toddler’s bed, then the best way to get your toddler to sleep under the duvet is to introduce the duvet gently.
You may even wish to get under the duvet with your child as part of a game and make the duvet look cozy and secure.
This is a gradual process, but the toddler will adapt and become used to the duvet cover with perseverance.
How Do I Keep My Toddler Warm At Night?
It’s reasonable to think that a child’s room should be the same temperature as our rooms, and in most cases, it is reasonable.
If you monitor your toddler’s temperature, you will find that they sleep relatively hot. It may be a survival trait, but kids don’t benefit from being tucked up in bed or having a duvet wrapped around them all night.
What’s worth knowing is that children of all ages are resilient to temperature to a lesser or greater extent.
Toddler bed wear is substantial if you consider the number of layers and the padding of a nappy, your toddler will let you know if they are cold.
Conclusion
Try not to compare your toddlers’ progress or bedtime habits. Kids of all ages are different and develop at different rates; this is how it has always been.
Bedtime habits for kids are a thorny issue for many parents, but your toddlers will adapt and sleep under the covers with patience and love.
