The most common sleep problems in toddlers: difficulties falling asleep and staying asleep

True, lasting Only a few children have sleep disorders. However, there are relatively common problems with falling asleep or staying asleep. The causes for this can be quite different: The children are still too restless in the evening to fall asleep

• The children are not yet tired and therefore have trouble falling asleep

• The impressions of the day linger in the little ones' minds and cause restlessness

• The children have not yet developed a strategy to fall back asleep at night without help

• The children's sleep rhythm is simply still developing

How much sleep does my child need?

There are no fixed sleep standards, because children's need for sleep is as individual as their appetite or their eagerness to move.

As a rule of thumb, children in the first three years of life need about 12 hours of sleep daily.Babies sleep even up to 14 hours daily. Up to primary school age, children still sleep about 11 hours. Only at 10-12 years does the need for sleep significantly decrease or bedtime shift later. Factors that influence individual sleep needs:

• Season: in summer, children often sleep slightly less than in winter

• Afternoon nap: children who nap for two hours at midday need correspondingly less sleep at night

• Activity: after strenuous days children often need a bit more sleep

What helps with sleep problems in children? – Tips for parents

Whether ordinary sleep problems that are normal in a toddler or true sleep disorders that some children develop – the following tips help with falling asleep and staying asleep.

• Closeness: Respond when your child wakes up at night and go to them when they call – this gives them security and helps them fall back asleep quickly.

• Orientation: A night light or a half-open door to the hallway helps your child find their way at night – this makes it more likely they'll fall asleep on their own again.

• Bedtime rituals: Reading aloud, a lullaby sing or simply cuddle together – anything that is familiar and conveys closeness helps your child to calm down and fall asleep.

• Cuddling: Physical contact helps with falling asleep and also calms your child quickly if, for example, they were woken by a nightmare.

• Listening: Fear of the dark, of monsters under the bed or of being alone should not be dismissed or laughed at – instead try to find ways together to cope with the fears.

• Calm evening: Rough play, computer games or television in the early evening are OK, but should not be bedtime rituals.

• Bedtime talk: Many children find it helpful to talk once more in bed with mom and dad about the events of the day to process what happened.

• Suitable sleep environment: Children love cuddly toys, colorful posters and night lights – but too much can disturb sleep. Fewer sensory stimuli in the child's bedroom help them to wind down in the evening.

• Physical activity: Rough-and-tumble play in the fresh air and a balanced diet promote healthy sleep.

Image credits

Woman lies in bed with a girl and soothes her © Photographee.eu - stock.adobe.com

Baby stands in the crib © Halfpoint - stock.adobe.com

Mother and child cuddle in bed © Trendsetter Images - stock.adobe.com

Boy sleeps with a cuddly toy in bed © photophonie - stock.adobe.com