Meal Time

You might check out The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers by Elizabeth Pantley. She's got some great ideas for bedtime routines and helping kids settle in for the night.

I have a 17 month old daughter who is on an awesome sleeping routine and has been since 3months. We were given the book "Babywise" for a shower gift and I have since bought the "Toddlerwise", and I was a little skeptical at first, but
went ahead and followed their instructions and IT WORKED!!
She has been sleeping thru the nite since 3 months old. I also think that it has to do with a very scheduled routine for the entire day as well as a routine for sleeping. When a child is on a routine, they know what to expect and what is coming next. My daugter gets up around 7-7:30 am and then has a 1-1/2 hr. nap at about 10am and then another 2 hr nap at about 2-2:30 and then goes down for bed at 8-8:30 and this has been consistent always. she doesnt cry when its bedtime or naptime, in fact alot of times, she will get her blanket and go into her room and say Momma and when I get there she is standing by her crib so I will put her in it to take her nap. And by the way, I have talked with 2 different pediatricians about her routine and they both said that this was great and that she is not sleeping too much (I was worried that she was sleeping too much), and I will also include that she is very healthy and never has been sick with anything more than a slight cold, and no ear infections ever. I know that we are extremely blessed by God and me or my husband cannot take any of the credit for passing on good genes because we adopted her!! Anyway, Im a firm believer now of "Babywise" techniques.

J.,
A few hours before bed we use to really play hard with our sons to try to wear them out. Maybe take him for a swim or to the park or chase him around outside. Then, we finish off with a nice bath and story time. I always tried very hard to stick to a routine so that my sons would know it is bedtime. Of course just when you think you have them figured out they change on you and then you have to go and change the routine. Best of luck, Pam

Many articles I've read say a child that young should have a 7 or 8pm bedtime. Experts say putting them to bed earlier is actually easier as the later they stay up, the more overtired they become and the longer it takes them to fall asleep. Also, experts say to try a wind down routine and that it takes 30min for toddlers to wind down enough for rest. bath and books with low lighting and lots of hugs are calming. (my daughter is 17months so we've had similar issues and these techniques worked)

Also, is you might want to evaluate nap times. Is your child still taking two 2hr naps per day? maybe your child is ready to switch to one 2hr nap per day?

you might also see what "what to expect the toddler years" has to say. If you don't have the book, you can browse through it or buy it at 1/2 price. they always have a bunch of copies of it. I think every pregnant woman on the planet gets it for a shower gift or something :)

Good luck

I suggest give him a bath close to bedtime. Bathe him in lavendar and Chamomile bath which really relaxes my son and rub him with the lavendar lotion as well. read to him and but him down w/some soft classical music (low)

I always play with him before dinner so that way he won't be too wired and have dinner and take him for a walk or vica versa then i give him and bath.
I always start winding him down by 7. My pedi said that he needs to be in bed between 7:30-8:30 at the VERY latest even if he doesn't fall asleep right away. I know that the earlier you put him to sleep the faster he falls asleep and make sure he doesn't take a late nap or sleeps past 3:30.

I also have a shamu that winds up that i keep in his crib which helps him fall asleep as well.
You also might want to try some warm milk right before you lay him down too.

Good Luck

glad to hear it is all working for you ... as for bedtime, you just need to set a bedtime and stick to the same routine daily. it could take 3-4 weeks before it is easy, so hang in there and stick to your guns! watch the sugar intake, especially after dinner including juice, etc. good luck!

Try some nice, relaxing lullaby music to play softly in his room. I have a standing fan blowing so that provides some nice "white noise"; then I put on the night light and I press play on the CD player to start the lullaby music (actually I have this nature sounds CD and he loves that -- sounds of the ocean, water streams, rain, etc.) I've used music since he was a baby, but I've found that many children like music to lull themselves to sleep. Most daycares, Mother's Day Out programs, preschools, use music during their naptimes.

I would also suggest an earlier bedtime -- 7 or 8 p.m. My son never had a problem going to bed at anytime but I know one of his peers does when she stays up past a certain time (especially when she was like 9month-2yrs) ... she's too overtired by then -- looks like she's too wired and excited to go to bed, but really it's the opposite. She's overtired and delirious. So her parents instituted a strict 7 p.m. bedtime. 7:30 at the latest. It worked. She slept all through the night and woke up at 6:30 a.m. every morning and took regular naps.

Routine every night helps, too. And telling them, warning them that it's time for "night-night". I always start saying that before bathtime ...
7:15 or 7:30 p.m.: Bathtime....before we go... I saw ok let's start getting ready for night-night time. let's take a bath.
Brush teeth... remind them again verbally or using sign language, whichever your child communicates best.
Read 2 bedtime books while sitting in your lap.
"Ok, kissy Daddy goodnight. Say night night to daddy."
8:00 p.m. I put him in bed, turn on fan, turn on night-light and press play on the CD player. I sit down by his bedside and we say prayers together. I let him say Amen - then we kiss goodnight. I walk out the door and don't turn around until I'm at the door closing it. If he says anything, I just sternly say, "no no. go night night. it's time for Matthew to go night-night." and i close the door. That's our routine.... we do this every night. doesn't change... unless he adds something to change it... as he's grown he's added some things to the routine... now he wants a sippycup of water by his bedside and he wants to go potty before we get in bed.

Are you closing the door after you put him to bed or is he simply fighting it when you try to put him down at an earlier bedtime?? I would definitely recommend closing the door, leaving a night-light on ... as long as you have a babymonitor, you can hear/see that he's fine.

ROUTINE!!! I have 3 little ones and the best thing to do no matter what time it is is to have a routine. We do dinner, short play while I'm doing dishes, then bath, brush teeth, story time, prayers, bed. Sometimes someone will creep out, but no matter how many times they come out, you have to gently put them back in. The tears and screams will go away, REALLY!!! If you just can't take it and give in, they know they only have to do it for that long next time before you give in. People ask me all the time how I can work full time, and have quality time w/ my kids and do all the stuff I do. It's b/c I do have quality time with them but they need their sleep too. My guilt for working isn't reason enough to let them stay up late and miss important sleep. So I make sure my time w/ them is well spent and they go to bed at 8:30. If for some reason, we are out and they go to bed late, the routine is still the same.