How To Keep Your Child In Their Room At Bedtime

How To Keep Your Child In Their Room At Bedtime

Has your child (or children) come to a point where they’re old enough to get up out of bed at night? It can be frustrating putting your little one to bed only to find they’re up and about a minute later. Maybe they call out to you rather than physically get up. The point is, it’s bedtime but they’re not going to sleep. Keep reading to find out how to keep your child in their room at bedtime – the Sleep Sweet Sleep Deep way.

Why do toddlers call out or get up out of bed?

Reasons why your little one might not want to stay put when you tuck them in could be…

  • They’re scared
  • They feel like they’re missing out
  • Something is legitimately wrong (sick, hurt, etc.)
  • They feel wide awake
  • They’re anxious about being separated from you (separation anxiety)
  • They’re dealing with a big lifestyle change

How to keep your child in their room

Unfortunately, as with most things when it comes to toddlers, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to this. If they’re telling you they’re scared or anxious, you can try addressing their fears and reassuring them each night before bed. You may need to try some gentle sleep training techniques to help them feel comfortable when you’re not in the room with them.

If a lack of sleep cues is showing you that they’re still wide awake, maybe a change to their nap schedule is in order. It might help to drop a nap throughout the day to help tire them out for bedtime.

If they keep coming out to where you are and nothing is genuinely wrong, pick them up and carry them gently back to bed each time. Explain to them why they need to stay in bed. This will help build a routine in their mind. It will also show them that you mean business when you don’t give up on putting them back to bed.

I hope this has helped and you’ll soon be putting your little one to bed (and keeping them there) without an issue. As always, the door here at Sleep Sweet Sleep Deep is wide open if you have any questions about how to keep your child in their room or would like to book in a sleep consultation.

Sleep sweetly and deeply x

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