How to get an overtired toddler to sleep? Undoubtedly, sleep is the most important thing for every child to stay healthy.
However, getting your toddler to sleep is not a walk in the park.
Quite often, even people like good sleepers can have difficulty sleeping, or they might wake up from their nap and be unable to settle themselves back during the night.
How To Get An Overtired Toddler To Sleep?
If the child often faces problems falling asleep themselves or cannot soothe themselves to sleep again after waking up at night, you need to work on resting your child.
The best idea is to get in touch with a pediatrician or a sleep specialist who can provide better aid.
In case the child is facing occasional bedtime or nap meltdowns, here your toddler requires some traditional kind of cuddles or soothing.
But, of course, it is easier said than done when you have a child who often screams, thrashes things, and has no mood to calm down.
When talking about sleep, the fundamental hormones are melatonin and cortisol.
Their level keeps on changing throughout the day, so it is straightforward to fall asleep at specific intervals in a day.
Cortisol is a similar hormone that can keep the child awake and alert, and it will be highest at 8 am and will drop throughout the day.
If your little one is exciting and being overtired, the stress will lead to the release of cortisol, which prevents an easy shift in sleeping.
If you have already dealt with an overtired toddler and faced difficulties, then you should read this article.
The human brain can grow by 75% during the first three years of a toddler’s life.
A baby’s mind is already tackling several things at breakneck speed, and their body is also performing higher energy tasks like crawling, walking, and even running as they grow up.
All these frantic activities make your kid not just tired but exhausted. In this case, you need to get the right tips for soothing the overtired kid to sleep.
1. What Does The Overtired Kid Imply?
An overtired state can imply several things! First, it may mean that the kid did not have enough sleep in the 24 hours or has not slept for consecutive days for a length of time.
Generally, in the case of toddlers, overtiredness can be because of skipped naps, late bedtime, or even unrestful sleep.
Regardless of the cause of overtiredness, it might cause unwanted symptoms and harm the overall health.
Getting the proper sleep for the kid’s age has a positive impact on their well-being.
It is imperative to get the ideal amount of sleep every day to avoid sleep deprivations and overtiredness.
For adults, overtiredness is quite common, where every 1 in 5 adults fail to get the ideal amount of sleep.
2. Potential Causes Of Overtiredness In Toddlers
Naptime skipping is one of the most common causes of overtiredness in toddlers.
The awake time of toddlers is generally after 4-5 hours.
As the awake time comes close, the child becomes drowsy and may start rubbing their signs or show signs like yawning, making it clear they are tired.
This is the perfect time to put your kid down for a nap or at night. By this point, they might sleep quickly as the melatonin overrides the cortisol.
You should know that this time window is relatively short, and if you miss the same, the toddler is bound to become more tired.
This is because they can access the stress hormone adrenalin and cortisol, making them stay awake and alert.
This is the reason why overtired kids struggle with sleep.
3. A Peaceful Ambience Can Add Wonders To Their Sleep
When you lower the lights in the room and settle events that can get your child a sweet sleep, a suitable story can also lead to drowsiness in them as soon as the kids enter their room.
You should choose a book with repetition of phrases or counting that can help the child to sleep.
Another activity is trying to say soft goodnights to every fun thing in their room; this makes them believe that you are paying attention to them.
You should note that consistency is an essential factor. The bedtime of your child may occur at the same time every evening.
Never allow the child to cross the line by giving the requests for additional games or some stories.
Learn more from a related post: How To Get A Toddler To Stay In Bed
Summary
Are you still wondering about how to get an overtired toddler to sleep?
Every little one needs to get regular nights of sleep to process all they learned throughout the day.
This is the reason a baby often has short awake times.
Every toddler can comfortably manage approximately 45 minutes of stimulation or wake time before becoming fatigued.
The six-month-old kid can easily cope with awake time to two hours.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What can be the reason for toddlers fighting for sleep?
Some significant reasons are physical, including allergies, teeth pain, earache, and cold head.
However, there are also the middle-of-the-night sleep-wreckers, such as pre-bed screen time and daytime fun, that you can easily tackle without putting in much effort.
Can my two-year-old kid cry?
The Cry It Out (CIO) is quite common in the case of kids. If the kid is at the end of their patience or irritation level, they can cry aloud.
But, make sure that if they are crying for longer hours, you should visit the concerned specialist.
What does bedtime fading mean?
Bedtime feeding is a gentle method for parents to learn when their child can fall asleep naturally and set the same time as temporary bedtime.
Then, after a period, parents should start shifting the identical rest to 15 minutes earlier and continue the process till the child falls to get a perfect sleep.
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Mo Mulla is a work from home dad who enjoys reading and listening to music, He loves being a dad and husband to a growing family. He also loves writing about his passions and hopes to change the world, 1 blog post at a time!
