What should my toddler sleep in? and other questions about toddler sleep.

Let’s start by making sure you are in the right place. Do you have a toddler? Typically toddlers are grouped into a different category than babies because of the developmental milestones they are going through: mainly becoming a little less dependent on us for EVERYTHING — they are starting to walk, talk, and, unfortunately, climb, lol.

Typically, Toddlers are defined as children ages 15 months to 36 months.

So what is the difference between a successful toddler sleep routine and their “baby” routine? Well, it starts with the desire to “Do It Myself!” and ends with eventually saying Good Bye to their crib. Want to create a dreamy toddler bedtime routine? Read more here.

These are the tools you will need for an amazing Toddler Bedtime

The Crib Zone:

Is your toddler still in a crib? OK, then, let’s make sure they have the following. Typically you make the crib-to-bed transition when your child reaches the height requirements for their crib, or they start climbing out — or in my opinion, if they ask for a big kid bed, I would jump on that momentum and say Yes!

✔️ yes, to a pillow, they make toddler-sized ones.
✔️ yes to a blanket (with out without a sleepsack, depending on the temp of your home)
✔️ yes to warm pajamas
✔️ yes to an “Ok to wake” toddler clock
✔️ yes to a waterbottle, if they wear pull-ups at night
✔️ yes to blackout curtains
✔️ yes to books or small toys to play with
✔️ yes to their bedtime routine book in their crib - like The Middle of the Night Book more here.
✔️ yes to introducing a simple bedtime visual checklist - get yours here.

If they are climbing out, but YOU are not ready then try the following:

Keep them in a sleep sack if they are a climber - and put it on backward so they can’t unzip it.
Try a Slumber Pod cover for their crib.

The Toddler Bed Zone:

This post is not about how to make a transition but more about what tools you will need. You want to ensure that your toddler has a lot of input regarding the choices around these tools, so if they have a water bottle in their bed, which ones? if they have books in their bed, which ones? etc. And if you have not introduced rules at bedtime, now it is time to devise three simple ones and repeat them 5 times a night or more.

Buy the Book Here

✔️ yes to pillow
✔️ yes to a blanket and sheets - best to let them pick them out.
✔️ yes to warm pajamas - especially if they lose their blankets at night.
✔️ yes to an “Ok to wake” toddler clock
✔️ yes to a waterbottle, if they wear pull-ups at night
✔️ yes to blackout curtains
✔️ yes to books in bed, including their bedtime routine books like The Middle of the Night Book
✔️ yes to introducing a simple bedtime visual checklist - get yours here
✔️ yes to a wind-up flashlight for reading and playing quietly
✔️ yes to a super child-proofed room. Include locking closets and drawers you don’t want them to get into at the crack of dawn
✔️ yes to independent play options, these are important for morning independence: “You can play quietly until your light turns green”
✔️ yes to leaving a small bowl of cheerios on their dresser for them to snack on in the morning. I leave this before I go to bed so they arent all gone in the AM.
✔️ yes to a baby gate at the door if you are worried about them wandering the house after dark and safety.

If you bedshare with your toddler, you have an advantage here because they are used to sleeping in a bed. They are used to having the freedom to get out when they want, etc. Introducing an “Ok to Wake” Clock is a great skill to teach even when you are bedsharing - however it may be harder to get them to play quietly without waking you up too.

Make a plan with them for when this happens, like: “If you wake up and the clock is not green, it’s still resting time. You need to stay quiet so Mommy can sleep, OK?” or “If you want to go and play in your room you can, but on your own and you need to stay there.”

At first, you may have to walk them there at 5:30 am and set a visual timer for when they can come to get you — but go back to bed, so they understand this is not playtime for the whole family. Independent playtime in the morning is totally OK for toddlers who can’t sleep later than 5:30 am, and that’s why its important to come up with a plan for these times so that you can sleep till at least 6:00 am or more — and this can all be done without screens! A baby-proofed room, some of their favorite toys, a baby gate, and encouragement will set you up for a later mom wake-up time — it will take a few mornings of 5:30 am modeling, but it can be done!

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