sleep problems in toddlers
Understanding Sleep Problems in Toddlers
Remy JirekSleep problems in toddlers are particularly frustrating for parents, due to the inability of the child to explain what it is that is interfering with their sleep. Things seen during the day may have frightened the child and cause them to have nightmares. While it is not recommended to allow toddlers to constantly sleep with the parents, it is actually a good sign when they attempt to do this. It means that they recognize that there is a problem and are attempting to find a solution. While some children can teach themselves to sleep, others require parental training.
Sleep problems in toddlers are largely related to what is known and seen as opposed to what is not. This translates into many of the sleep difficulties in a toddler being about something that is known or seen by the toddler, or perhaps a memory. Scary movies and visuals come into play here as many sleep problems in toddlers are related to the toddler recalling something they have seen and were spooked by in their subconscious as they sleep or prepare to sleep. Getting past the notion is difficult, and many toddlers do not have nightmares but rather have trouble getting into full REM sleep mode.
REM sleep, or rapid-eye movement sleep, is the deepest form of sleep and is the hardest form of sleep to fall into if you are spooked by frightening visuals or sounds. It is for this reason that many toddlers would rather sleep with their parents or stay in a room with a sibling for those nights. It is this type of comfort that guides them into full REM sleep and enables them to go beyond the nightmare or fright that they experienced beforehand. Of course, the toddlers are not as well versed in the medical sciences so as to know this, but the cause is relatable and they find out what works after time.
Learning to Sleep
This effectively means that the toddler chooses to learn to sleep in a different way. The notion of coming out to the parents' room is actually a great signal that your toddler is processing what makes him or her more able to sleep. It shows initiative and great problem solving skills as the toddler finds that the first scenario is not working and so attempts another one to get them to sleep. From there, you can help teach your toddler and encourage him or her to advance on this methodology and begin processing other methods to help get past the sleep problems in toddlers.
Much of learning to get past sleep problems in toddlers involves self-teaching or learning to sleep by oneself. This notion seems complex at first but it is actually quite simple. The toddler is already halfway to that point if they are getting up to find their parents in the middle of the night. This shows problem solving initiative. The other half of the deal is getting the toddler to show self-initiative and find the comfort within them to sleep. Interior coping mechanisms are developed to curb sleep problems in toddlers from this point.
REM sleep, or rapid-eye movement sleep, is the deepest form of sleep and is the hardest form of sleep to fall into if you are spooked by frightening visuals or sounds. It is for this reason that many toddlers would rather sleep with their parents or stay in a room with a sibling for those nights. It is this type of comfort that guides them into full REM sleep and enables them to go beyond the nightmare or fright that they experienced beforehand. Of course, the toddlers are not as well versed in the medical sciences so as to know this, but the cause is relatable and they find out what works after time.
Learning to Sleep
This effectively means that the toddler chooses to learn to sleep in a different way. The notion of coming out to the parents' room is actually a great signal that your toddler is processing what makes him or her more able to sleep. It shows initiative and great problem solving skills as the toddler finds that the first scenario is not working and so attempts another one to get them to sleep. From there, you can help teach your toddler and encourage him or her to advance on this methodology and begin processing other methods to help get past the sleep problems in toddlers.
Much of learning to get past sleep problems in toddlers involves self-teaching or learning to sleep by oneself. This notion seems complex at first but it is actually quite simple. The toddler is already halfway to that point if they are getting up to find their parents in the middle of the night. This shows problem solving initiative. The other half of the deal is getting the toddler to show self-initiative and find the comfort within them to sleep. Interior coping mechanisms are developed to curb sleep problems in toddlers from this point.