Preschoolers

Your preschooler may still be napping once a day, although some preschoolers will not.

Try to keep to a regular bedtime/morning wake time rhythm.

Parents might find it becoming difficult for their preschooler to fall asleep at night if they still have a day nap, and this may be a sign they are ready to drop their day sleep (to ensure they are tired enough at bedtime). An alternative is to shorten the nap-time during the day.

During the transition from day-napping to no day sleeps, a regular ‘quiet time’ of quiet play can provide your child with an opportunity to relax.

Minimise exposure to screens (TV’s, computers, mobile devices etc) in the hour before bedtime.

Many preschoolers will be sleeping in a junior bed or single bed. Being ‘uncontained’ may bring up some other challenges around how to keep children in their bed and in their room! Being consistent is really important, because through a consistent response children learn more quickly what the expectations and boundaries are.

Nightmares, night-terrors, nighttime fears and sleep walking are quite common in this age group, and are related to brain development.

Develop a relaxing, calming & enjoyable bedtime routine with 2-3 consistent activities that prepare your preschooler for bedtime.

It is helpful if some of the bedtime routine happens in the child’s bedroom so they have positive associations of being calm and relaxed in their bedroom. Being calm helps sleep onset.