Toddlers often find it difficult to fall asleep on their own. This often happens during the transition phase when the baby moves into its own room from the parents' bedroom. In order for the child to learn to fall asleep alone, it is important to develop a fixed routine for bedtime. There are several methods for this:

 

Method 1:

If the child often wakes up crying during the night, there is the so-called "Kiss and retreat" programme, developed by child psychologist Dr Olwen Wilson for babies over 6 months.

Gently and smilingly follow the usual bedtime routine, give the child a little kiss and tell them that you will be back in a moment. Don't leave the nursery immediately, but withdraw for a few seconds and then come back for the promised second kiss.

Now pull back a little further and then kiss again. Repeat the process, always moving a little further away.

Now you can occupy yourself a little in the nursery while you retire, e.g. pick up toys from the floor, and then go back to bed for a cuddle.

Now try to leave the room for a few seconds before you come back. Leave the room for a few seconds longer until the child has fallen asleep. If the child starts to cry, go back into the room immediately and calm them down. When it has calmed down, resume the programme. There should be an improvement by the third night. A relapse often occurs on the fifth night, but don't give up and don't give up. After about a week to 10 days, the child should fall asleep much better.

 

Method 2:

Let the child know that it is bedtime and that you will leave the nursery but stay close by. Then go out. If the child starts to cry, wait 5 minutes and go into the room. Do not take the child in your arms or take them out of the room. Do not switch on any lights, but talk to the child and calm it down. Stroke his face until he has calmed down, tell him again that you are going to leave now, but that you are not far away and leave the child's room.

If the child starts crying again, this time wait 10 minutes until you go back and repeat the process until it falls asleep.

 

Method 3:

Sit next to the child in bed and hold their hand until they fall asleep. Do this for a week, then sit next to the bed and wait until they fall asleep without holding their hand. The following week, sit in the corner of the room and wait until the child has fallen asleep.

Go further away week after week until you can finally be in the next room, with the nursery door open.

 

Every child is different, there is no one hundred per cent recipe for success. If the child falls ill, interrupt the programme until they are well again and start again. You will need a lot of patience, but in the end you will be rewarded when the child falls asleep alone in the room without any problems.