Help! My toddler won't sleep alone and I can't take it another night!

I can't tell you the number of times this phrase rings through the phone line as parents reach out in desperation for sleep help. The good news is you're not alone. Hundreds of families contact me each year, desperate to get their toddler to sleep alone. They are at their tipping point and exhaustion is making them physically ill. They can't function and their patience is so slim it feels like they might totally lose their shit at any moment. The other piece of good news is, everything is fixable and I am going to help you with this right now!

Why sleep matters

Sleep is the #1, most important factor in helping your kids develop and grow at their optimal level. It's the #1 factor in helping decrease tantrums, outbursts, meltdowns and lack of cooperation and listening. Basically, all of those fun things we dread as parents! Lack of sleep truly is responsible for about 90% negative behavior issues. So, guess what that means? Once you solve sleep issues, daily parenting becomes so much easier and more enjoyable! You have to remember that overtired kids can't be reasoned and you can't have expectations for kids who are not sleeping well.

How do I get my child to sleep?

This is a loaded question and one that often scares parents away. Teaching your child to sleep brings up feelings of inadequacy. Self-doubt floods in and you wonder if you'll  ever be able to actually follow through. You feel like your child will just never actually be able to fall asleep alone. I am here to tell you to quiet all of those internal voices. Take a deep breath and know that I have a plan just for you. Teaching your child to sleep requires you, the parent, to be your child's teacher and this can create some anxiety. But, with the right tools and a sleep plan that feels good, you will be able to guide, support and teach your toddler to fall asleep alone.

Sleep training without cry it out

Yes, I really just said that! You can teach your toddler or any child in a bed to sleep alone without having to cry it out. Your child can learn to:

• go to bed easily and cooperatively
• stay in bed
• fall asleep alone and independently
• sleep all night

You might think that I am giving you a load of crapola, but this is the real-life truth! My method has helped hundreds of families achieve these goals and more. You can actually be there with your child to guide, support and help them learn this new skill to fall asleep alone.

Gentle sleep training method

Parents often fear transitioning their toddler to a bed because they know they might keep getting out of bed. Sometimes parents continue to co-sleep with their kids because they fear they won't have the strength or tools to teach them to sleep alone. Kids can sleep alone and happily. Parents can teach their kids to go to bed, stay in bed, fall asleep independently and sleep all night in a gentle, supportive and effective way. You don't have to lock your child in their room or hold their door shut. There's no reason to fear teaching your child to sleep alone if you have the right tools in your parenting toolbox. You just need a sleep plan!! A plan you feel good about. Once you have that plan, the rest will fall into place. You can finally teach your child to go to bed and sleep, All without having to leave your child alone to cry it out! For more details on how you can teach your child to go to bed easily and fall asleep alone check out my online course: Battle Free Bedtimes in Two Weeks or Less 

My toddler won't go to bed

Teaching toddlers and older kids who are in big kid beds, is different than teaching a newborn to sleep in a crib. By the time your child becomes a toddler, they have developed more independence and free-will. They want to be in control and in charge of everything! You know how this goes, the constant use of the word "NO" and refusing to do anything and everything you ask them to do. Complete and utter chaos can become your new bedtime routine. Bedtime taking you hours and hours and you're exhausted and wiped by the time you actually get your toddler in bed and asleep.

Is bedtime a nightmare for you?

What if I told you that you can get your child ready for bed and to sleep in 3o minutes start to finish? JAW DROP! See what a lovely mom of two girls (2 & 4 years) had to say about my sleep plan:

Tia got us back on track in just a couple weeks. With her help, I met my kids developmentally where they are at. We now have a structured, loving bedtime routine and kids that SLEEP! Step Out for Sleep Success is a sleep plan I feel good about, which is why I was finally able to stick with it!      Alyssa O'Banion

Early bedtimes for better sleep

Take a look at your child's current bedtime. Are they battling going to bed and sleep until 9:30 or 10:00pm? If your child is going to bed too late, they will have a harder time falling asleep. They will also exhibit negative behaviors throughout the day; tantrums, meltdowns, outbursts, refusing to cooperate or listen. Once you start getting your kids to bed earlier you will have easier bedtimes and an overall better parenting experience. Who doesn't want a few extra hours of "me" time in the evening?! Try backing up your current bedtime by 15 minutes every 2 nights to help get your child asleep by your desired time. Small adjustments will create a smoother transition. With daylight savings approaching, we are about to spring our clocks forward. So if your child is going to bed at 10:00pm it will now be 11:00pm. EEEEKKK! Start the 15 minute transition tonight to get yourself ready for daylight savings. This method works well when you are recovering from travel in different time zones as well.

Bedtime charts and routines

Age appropriate bedtime charts are a simple and effective tool to helping your kids cooperate around bedtime routines. Kids want to be in control and charts help them do just this. Giving them control over what's happening next - think helping to fill their "Power Buckets" to avoid bedtime power struggles. Helping decrease anxiety with clear, consistent and concrete (3 C's) routines will help you get your kids to bed easier and faster. No one wants to spend 3 hours trying to entice or negotiate going to bed. Instead you want to quickly have your kids run through their bedtime routines/charts and go to bed! Download my TOP 5 CHARTS and start creating easier bedtimes tonight! Repeat your child's bedtime routine each and every night for the best results! Think Groundhog's Day!

Sleep is a skill

Sleeping independently is a learned skill and your child is waiting for you to teach them. You can totally do this! Start with the tips in this article to get you thinking about your current bedtime and routines. Once you get your sleep plan locked and loaded you will see progress each night. It's time for you and your kids to sleep. Your mental health, physical health and overall well-being relies on it! You can have Battle Free Bedtimes in Two Weeks or Less because the plan is gentle and feels good! If you have any sleep questions, please leave them in the comments below and I will answer you! PS. If you want your kids to cooperate and listen more, not only at bedtime, grab my FREE 5 ingredient formula to get results in less than a week!