How to Put a Two Year Old to Sleep

Co-authored by Julie Wright, MFT

Last Updated: August 11, 2021

Bedtime with your child can be one of the nicest times of the day; it allows you to spend quality time with each other and instills healthy sleep habits at an early age. Occasionally 2-year-olds can resist bedtime, so you'll want to be sure to establish a solid routine and create a good sleep environment to help your child get all the sleep they need. You'll also want to continue to promote safe sleep, just like you did when they were younger, by heeding toddler safety precautions.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Establishing a Bedtime Routine

1
Try a bath if your child likes baths. For some kids, a warm bath is relaxing and soothing. If baths have that effect on your child, give them a bath before bedtime. Make bath time fun by providing bath toys, and be sure to always supervise your child in the tub.^{[1]
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- If your child doesn't like baths, or baths get them overly excited, have their bath time earlier in the day and just wipe down their faces and hands before bedtime.
2
Brush their teeth every night. Getting into the habit of brushing your teeth every night starts at an early age, and it's a great thing to include in the necessary bedtime routine. Brush your child's teeth for them at first, and gradually teach them how to brush their teeth on their own.^{[2]
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- Help your child look forward to brushing their teeth by providing them with a fun child's toothbrush and a toothpaste they like.
- Make brushing fun by singing songs while your toddler brushes. Look for fun songs about brushing teeth from children's shows.^{[3]
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3
Get them changed into pajamas for bed. Whether they take a bath before bed or not, your child should get changed out of their clothes and into pajamas for bed. This will help signal to them that daytime activities are done and it's time for sleep soon.^{[4]
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- Choose warm pajamas during the colder months or if you keep your home cool with air conditioning. Children this age often kick their blankets off themselves at night and being too cold can cause them to wake up in the night.
Reading books to your kids, even before they can talk, helps them develop an interest in learning to read and an enjoyment of reading later in life. Let them choose the books you read at bedtime to help keep them interested in the book and help them relax during that special bonding time.^{[5]
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5
Sing a song if your child enjoys them. You may have sung lullabies to your child when they were an infant to help them fall asleep. If so, you can continue singing their favorites to them as a toddler. Or you can learn some new songs to sing to them now.^{[6]
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- Some popular lullabies are “Rock-a-bye Baby,” “You Are My Sunshine,” “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” and “Hush Little Baby,” but you can sing any songs that you like.
6
Turn the lights off and say goodnight before leaving the room. Keep the room dark so your child gets the best quality sleep. It also helps to say some key phrases that you say every night, so your child knows it's time for bed.^{[7]
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- You can add “It's time to sleep now. I love you” or any other phrases you like to say to your child before bed, as well as a hug and kiss.
7
Do the same thing every night at the same time. Young children rely heavily on routine. Whatever it is that you do at bedtime, be sure to do the same things every night. If you have a somewhat long routine that includes bath, brushing teeth, a story, a song, etc., be sure to start early enough each night so you have time for all of it before you need to get ready for bed yourself.^{[8]
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- Most 2-year-olds need about 12 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period. This can often be broken down into 10 hours at night and a 2-hour afternoon nap. If your child wakes up at 6 a.m., aim for a bedtime of 8 p.m.
- Getting your toddler into a normal nighttime routine helps them develop good lifelong habits and gives them a sense of security.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Creating a Good Sleep Environment

1
Choose a favorite blanket and a stuffed animal as their sleep comfort items. Young children rely on feeling secure to help them sleep. When they are little babies, this often means being held or rocked until they fall asleep. Encourage your child to choose an item that they keep in bed with them all night to help them feel secure throughout the night.^{[9]
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- Avoid having too many blankets in your child's bed, as this can be a potential safety hazard. Too many toys nearby can keep your child too stimulated to fall or stay asleep. Choose one blanket and one soft toy for the best results.
2
Make sure their room stays mostly quiet. It's fine for there to be occasional noise in the house, but you want to avoid a TV or conversations being so loud that they wake your child up. Try having someone turn on the TV or talk from outside your child's room while you're in their room.^{[10]
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- If you can hear everything that's being said clearly, the TV or conversation is probably too loud and should be turned down or moved to a room that's farther away.
3
Draw the blinds or curtains during nap time. It's important for the room where your child sleeps to be dim or dark when they are sleeping. This helps them to get deeper, more restful sleep.^{[11]
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- If it doesn't get dark until after your child's bedtime, you should also draw the curtains when they go to bed at night.
- Use blackout curtains if it's still too bright inside their room.
4
Dress your child in warm pajamas in colder months. Toddlers often kick off their covers in the middle of the night. To help make sure your child doesn't get too cold, and therefore wake up, at night, be sure to dress them in warm pajamas.^{[12]
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- You also want to be sure not to overheat your child. Long-sleeved cotton pajamas are appropriate for winter months. If the pajamas do not have feet, consider having your child also wear socks to bed.
- If you keep your home pretty cool with air conditioning in the summer, you may want to have them wear their long-sleeved pajamas as well.
5
Avoid letting your child get overtired. This may sound incorrect, since adults often automatically sleep better the more tired they get, but for young children it is harder to fall asleep if they are too tired. Don't allow your 2-year-old to stay up too late past their bedtime, and be sure that they still take a nap during the day.^{[13]
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- Some toddlers will fight nap time, or say they don't need a nap. 2-year-olds do still need 1 nap per day to avoid becoming overtired.
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Part 3

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Putting a 2-Year-Old to Sleep Safely

1
Move your child to a toddler-safe bed when they're 35 in (89 cm) tall. The taller your child gets, the easier it will be for them to climb out of their crib. They may fall or get stuck if they are able to climb out of their crib, and should be moved to a toddler bed or bed with a side-rail.^{[14]
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- Help your child feel good about sleeping in a new bed by telling them it's their “big kid” bed. Many children actually ask for a new bed and don't want to sleep in their crib anymore by the time they're physically ready to leave the crib.
2
Keep their crib or bed far away from hazardous objects. Your toddler's sleeping place should not be close to a window with blinds that have strings, or electrical cords that they can reach while you're not around. Also watch for picture frames and other wall hangings within reach that your child could pull down onto themselves.^{[15]
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- Cords and strings can easily get wrapped around a small child's neck. The safest practice is to keep these items out of your child's room completely.
While most regular-sized stuffed animals and pillows are fine in a bed with a 2-year-old, you want to keep their bed free from oversized items that could fall on top of them and cause suffocation in their sleep. Keep these types of items on the floor or on furniture away from the bed.^{[16]
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While your child is still in a crib, don't place lots of stuffed animals, toys, or pillows in it. Since these items are a safety hazard for babies under 1, many parents don't do this anyway. At 2, however, even if the items are not linked to higher SIDS risk, your child can still use the items to step on as they climb out of their crib.^{[17]
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Expert Q&A

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Question

How can I get my toddler to sleep faster?

Julie Wright, MFT
Parenting & Baby Sleep Specialist
Julie Wright is a Marriage and Family Therapist and the co-founder of The Happy Sleeper, which offers sleep consulting and online baby sleep classes. Julie is a licensed psychotherapist specializing in babies, children, and their parents, and the co-author of two best selling parenting books (The Happy Sleeper and Now Say This) published by Penguin Random House. She created the popular Wright Mommy, Daddy and Me program in Los Angeles, California, which provides support and learning for new parents. Julie's work has been mentioned in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NPR. Julie received her training at the Cedars Sinai Early Childhood Center.

Julie Wright, MFT

Parenting & Baby Sleep Specialist

Expert Answer

You can make a chart with your child that includes everything in their nighttime routine to make the process more fun for them.

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