Blissed Out BabiesBlissed Out Babies
Parenting a toddler in Manchester can be both fulfilling and exhausting, particularly when sleep becomes an ongoing challenge. As a parent, you’ve probably heard a variety of advice on how to get your toddler to sleep through the night. From social media tips to advice from well-meaning friends, the pressure to get it right can be overwhelming. However, the journey to peaceful nights of sleep doesn’t need to be stressful.
In this blog post, we’ll cover 10 best tips to help your toddler sleep soundly throughout the night, focusing on establishing an effective 1-year-old nap schedule, sleep routines, and methods that work in Manchester.
The foundation of a good night’s sleep starts with understanding your toddler’s sleep needs. As parents in Manchester know, toddlers need a balance of sleep during both the day and night. While toddlers require 10-12 hours of sleep at night, they also need daytime naps to ensure they are not overtired by bedtime. The key is to align their natural sleep rhythms with a schedule that meets their needs, keeping the 1-year-old nap schedule in mind.
A calming, predictable bedtime routine is essential for preparing your toddler to sleep through the night. In Manchester, parents recommend a routine that includes quiet activities such as a warm bath, reading a story, or playing soft music. This helps signal to your toddler that it’s time to wind down, providing comfort and security as they transition from wakefulness to sleep.
A great nap schedule is just as crucial as a consistent bedtime. For parents, establishing a regular nap time helps ensure your toddler is not over or undertired when it’s time to sleep at night. By the time your child is around 14-18 months old, they will likely need one or two naps per day, depending on their energy levels. By 18 months, a single afternoon nap usually becomes the norm. Make sure your toddler’s naps are scheduled appropriately, not too close to bedtime, and aligned with their natural sleep cues.
A common mistake made by parents is not understanding their toddler’s unique sleep needs, leading to a nap routine that doesn’t balance sleep pressure very well.
This can lead to them allowing their toddlers to stay awake too long, believing they’ll be more tired and sleep better. In reality, this leads to overtiredness, which causes difficulty falling asleep and frequent night awakenings.
On the flip side, parents can fall into the trap of thinking their toddler needs more sleep than they do. This can lead to difficult bedtimes, frequent night waking and early rising.
Clear and consistent sleep expectations go a long way in helping your toddler understand what is expected of them at bedtime. In Manchester, parents who set firm boundaries around bedtime, such as staying in their own bed, having a set bedtime, and not needing to return to the room after being tucked in, report greater success with sleep training.
Parenting a toddler can feel relentless – especially when every nap, bedtime or boundary turns into a battle. Maybe you’ve read all the blogs, tried every tip, but nothing seems to stick. You’re tired, frustrated, and just want someone to tell you what will actually work for your child.
That’s where my Troubleshooting Call comes in. What’s included:
By the end of the call, you’ll walk away with:
💡 Fresh insight into why things aren’t working right now.
💡 Confidence in your plan and the reassurance that it aligns with your gentle parenting values.
💡Reassurance that you’re not doing anything “wrong”, and clear steps you can implement straight away.
💡 Realistic, achievable strategies you can start using tonight.
You don’t need to feel stuck in survival mode.
Book your troubleshooting call today, and let’s find a calmer, more settled rhythm for your toddler (and for you).
If your toddler wakes up in the night, don’t worry about offering comfort. Sel-soothing isn’t the be-all and end-all for sleep, despite what is out there on Google! Toddlers need to be calm to be able to sleep, leaving them to cry isn’t going to help everyone get back to sleep quickly.
If you want to give them a minute or so to figure it out for themselves, then that’s totally fine. However if they are getting more and more upset just go in and help them out.
A well-maintained sleep environment is crucial for uninterrupted sleep. Parents in Manchester emphasize the importance of making your toddler’s room conducive to rest by keeping it quiet, dark, and comfortable. Using blackout curtains helps block out light, while a white noise machine can help drown out external noise. Make sure the room is at a comfortable temperature to ensure a restful night’s sleep.
Watching for sleep cues is essential for ensuring your toddler gets enough rest. Parents in Manchester advise paying attention to signs like tiredness, irritability, and a decrease in activity levels. If you wait too long to put them down for a nap or bedtime, your toddler may become overtired, making it harder for them to settle and sleep through the night.
A calm, predictable sleep schedule helps reinforce your toddler’s circadian rhythms. In Manchester, parents often recommend having a set bedtime that remains consistent every night. This regularity helps toddlers anticipate sleep and feel more secure, making it easier for them to drift off when it’s time for bed.
If your toddler’s sleep issues persist despite trying various strategies, it might be time to seek professional help. Parents have found great success with consulting sleep experts like Jemma Munford. A sleep consultant can offer personalised solutions tailored to your child’s specific sleep challenges.
Getting your toddler to sleep through the night requires patience, consistency, and a solid routine. By following these 10 tips, parents in Manchester can create an environment conducive to restful sleep and address any sleep challenges your toddler may be facing. The key is to make sure you’re meeting your toddler’s sleep needs and providing a calm, predictable environment that promotes healthy sleep habits.
I have always been interested in gentle parenting techniques, and as a self confessed ‘geek’ I spent many a sleepless night reading. I became so interested in infant brain development and the science of sleep that I completed my Holistic Sleep Coaching qualification, mentored by the wonderful Lyndsey Hookway. I have been working as a toddler sleep consultant since 2018, I am based in Manchester but I can work with you from anywhere in the world online!
This coupled with my experience in settling techniques, toddler negotiation strategies and analysis of naps and sleep needs gives me a wealth of knowledge to be able help you.
If you’re looking for help with making changes to your family’s sleeping habits and would like to speak to a toddler sleep consultant who is down to earth and sympathetic and will focus on you and your family with empathy and understanding then please get in touch.
I would love to hear from you!
Jem x
Click here to book a free chat with Jem to discuss sleep packages and ensure we are a good fit. There is no obligation and I will only take clients where I genuinely feel I can change their lives.
I have three simple toddler sleep support packages, Read more about them here.
Yes! You can check out my free sleep resources here.
The Baby Sleep Site: Offering a wealth of toddler sleep strategies. Visit here.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine: For expert information on sleep science and child sleep patterns. Visit here.
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