Sleeping FAQ: 24+ Months – Settling/Sleep Associations

Since going away on holiday my 2-year-old has lost his good sleep habits.

My son is 2-years-old and he has been an excellent sleeper. Up until we went on holiday, 4 weeks ago, he settled in his room by himself on a regular basis. The problem is occurring now we are on holiday and he does not have his own room for 5 weeks and during this time he has lost all his good habits and demands my presence during naps and night time to settle. In essence, due to the current sleeping arrangements, he has lost all his good habits. He returns to his own room next week and I am not sure how to get him back into his old routines; in fact when I suggest going to bed now, he resists heavily, whereas before he just needed to be reminded at bedtime to go to sleep happily. At present he sleeps from 1-4pm and goes to bed at 10pm-8am.

It would appear from your son’s long daytime sleep whilst on holiday, you are in a hot country where all children siesta during the afternoon. Now that you have only a week before returning home you could begin to get him back onto his home routine by waking him from his afternoon nap 15 minutes earlier every few days. Let him play quietly when awake but this should help you begin to move his bedtime back towards the time he usually settles when at home. If this idea is impractical in your circumstances then use this method once home.

Although only two, he will sense being somewhere different which has made him more difficult to settle. Once you are home again he will be in his familiar surroundings which should help him to feel secure and happy to settle alone. It may take a few days for him to settle down, but with consistent, gentle but firm handling he should get back into his old routine again. Have a wind-down time after tea and keep bath time as quiet as possible. Give him some time with you looking at books before he settles down to sleep. If you find that he is still difficult to settle at naptime and bedtime, try using a star chart to encourage him to go to bed without too much fuss. Try to have a few days when first home in which there is not much going on, especially if you are having to get his timings back to their usual place. Most children are pleased to see their familiar surroundings and rediscover their toys after a period of being away so it is easier to slip back in to their home routine.