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Somehow the pitter-patter of tiny feet isn't so adorable in the middle of the night. Why do toddlers love night life and how can you keep them in their bed?

Many parents find that it's more difficult to coach a toddler to sleep than it is a baby. A toddler will wake you every hour with nocturnal visits, be in a foul temper the next day and still refuse to go to bed even though he's dead on his feet. Follow our dos and don'ts to solve a whole range of toddler sleep problems.

Do:

• Make sure he gets exercise during the day to tire him out for bed.
• Scale back his afternoon nap by five minutes each day if he's wide awake at his bedtime and get him up 10 minutes earlier in the morning.
• Use blackout blinds in summer
• Have a consistent night-time ritual that provides him with strong sleep associations. 'A bath, warm milk and a story are tried-and-tested,' says health visitor, Annette Maloney.
• Let him take something cuddly to bed: a soft toy or blankie he can hug.
• Take him straight back to his bed if he comes into your room and tell him it's time to go to sleep. 'If he gets upset, tell him you'll come back in a while to check on him,' says Annette.
• Leave the bedroom door ajar if he finds it reassuring.
• Stay calm and be persistent. 'You may well have to take your child back to bed several times, but if you're consistent he'll learn there's no point in resisting,' Annette says.
• Use a reward chart with stickers awarded for each night he stays in his own bed.

Don't:

• Let him watch TV just before bed. Research suggests that it can lead a child to sleep poorly.
• Play just before bed. He should be calming down now, getting excited will make it harder for him to settle.
• Stay with him in an attempt to get him to fall asleep. 'He needs to do it by himself,' says Annette, 'or you could find yourself in his room for an hour at bedtime and then again in the night if he wakes.'
• Speak to him other than to tell him it's time to go to bed. And don't tell him off - even negative attention will keep him coming back for more.
• Give in and let him in with you, even if you're tired and it seems like the easiest option. 'This will only make it harder to enforce the rules the next time he does it and he won't understand why it's okay one night but not the next,' says Annette.

- Next: What if your toddler still wants a bottle at night?

More help and advice

- Sleep strategies that really work
- Sleep problems in children
- Tips on establishing a bedtime routine
- Find out more about insomnia
- Is your child ruining your sleep? Find some help in Chat

By Annette Maloney, health visitor

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• Next: What if your toddler still wants a bottle at night?

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