Toddler Sleep and Settling videos

These videos offer a range of strategies that will help your toddler learn to sleep independently.

It is recommended that you watch these videos in this order to understand your toddler’s current sleep patterns and how to address concerns with the right strategy.

1 Toddler development and sleep patterns

In the Toddler years, there is rapid growth in physical abilities, language and cognitive development.

This video helps you to understand your toddler's developmental needs and how you can help them manage their emotions through daily life.

Key Points:

Predictable daily routines including mealtimes
Toddlers eat better when they are not tired
Offer healthy food options and water
Look for early tired signs and have a wind down with a story and a cuddle before bed

Additional resources:

2 Readiness for change

When thinking about making sleep changes, it is important to consider the timing and strategy that will suit your family and toddler for success.

This video supports families when making the decision to introduce positive daily patterns and strategies for sleep.

Key Points:

Choose the right time to start when things are going well for the whole family
Choose the strategy that is right for you and your family
Effective communication between caregivers will support the process
Allow time for positive routines to establish
Have realistic expectations on yourself and your toddler when making new changes

Additional resources:

3 Tired signs

Understanding your toddler’s early tired signs will help to support your toddler to sleep independently.

This video explores toddlers’ daily patterns, highlighting different states of consciousness and how to recognise when your toddler is ready to go to bed before becoming over tired.

Key Points:

Be consistent and predictable with timings
Remain patient and calm in yourself and with your toddler
Follow feed, play, sleep
Look for early tired signs in your toddler and prepare for sleep
What happens during the day will influence night time behaviour

Additional resources:

tweddle.org.au - Sleep and Settling Fact Sheets available in fourteen languages - We recommend: Factsheet 9
raisingchildren.net.au/babies/sleep/understanding-sleep/tired-signs

4 Responsive Settling

Responsive settling is a common strategy that focuses on recognising your toddler’s cues and responding to their needs by providing comfort and being emotionally and physically present throughout the settling process.

This video explains responsive settling, which relies on consistency and persistence to gradually build your toddlers’ independence to self-settle.

Key Points:

Introduce a positive bedtime routine. Pick an appropriate bedtime with a story and a cuddle
Place your toddler in the cot when drowsy
Sit low beside the cot, and give gentle reassurance by patting and shooshing, if required
Allow up to 20 minutes for your toddler to settle
Leave the room once your toddler has settled
There are no set time limits. However, consider ending the experience after 3 attempts or when your toddler stops responding to your efforts to calm
Be consistent and build on the experience over time

Additional resources:

5 Parental Presence

Parental Presence is an effective strategy for toddlers who depend on your presence in the room to feel secure to fall asleep.

Parental Presence builds trust when toddlers wake, knowing you are there, to settle back to sleep independently.

Key Points:

Sleep on the mattress in your toddler's room for 7 – 10 days for all sleeps
Try to minimise interaction with your toddler, breaking the link between sleep behaviour and your attention
If your toddler becomes distressed, soothe by gentle words or touch first before picking up
If your toddler is not responding, go back to the previous step that was working well and try again at the next sleep
After 3 consecutive nights of your toddler sleeping through you can return to your own room

Additional resources:

tweddle.org.au - Sleep and Settling Fact Sheets available in fourteen languages - We recommend: Factsheet 12
Better Health Channel - Solutions to sleep concerns (12) – toddlers 1 to 3 years

6 Camping Out

The Camping Out strategy is ideal for families who have toddlers who depend on their parent’s comfort and presence to fall asleep. This strategy allows you to leave the room once your toddler is asleep.

This strategy is particularly helpful for toddlers displaying behaviours of separation anxiety.

Key Points:

Introduce a positive bedtime routine. Pick an appropriate bedtime with a story and a cuddle
Place your toddler in the cot when drowsy
Sit in the chair next to the cot and give gentle touch or shooshing until asleep, then you can leave the room
If toddler wakes during sleep, repeat step 3
Allow a minimum of three (3) nights for step 3
Once your toddler is responding positively to this new routine aim to move your chair a short distance from the cot towards the door
If your toddler wakes, return your chair to the position that last worked well and repeat step 6
Allow a minimum of two (2) nights for each further movement of the chair towards the door
Pace this strategy to suit your toddler’s needs until you are out of the room

Additional resources:

7 Common toddler behaviour

Toddlers can struggle with independent sleep due to a variety of challenges. These challenges include new expectations, separation anxiety and inconsistent bedtimes.

This video helps you understand the behaviour behind these challenges, and how to build a positive bedtime routine for your toddler.

Key Points:

Identify the challenge/s that are driving your toddlers sleep resistance to bedtime
Choose a sleep strategy that is right for your family
Introduce a positive bedtime routine that gives a clear message that it is time for bed
Be consistent and persistent
Establishing a new routine takes time, allow up to 3 weeks

Additional resources:

8 Cot to bed transition and safety

This video covers when and how to safely transition your toddler from a cot to a bed. This video follows the Red Nose guideline – transitioning from a cot to a bed.

Moving to a bed can bring new bedtime challenges. Choosing the right time for your toddler will make the process smoother.

Key Points:

Identify the right time to transition from a cot to a bed
Consider safety. A safety check of the sleep environment will prevent accidents
Include your toddler in the setting up of their new bed
Transitioning to a bed can bring new challenges
Be patient and consistent as the toddler and family gets used to the new sleep space
Ensure there is a working smoke alarm that is less than 10 years old in the room(s) where your child sleeps

Additional resources:

9 Self care (for parents)

Self care is essential for maintaining your overall health and well-being. Self care is often overlooked when you are busy caring for others.

This video explores simple ways to nurture your own mental, emotional and physical health.

Key Points:

Find a few minutes each day to invest in self care. This will help you work towards reducing feelings of stress and anxiety
When feeling overwhelmed, reach out for help through family, friends or health professionals
If you are concerned about your, or someone else’s, mental health, contact a health professional

Additional resources

Ballarat resources	Hours	Contact
Grampians Early Parenting Centre - Ballarat Health Service Provides specialist support for families with children aged 0-4 years across the Grampians region. Sleep and settling Child behaviour Parent and child health and wellbeing	Day-stay programs and homestays with residential family suites.	self refer to EPC 5320 3003 Address: 10 Fawcett Road, Lucas.
St John of God Raphael Services Ballarat Provides personalised counselling and group support to parents with children aged 0-4 years who experience anxiety, depression and other mental health issues during pregnancy and following childbirth.	GP referral, no out-of-pocket expense. Opening hours 8.30am to 4.30pm	1800 292 292 Address: U13, 25-51 Learmonth Road, Wendouree VIC 3355
Parent & Infant Unit - Ballarat Health Service Assesses and treats the mental health of parents through pregnancy and up until the infant is 12 months of age.	Mental health inpatient unit for the Grampians and Glenelg regions. Operates 7 days a week.	Self refer by calling the Access and Triage Team on 1300 247 647

National resources	Hours	Phone
beyondblue Depression, anxiety and related disorders.	24 hours 7 days	1300 22 4636
Lifeline Crisis support, suicide prevention and mental health support services.	24 hours 7 days	13 11 14
13YARN Crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.	24 hours 7 days	13 92 76
PANDA Perinatal depression, anxiety and related disorders.	Monday – Friday 10am – 8pm Saturdays 9am – 4pm	1300 726 306
Headspace Mental health support for young people aged 12–25.	7 days 9am – 1am	1800 650 890
Gidget Foundation Australia Supports the mental health of expectant, new and potential parents.		1300 851 758
COPE Provides support for the emotional challenges of becoming a parent.		1300 740 398
Maternal and Child Health line Families with children from birth to school age can speak to an MCH nurse for advice and support.	24 hours 7 days	13 22 29
Early Parenting Centres Provide specialist support for Victorian families with children from birth and up to 4 years. Sleep and settling Child behaviour Parent and child health and wellbeing	Residential: 24-hour multi-day centre-based early parenting programs. Day stay: centre-based day programs.
tweddle.org.au - Sleep and Settling Fact Sheets available in fourteen languages	We recommend Factsheet 14
Contact your health professional: GP Psychologist Psychiatrist Counsellor

Contact us

Our free Maternal and Child Heath programs offer different options and supports for families to address sleep concerns for children aged 0-5 years.

To receive sleep and settling information:

Email: mchsleepprogram@ballarat.vic.gov.au
Phone: Ballarat Maternal and Child Heath service on 5320 5720
In person: Visit the sleep drop-in clinic on Tuesday mornings at Parent Place (39 Sturt Street, Ballarat) to be connected with more support.