If you have a toddler or preschooler that is struggling with bedtime, waking up early and refuses to stay in their bed…keep reading because introducing a toddler alarm clock can be a game-changer for even the most stubborn child.
A toddler clock is a great visual tool to help set boundaries and manage sleep expectations. It’s a clear way to show our little ones when it’s time to stay in bed and when it’s okay to get up and start the day. With this age group, we want to provide consistent boundaries so they learn to trust them and not test them (testing boundaries is a normal part of toddlerhood and is a way for them to feel secure).
So the burning questions….
When do I introduce a sleep trainer clock?
The consensus is that anytime after 2 years old, we want them to be old enough to understand the concept of the lights. At 2 years old they can understand simple colors like red is for bed, green or blue is for wake up time. I personally like it for children older than 2.5, you can then start incorporating more colors, like orange for bedtime routine.
Your little one doesn’t have to be in a big kid bed to use a toddler clock, in fact, I would not recommend transitioning them into a big kid bed until at least 3 years old. Introducing this tool early while they are still in a crib can actually be helpful because they get great practice before the bars come off!
How to introduce a sleep trainer clock?
The biggest tip for success with a trainer clock is to get BUY IN! Communicate with your toddler this fun, exciting new light and have them choose the colors for wake up, bedtime but NOT for night/sleep time. That should ALWAYS be red. Red light is not going to wake the brain up at night and will not cause wake-ups but any other light will. So it’s important to keep only red lights at night.
Once your child has made some choices, you have established what each light means then it’s time to practice.
Many children learn best through roleplay. Have your little one role play with you or their stuffed friend and practice with each of the lights. That’s going to help them understand and remember the expectations.
It may take them some time to get used to it and that’s okay, stay consistent always though so they learn that once that light is red there is no negotiation.
If you choose to use rewards, you can set the clock the first few days 10 minutes before they normally and naturally wake up (even if it’s early), have them experience the gratification of getting a reward, or even just praise for staying in bed. Then start pushing that time back by 10 minutes every other day until you hit your ideal wake-up time.
Top no-no’s for sleep trainer clocks
Often if parents are unsuccessful with toddler sleep clocks it’s for these reasons:
You are not consistent and give up if it doesn’t work right away. You need to be consistent for at least a few weeks.
You don’t hold boundaries and sometimes adhere to the bedtime rules and sometimes you bend them or give in. If this is the case, your little one will not take the rules and expectations seriously and you will continue to struggle at bedtime and with early wake-ups.
You don’t give them the opportunity to experience the praise. We want our kids to feel excited about this new clock but if they never sleep long enough to actually experience the praise, they will lose interest. This is why setting the clock earlier is important.
Make sure lights at night are not yellow or blue and only red. This can be a great night light but only red light will prevent wake-ups.
My top picks
In addition to this, there are 4 solutions that you can implement to solve early mornings for good. They are all included in the End Early Mornings Mini-Course, you choose one and this mini-course provides you with the step-by-step plan to get you sleeping later!
Stay Rested my friends,
Lil xx
