How can I tell if my toddler is sleeping too much? Most toddlers will require between 11-14 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period, including nighttime sleep and daytime naps. If your toddler seems to be sleeping more than this, he may be sleeping too much – and there can be several possible reasons [...]
What is melatonin and when does a baby’s brain start producing it? Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland portion of our brains. It helps to regulate our 24-hour sleep-wake cycles, and can be thought of as one of the ‘oils’ that helps the gears of our internal body ‘clock’ [...]
When will my preemie sleep through the night? In the first couple months, all newborns will sleep for about-equal amounts of time during the day and during the night, and each of their sleeping periods may be pretty short – even just minutes at a time. Babies start getting the bulk of their sleep [...]
What is a sleep regression? There has been a great deal of talk about “sleep regressions.” What is a sleep regression? A sleep regression is reported to occur when a baby who was sleeping well (or relatively well) all of a sudden has a sleep issue, whether that issue is falling asleep at [...]
When do babies sleep through the night? Most babies are ready and able to start sleeping for long stretches, up to 8 to 10 hours, by 3 to 6 months of age. In the first few months, newborns can only sleep for a few hours at a stretch as they need to be fed at least every 2 to 3 hours. And often much [...]
What exactly is sleep training? Just like so many areas of development, children typically need help learning how to self-soothe to sleep. This process is often referred to as “sleep training.” Although there are multiple approaches, sleep training typically involves helping your child learn [...]
How do I get my child on a nap schedule? Some babies seem to fall into a sleep schedule without any problems while others struggle and tend to have very short sleeps during the day (that is, less than 1 hour per nap). We call these babies ‘cat nappers’. Around 15% of babies catnap and these [...]
How can I build good sleep habits for my baby? There are many ways to do this, particularly after 3 months of age when your baby’s crying should have settled down and your baby is becoming more alert and awake during the daytime. Start by establishing a feed-play-sleep pattern, that is feed your [...]
My child has ADHD. What are some strategies I can use to make sure he gets the best sleep possible. Sleep problems – such as coming in and out of the room at the start of the night or wanting mom or dad next to them as they fall asleep at the start of the night – are very common in children [...]
My baby screams and cries every time I put her down for a nap. What can I do to change that? Many babies take time to learn to go to sleep, so first of all be patient! Try to develop a little routine so she knows what to expect and when. For example, when she first wakes up from a nap, give her a [...]