Is my toddler having a sleep regression? Changes in sleep patterns are normal and not necessarily “regressions.” Those changes interact with developmental changes, environmental changes, and things like sickness or changes in routine. They’re also different for every child. That said, helping [...]
Troubleshooting: how can I help my older toddler sleep? Consistency and predictability are so important! But, there’s no one size fits all fix. Predictability and choice are important to many preschoolers. Putting the bedtime routine on a visual schedule for your child (and you) can help keep [...]
What is a sleep association? A sleep association is the set of conditions that a baby needs to fall asleep, such as nursing, rocking, and/or being patted to sleep. Sleep associations can be a single thing (being rocked), or a combination of things (being rocked while listening to a specific song). [...]
How can I help my toddler nap? There are several things that you can do to help your child nap. Keys for a good naptime A good routine for naps will help your child to learn to sleep well and on their own. • Keep naptime at about the same time every day • It’s best to make your [...]
How do I help my toddler keep napping as he gets older? Virtually all 2-year-olds and about 87% of 3-year-olds nap, while only about 8% of children still nap at age 5. A number of things influence the transition from a having a nap plus nighttime sleep, to nighttime sleep only. We know that a [...]
How do I stop contact naps? You can stop contact napping by taking a few steps. First, create a consistent sleep schedule for naps (and bedtime). Become familiar with and recognize signs of drowsiness in your baby (such as yawning, eye rubbing) and start naptime when you see these behaviors. [...]
How do I help my baby who fights sleep at bedtime? It can be exhausting when your baby puts up a fight to go to sleep at the end of a long day! You are tired, and chances are your baby is too! If your baby fights sleep in the evening, here are a few things to consider. First, there’s a chance [...]
How can my baby learn to connect sleep cycles? A sleep cycle is when the brain cycles from wake through the stages of sleep including non-REM and REM sleep. In little ones sleep cycles are shorter than in adults, ranging from about 45 to 60 minutes for newborns, to around 90 minutes by school-age. [...]
How can my toddler learn to stay in his room at night? Toddlers love to test boundaries and can come in and out of their rooms asking for a drink, a story, to go to the bathroom, to tell you something, etc. We call these “curtain calls.” You can use a technique called the “bedtime pass.” [...]
I’m always awake with my baby – how can I help myself and get more sleep? During the first months of life babies wake regularly at night. So, as a parent, it’s completely normal to experience sleep disturbances and sleep deprivation. Nevertheless, there are a few things that you [...]