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 [...]
Is it okay to give my toddler (12 months to 36 months) melatonin? We do not recommend giving melatonin to toddlers and there is little rigorous evidence that it helps children this young. Most toddlers who cannot get to sleep at the start of the night (the time when melatonin has the best effect), [...]
Can I keep breastfeeding and do sleep training at the same time? Nursing is definitely compatible with sleep training. Breastfeeding is one of the best things you can do for your baby. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for the first year of life, but any amount of time you [...]
How do I transition him from sleeping in a swing to sleeping in a crib? Whenever you want to teach your baby how to sleep through the night in a specific spot (say, the crib), the key is to help him learn to fall asleep there at bedtime – even if it’s just for one moment on his own at bedtime [...]
How can I do sleep training with as little crying as possible? All parents and caregivers hope to teach their little ones to sleep through the night with as little crying as possible. There are a few things you can do to help that, but the most important thing is that you go at your own pace and [...]
My toddler keeps standing up in the crib – what can I do? At around 9 months, little ones often start standing up in their cribs and sometimes they don’t know how to get down. If this happens at bedtime, help her get down a few times so she knows how, but then simply let her work it out on her [...]
She still cries after weeks of sleep training – help! That can be incredibly frustrating! If that is happening, it’s good to check in on a few things. First, be sure that you are being as consistent as possible. Behavior change and intervention is tough, and we know that things can get worse [...]
Why doesn’t my baby sleep well? If your baby doesn’t sleep well, think about two main things: your baby herself and the environment around her. Regarding your baby, think about whether or not there is anything bothering her physically that could be disrupting her sleep. For instance, she might [...]
How can I relax as much as possible during sleep training? Make a plan, go with your gut, and call in reinforcements! Listening to your baby cry at bedtime while you’re doing sleep training is tough. So – what do you do? You know that you want to go in there to check on her and pick her up, but [...]
What can I do if sleep training is overwhelming? Sleep training might mean a lot of change for a family – and that can be incredibly overwhelming. If you don’t feel like you and your family can fully jump into sleep training, just choose one thing to change about bedtime. For example, you can [...]