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 [...]
My preschooler worries about the coronavirus around bedtime – how can I help her relax? As much as is possible, stick to your usual bedtime routines. Consistency and familiarity breeds comfort and helps with relaxing. You know your child. You already know the things that help her relax. Start [...]
How do I talk to my children about the coronavirus? Young children typically look to their parents in novel situations to gauge when something is safe, or not. Start by doing the best you can to be calm, even if you don’t feel that way on the inside. As much as is possible, develop a daily [...]
How do I get her to sleep through the night? What you probably mean is how you can help her to go through the night without needing help to get back to sleep. Waking up during the night is completely normal – we all do it! The problem is usually when she wakes during the night but cannot get back [...]
My toddler is afraid of the dark. What can I do? Being afraid of the dark is incredibly common for toddlers and preschool-aged children. It is also normal for you to give some reassurance to your little one when he is afraid. Be careful, though, not to provide too much attention or reassurance to [...]
What are sleep terrors? Sleep terrors can be very scary for you to watch, but be assured that little ones have no memory of them – so it’s not at all scary for them. Sleep terrors occur during the first half of the night (about 90 minutes to 3 hours after they fell asleep) when your child is in [...]
How much should my preschooler be sleeping? Sleep varies quite a bit for children 2- to 5-years-old. And it can be tricky to figure out just how much sleep your little one needs. Overall, preschoolers probably need between 10 and 13 hours of sleep per day (across the naps and overnight sleep). Some [...]
Will he sleep better at night if he does not nap? No, your little one won’t sleep better if he skips a nap. Children between about 1- and 3-years-old biologically need sleep twice per day: overnight and a nap during the day. If you take away your little one’s nap, it may actually be harder for [...]
Does white noise help sleep? Providing white noise with something like a white noise machine or a fan can help little ones fall asleep more quickly and wake less frequently. If you have a machine that you can change the volume, aim for about 75 decibels. Using white noise may be particularly [...]