Older Toddler Sleep Schedules — Eighteen Months to Two-and-a-Half How much sleep do toddlers need? That is a question that has many answers, and it depends on the age of the toddler. An eighteen month old on average sleeps eleven and a quarter hours at night and two and a quarter hours during one midday…
Toddler Sleep Schedules — Your Thirteen to Eighteen-Month-Old At this age toddlers need an average of 11.25 hours of uninterrupted sleep at night and 2.25 to 2.5 hours of naps during the day. Children at the younger end of this age bracket take two naps, in the morning and afternoon, but by eighteen months most…
Bedtime Routine for Toddlers — Soothing and Predictable For toddlers and preschoolers, the bedtime routine can often be the most challenging part of the day. It means another transition and separation from you, at the same time that everyone in the household is a bit tired and sometimes frazzled from a long day, especially when…
Getting Your Toddler to Stay in Bed at Bedtime and All Night Long As toddlers grow, their bodies and minds need to adjust to the shift of weaning themselves off of naps and appreciating the benefits of a longer night’s sleep. Between the ages of two and three, average toddler sleep needs drop to about…
Early Rising Baby: Tips for When Your Baby is Up Too Early So many babies between six and twelve months are starting to sleep in longer stretches over night. Parents are ecstatic that their baby is “sleeping through the night,” until they wake at the literal crack of dawn. Or perhaps the baby was sleeping…
Naps for Preschoolers: Your 3 and 4-Year-Old Nap Questions, Answered I have received LOTS of questions about naps for preschoolers and late bedtimes for 3 and 4 year-olds. I chose the most wide-reaching to answer here! Late Night Bedtime Cycle Parent Question: My son will be 4 in September and has generally been a great…
Quiet Time for Toddlers — Dropping the Afternoon Nap Dropping the afternoon nap in favor of quiet time can bring a big transition for the whole family. Many families ask about the appropriate age to drop their naps for good. On average children give up their afternoon nap at 4 years old. That being said,…
Toddler Naps: Nap or Not to Nap for My 4 Year Old? A reader wrote in this question about toddler naps: “I am struggling. Does my 4 year old need a nap? On weekdays, she goes to 1/2 day preschool, naps afterwards in her room with dim lights and a sound machine from about 12:45pm…
Baby Nap Basics for All Ages: Your Daytime Sleep Questions Answered Many parents wonder what a ‘typical’ schedule looks like for their child. The truth is that every baby is different, but there are some baby nap basics that work for most children six months and older. If you have a younger child, I would…
Safe Cosleeping: Creating a Safe Environment for your Baby How you choose to sleep is personal, and if you choose to co-sleep, there are a few things you need to know in order to be safe and secure. Parents need to ask themselves a few questions before they make the decision to co-sleep, even if…