With the holidays quickly approaching, I'm sure many of you are wondering what you should do, if anything, with your baby's schedule and sleep. It can be tricky when you travel or need to be at a family event during a nap time (our extended family Thanksgiving "dinner" is at 2 p.m., for example). Depending on your baby's personality and temperament, some babies will be fine with an "off" schedule for one day. They may be a bit overtired, maybe have a little rougher night's sleep, but get back on
toddler sleep
What Do Babies and Toddlers Sleep In?
A client e-mailed me within the last couple of weeks with what she thought was a "silly" question, but it was a good question. She wanted to know what her toddler should sleep in after a sleep sack and wanted to know when a toddler can/will keep a blanket on. This article will talk about what babies and toddlers sleep in at various ages. It is probably rare that babies are not dressed warm enough as we, new parents, are overly worried our babies will be cold. But, babies can be dressed TOO
Why Not All 12 Month Olds Transition to One Nap
As your baby approaches her first birthday, most parents are beginning to wonder when it's time to transition to one nap. How will you know when it's time? Don't all 12 month olds take just one nap? Actually, they don't. It surprised me when I was a new mom, too, but the average age for a toddler to transition to one nap is actually between 15 and 18 months. They take just one nap until between 3 and 4 years old, on average, before they stop napping all together. This article will review the
What to Read When Your Toddler’s Sleep Problems Are Driving You Crazy?
Did you know that the best age to transition your toddler to one nap is between 15 and 18 months? Trying when your baby is too young, even around 12 months, can actually lead to overnight sleep disruptions and early morning waking. If you can't imagine how you'll ever know what to do to handle these various toddler sleep challenges, rest easy! Help is here! Introducing The 5-Step System to Better Toddler Sleep, my new, comprehensive toddler sleep book that will help you solve all of the
5 Child Proofing Tips for Your Toddler’s Room
When you start to think about transitioning your toddler to a big-boy or big-girl bed, toddler proofing comes to mind because one of the scarier things is the trouble they can get into when they are in their room alone and not sleeping. If toddler proofing doesn't come to mind, it should. Between 1990 and 2007, in the U.S., about 15,000 children each year visited the ER from furniture-tipping injuries and about 300 died each year. :( Up until now, many of your babies have been in a crib,
How Long to Cry It Out (CIO)
This topic "How long to cry it out?" has come up a few times in the last few weeks in one way or another, so I thought I'd talk about it this week. I always preface any discussion about cry it out by making sure that everyone understands that I'm not a "Cry It Out Pusher" and I'm very much NOT an extremist or a hard-core "sleep trainer". I try to be realistic and just know that all babies are different and all family structures are different and what works for one won't work for everyone. I even
16 Limit Setting Tips for Your Toddler or Preschooler
This article will outline tips for limit setting with your toddler or preschooler. Although I will use sleep in some of the examples, the tips can be used outside of sleep, too. Because my first son is very persistent, I have had to learn early ways to set limits. In general, the most important thing you can do is focus on the positive things your toddler or preschooler does. Always give positive reinforcement about what he is doing RIGHT to encourage repeat behavior. Sticker charts are good
Toddler Night Waking
Many parents with babies who are troubled sleepers figure the baby will outgrow the issue. Some do, but many simply don't. If your 4 month old is waking up a lot at night, you might think it's normal. But, when she is 12 months, 18 months or 2 years old and now a toddler, you're wondering just when she might outgrow this night waking problem or if she will at all. There are a number of reasons why toddlers wake up at night. This article will outline a few main reasons: Night Waking by
10 Toddler Sticker Chart Tips
When it comes to encouraging a toddler or preschooler to do something you want them to do (like stay in bed during the transition to a "big boy/girl bed"), some will find a sticker chart as a good positive reinforcement tool. Rather than jump to punitive methods such as timeout or taking away privileges, using positive reinforcement to encourage behavior can be much more effective. Your child's temperament and personality will be a factor in how effective a sticker chart is. The use of a