Fortunately, we have tips! Check out our nightmare and night terror series. However, they can be really tough on sleep (your toddler’s AND yours!). Nightmares and night terrors are very, very common during the toddler years. ![]() Remember that budding imagination I mentioned earlier, that causes nighttime fear and anxiety? Well, it also causes nightmares (and, for some toddlers, night terrors). For help with finding the ideal bedtime for your toddler, check out our free custom schedule maker. So if your toddler’s nap ends at 3:30, you’re looking at an 8:30 bedtime. Toddlers who still take one afternoon nap, for example, need a full 5 hours of wake time between the end of the nap and bedtime. If your toddler still naps, then you may actually need a later bedtime, as opposed to an earlier bedtime. Oh, man – I think all of us have dealt with this one! The clock says bedtime, you’ve gone through the bedtime routine….but your toddler is showing NO signs of being ready to sleep! This is a very common problem during toddlerhood, and it has to do with your toddler’s schedule. For more insights into why your child has nighttime fears, as well as how you can help alleviate those fears, check out this helpful article about nighttime phobias. Your toddler has a budding imagination, which is great! But that budding imagination can create bedtime fears, which in turn can make bedtime an anxious time. For help with separation anxiety, take a look at this article on How To Handle Separation Anxiety and Sleep. But it can be a real problem at bedtime and nap time. ![]() Separation anxiety on its own is bad enough (because it is just plain heartbreaking to have to leave a sobbing baby at daycare drop-off!). However, many parents see a resurgence around 18 months and then again around 2 years of age. Separation anxiety first surfaces during babyhood, around 8-9 months. To deal with bedtime stalling, check out the tips and techniques in our article, 5 Gentle Techniques for Managing Toddler Bedtime Stalling. Just one more drink, just one more book, just one more kiss for all 50 of her stuffed animal friends….you get the idea! Take heart, though – while this is a very frustrating problem, it’s also incredibly common. Some toddlers are practically professional bedtime stallers. To deal with this, you can use the tips in our nap transition article, available to our Baby Sleep Site® VIP Members Area subscribers. Many toddlers will have short, late, or skipped naps during the transition phase, which can lead to overtired crankiness and bedtime drama. These nap transitions can take quite a toll. There are several big nap transitions during toddlerhood! Your toddler will transition from two naps to one nap at around 15-18 months, and then your toddler will be done napping somewhere between 3 and 4 years of age. If your toddler can get a reaction out of you, he’s more likely to repeat the behavior. Don’t engage, or let your child see you upset. Do what we call the “silent return to bed.” EVERY time your child gets up, calmly and quietly return him to bed. For some toddlers, though, this problem is incredibly persistent! To deal with this, simply out-persistent your persistent child. ![]() Your toddler will spring out of bed, and you’ll have to tuck him back in. Once your toddler is out of his crib and into a big-kid bed, you’ll most likely have at least a little bit of what we call jack-in-the-box behavior. 9 Common Toddler Sleep Problems (And How To Cope With Them) Keep reading to learn the top 9 toddler sleep problems, and how to cope. That’s why it’s key to know what kinds of toddler sleep issues you may be facing as your baby enters the toddler years. Here’s something else: while some sleep problems are universal, regardless of your baby’s age, other sleep problems are unique to toddlerhood. After working with over 40,000 families, we’ve learned that’s simply not true! Yes, some babies will outgrow their sleep problems, but far more babies who take short naps and wake often at night simply grow into toddlers who take short naps and wake often at night. Here’s a myth that needs to be debunked: sleep problems go away when babies grow into toddlers.
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