Just when I thought my daughter’s sleep routine was getting ‘predictable’ … it changed. My girl is now 14 months old and seems to be sleeping longer in the morning (high five!), dropping her morning nap (darn!), but still clearly needing it. From babies to infants to toddlers … sleep patterns are always changing. Luckily for us, one of our resident sleep experts Brenda McSween from Parenting Foundations came to the rescue and answered our questions about toddler sleep and tips for improving it.
1. How much sleep does a 1-2 year old need?
A 1- 2 year old needs 12 to 13 hours of sleep. This includes daytime and night sleep. A well-rested child will have at 10 to 12 hours of sleep at night.
2. When do they give up their first nap?
This is a tricky question as all children are different. The average age that a child drops from 2 naps to 1 nap is about 14 to 16 months. If your child does not appear tired for their first nap and he/she seems to stay awake for a while playing in the crib it is time to move to one nap.
3. What is the right time to put your child to bed?
The perfect bedtime for a 1 to 2 year old child is between 7 and 8pm. An early bedtime actually increases the likelihood that your child will sleep through the night. An overtired child wakes up several times during the night.
4. What time should my child be waking up?
I suggest a wake up time of 7am. Now, not all infants/toddlers agree with me. Some wake up before 6 and some sleep until 8. Personally, I refuse to get up before 6am. My son has gone through times when he has been awake at 5:30am and then he stays in his crib where he is safe until 6am. He usually wakes up just before 7am.
If your child is waking up at 5:30 am or earlier it is a strong indication that they need an earlier bedtime. The first thing I would suggest is putting your child to sleep at least 15 minutes earlier.
5. I still feed (bottle/breast) to sleep, what do you suggest to do to stop?
I would suggest that you keep your child awake during the feed. A simple move of the feed to the beginning of the bedtime routine can be helpful as well. This will reduce the feed to sleep association that some children develop. This means that when they wake up they feel they need a feed to go back to sleep. Once you remove the feed to sleep association children learn to soothe themselves back to sleep.
6. Moving from a co-sleeping environment to their own crib/bed, when and how?
There is no set age for when children should move into their own sleep environment. I firmly believe this is a personal decision. The best way to move a child to their own setting is in a slow transition with support from their parent(s).
7. At what age should my toddler be in a “real” bed?
I personally believe in a child staying in the crib until they are close to three years of age or no longer safe in the crib. A child is no longer safe in the crib if they are climbing out of the crib in an unsafe manner and preventative measures do not keep them in the crib. For example: my son is 2.5years old and he wears a sleep sack backwards while he is in the crib. This slows him down and he is unable to climb out of the crib.
Here is a blog post that I wrote that will help if you are considering a transition from crib to bed: http://parentingfoundations.net/tips-tricks-moving-crib-big-bed/
8. Do you believe in the Cry It Out method? What Method do you use?
I am not a believer in the Cry it Out method. I believe in a gentle approach to teaching children how to sleep. That being said most children do cry when they experience change. I strive to reduce the crying as much as possible.
9. My child is not sleeping through the night how can you help?
As a Certified Sleep Consultant, I would work with your family to identify any issues or sleep props that are affecting your child’s ability to sleep. I then develop a personalized sleep plan that you follow with my support over a 2 week period.
Before implementing your plan we will have a 90 minute conversation about sleep, sleep cycles, and your sleep plan. When you implement your plan I will support you with 4 phone calls (15 minutes each) and unlimited email during the first week. Then the second week consists mainly of email follow up.
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If you would like more information on sleep for any age you can find Brenda McSween owner of Parenting Foundations you can check her website at:
http://parentingfoundations.net/what-is-a-sleep-consultant-what-can-a-sleep-consultant-do-for-me-2/
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Need help getting my 3 year old to bed.