Toddler Sleep

Toddler sleep poses unique obstacles as your child’s strong will and personality start to blossom at this age. Joan knows just the trick to help your family sleep better!

Bedtime Changes For Sleep Anxiety

Joan Becker Friedman Baby & Child Health, Common Sleep Challenges, Nighttime Sleep, Toddler Sleep , ,
mother laying with child

“Mommy, lay with me.” 

“Can you hold my hand until I fall asleep?”

“One more hug.”

They’re the sweet bedtime murmurs of your little- or the exhausting demands of a child struggling with sleep anxiety. 

When children show sleep anxiety at bedtime (and they don’t express it during daytime hours) these manifestations- clinginess, procrastination, “one more…”- may be a sign that your child hasn’t mastered the ability to fall asleep independently. These kiddos don’t want you to leave their room because they can’t fall asleep without you. Your child stays on “high alert” each time you try to go. 

Inside your scared sleeper’s body their fears are getting in the way of their sleepiness. 

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Sleep & The Second Time Mom

Casey White Baby Sleep, Motherhood Stories and Experiences, Parenting, Toddler Sleep , , , ,
Sleep & The Second Time Mom

Before I get too far into this post, it feels important to start with: I am not a sleep consultant. I’m just a sleep consultant’s social media manager, which comes with a certain amount of knowledge, but does not in any way make me an expert. I also think it’s fair to give you a heads up- my two-year-old has never been a good sleeper and still does not sleep through the night consistently, so when we brought home our “Tiny” I was determined to do things “better” with sleep the second time around. You’re likely reading this as a parent and know that sometimes all the “better” in the world makes absolutely no difference. And yet, I, like many of you, really like sleep. So, I ventured to do better.

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Recovering From Your Child’s Sleep Disruptions

Joan Becker Friedman Common Sleep Challenges, Nighttime Sleep, Toddler Sleep

When COVID causes nighttime troubles

These years of the pandemic that has disrupted our lives and that of our children. It’s been too long of virtual learning, hybrid learning and in-person learning, for some, all of the above. It’s been challenging to keep track of schedules and maintain flexibility to adapt to the ever-changing COVID guidelines and protocols. Many of us are still in survival mode. You may not be getting much sleep as you try to meet the needs of your kids and the demands of your career and other needs. And your child’s sleep disruptions only make it harder. We can’t help but become a bit lax when it comes to household sleep rules, and now you may be parenting through the results.

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How to Deal With Sleep Regressions

Joan Becker Friedman Baby Sleep, Common Sleep Challenges, Nighttime Sleep, Toddler Sleep ,

Undoubtedly, you’ve heard of sleep regressions. If you’re reading this, chances are you’re experiencing it first hand. The word regression suggests a setback- something abnormal. Unfortunately regressions aren’t abnormal. They are frustrating, exhausting and overwhelming.

Just when you think you have a great sleeper, your great sleeper stops sleeping well. A sleep regression might look like difficulty settling down or falling asleep, nap resistance and night wakings. All of this can lead to overtiredness. In turn, overtiredness can result in fussiness and crankiness. For you and your child. 

Here’s maybe the most important part: sleep regressions usually only last one or two weeks. This will pass.

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Eliminating Naps for Your Preschooler

Joan Becker Friedman Common Sleep Challenges, Naps, Toddler Sleep , , ,

How do you really know when your preschooler is ready to eliminate naps? It’s the first question we have to answer as we head down this path.

While some parents feel their preschooler is ready to go without daytime sleep before the age of three, they’re just not ready before three. Sure, there may be an occasional day when “life” gets in the way and they seem to manage without a nap, but don’t let that fool you into believing they can go nap-less on a regular basis. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 50% of kids are still napping at age four and many still at five.

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Our Favorite Child Sleep Books for DIY Parents

Joan Becker Friedman Baby Sleep, Parenting, Toddler Sleep
child sleep books
It’s a little more complicated than a picture book, but child sleep books can help you sleep train on your own.

If your sink’s garbage disposal breaks- do you call a plumber or type “broken disposal” into YouTube? If you’re a DIY parent, you probably liked the YouTube option. So, when your child isn’t sleeping, we’re guessing you take a similar approach- you maybe even found this article Googling “child sleep books”. We have good news for you! You can absolutely help your child sleep better on your own. As sleep consultants, we are here when you’ve tried as much, or as little, as you want and need more help. Some people love having a guide and human resource, others don’t need that. 

Most of the information you need to sleep train is online or in a book. But as you probably already know, there’s just so much information out there. And one approach can be SO DIFFERENT from the next. It’s especially tough to sort through it all when you’re totally exhausted.

There are hundreds of child sleep books. I have a bookcase that’s full of them. While most sleep books will help you in a safe and science-backed way, some are better than others! Here are our favorites.

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