My 2 Year Old is Climbing Out of Bed and Now No One Is Sleeping

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Toddler Sleep Problem

Would you like to have me answer your toddler sleep problem in my next video? If so, scroll down and submit your question in the comment section below. I will pick several questions a month to answer and post them here on the blog! If you would rather read than watch my above video then here is the transcript of this week's toddler sleep problem video: Hi, Kim West, The Sleep Lady and today, I’m going to answer Kat’s question from Australia. Here’s what she wrote in: “My 2-year old boy is finally sleeping through the night and having a 1 or 2-hour nap in the afternoon, something I never thought I would see happen. However, in the last few days, he has been waking in the night climbing out of his cot (or crib) with the sides still up. He leaves the room  he shares with his sister and comes in to our room in the middle of the night. Last night it happened at 1:30, 2:40, 4:15 and again at 5a.m. Each time I had to get out of bed, walk him back to his room, put him back in his cot and sing him to sleep.” (Let’s remember to go back to that sing him to sleep.) “One of those times he came in carrying all three of his favourite softies and said he was scared. I reassured him even though I have to admit,... more

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2 Year Old Sleep Tips

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2 year old sleep

Parents often seem surprised when their babies suddenly morph into little people right around the 2-year mark, complete with ideas of their own, opinions, and lots of attempts at gaining control. It’s a fun age, I promise, but I’ve found that 2 years can also be a time of sleep challenges, especially if you have recently had any major changes, such as moving to a big bed (which I do not generally recommend until age 3, but it happens), a new sibling, starting potty training, and becoming more verbal (and more opinionated). As parents we often have to pick our battles, and sleep is one battle that we need to ensure has definite boundaries. A good night’s sleep (and consistent naps) is key to a happy toddler, which will make day-to-day challenges and developmental changes much easier. Although they are growing fast, toddlers are still, at their core, dependent upon their parents for guidance. They need structure and boundaries, especially when it comes to sleep. If given half a chance, many parents find that their 2-year-old will go to all ends to resist naps, and may even delay nighttime sleep. This sudden sleep resistance may simply be caused by all of this growth. Additionally, many toddlers also begin to... more

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The 18 Month Sleep Regression

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You were sleeping peacefully…and then you hear your toddler. He’s not just rustling around resettling. He’s screaming mad. Literally. As you drag yourself out of bed, you wonder to yourself what’s wrong? What could be causing your toddler sleep problems? Could this be two-year molars? An ear infection? Is he gassy from eating too much broccoli at dinner? Is his newfound walking (or running!) causing this? The answer: It could truly be any of the above. But it could also be yet another sleep regression. If you’ve survived this long without experiencing the four month or pre-toddler sleep regression, you’re lucky. If you have dealt with a sleep regression before (and believe me, you are in the majority here), maybe you remember the signs: • Resistance to Sleep • Waking at night • Reduced naps (or “disaster naps”) • Changes in appetite • Changes in behavior Sound familiar? Maybe you didn’t notice the signs this time, or you breezed through that last growth spurt. But this? This is something different altogether. Why Another Sleep Regression? If you recall, a sleep regression is a period when your baby, who was sleeping through the night (for an eighteen month old, this means 11... more

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Autism and Sleep

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toddler autism and sleep

Every parent deals with sleep troubles at some point. At the least, most children experience at least one sleep regression during their childhood, and this is normal. For families who are affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder, achieving a full-night’s sleep may feel like a never-ending trial. For these families, sleep is not a problem that will likely resolve itself. Autism Spectrum Disorder (or ASD) is a categorical name that covers a series of complex brain development disorders. Interestingly, Autism appears to have its roots in very early brain development. However, the most obvious signs of autism and symptoms of autism tend to emerge between 2 and 3 years of age. With this emergence, often parents are faced with many issues, not the least of which is dealing with sleep. In 2004, the University of Louisville did a sleep survey that included 210 families affected by ASD. The most frequently reported sleep problems included difficulty in falling asleep, restless sleep, not falling asleep in own bed, and frequent awakenings. There is no concrete research to help us understand exactly what causes these sleep disturbances, but some (including the previously mentioned study) have hypothesized a probable source,... more

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My 13 Month Old Won’t Go Back to Sleep During the Night Without a Bottle

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Toddler Sleep Problem

Would you like to have me answer your baby sleep or toddler sleep problem in my next video? If so, scroll down and submit your question in the comment section below. I will pick several questions a month to answer and post them here on the blog! If you would rather read than watch my above video then here is the transcript of this week's toddler sleep problem video: Hi, Kim West, The Sleep Lady and today, I’m going to answer Sarah’s question. This is what she wrote in: “Our 13-month old has only slept through the night five times since birth. He now wakes once during the night and anywhere between 1 and 4:30 a.m. and will not go back down without having a bottle. He then wakes up between 4:30 and 6 a.m. and needs either another bottle or to get in bed with us to go back to sleep until 7 or 7:30 a.m. He takes two one hour naps a day and he goes to bed between 7 and 7:30. We give him a bottle at bedtime and he goes to bed awake. He doesn’t have bottles during the day anymore and we’ve been working to make sure he gets plenty of calories and nutritionally dense food during the day to make sure he’s not hungry at night. I don’t know if needing the bottle in the night is a habit or because he’s truly... more

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Toddler Sleep Problem: How Do I Wean My Toddler Off Their Pacifier?

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how-do-i-wean-my-toddler-off-their-pacifier

Would you like to have me answer your toddler sleep problem in my next video? If so, scroll down and submit your question in the comment section below. I will pick several questions a month to answer and post them here on the blog! If you would rather read than watch my above video then here is the transcript of this week's toddler sleep problem video: Hi, Kim West, the Sleep Lady and today, I’m going to answer this mom’s question. She wrote in and said:  “My boy is 17 months old. He’s great about taking a nap during the day and goes to bed very well around 8pm every single night sleeping until 7am in the morning.” (Great news) “He sleeps with his blanket and bear and I only let him have binkies at night and at naps. He always wants two binkies, one to hold in his hand and one in his mouth. I think he uses one as a lovey and I would really like to break him of it. It falls out of his mouth and it knocks out of his crib while he’s sleeping and then he wakes up because he can’t find it. We end up going in to get it for him off the floor sometimes to 2-3 times a night. I’d really like to get rid of the binkie altogether and help him just love his bear and blanket. Any suggestions that will help... more

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Toddler Sleep Problems: Are Napping Difficulties at Childcare Causing My Child to Wake at 4am?

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Toddler Sleep Problem

Would you like to have me answer your toddler sleep problem in my next video? If so, scroll down and submit your question in the comment section below. I will pick several questions a month to answer and post them here on the blog! If you would rather read than watch my above video then here is the transcript of this week's toddler sleep problem video: Hi, Kim West, the Sleep Lady, and today I’m going to answer Dana’s question. Dana emailed in with this email: “Hi, I have a 16-month-old son who’s been having sleep issues a lot lately. Ever since he transitioned to one nap because he moved up to the toddler room at daycare, he naps about an hour-and-a-half to two hours starting at 11:30am. He goes to bed between 6:00 and 6:30pm but he’s been waking up at 6:00 and today it was 4:00. I let him cry and fuss until 6:00am but it’s disruptive on my sleep, my husband and my 10-year-old stepdaughter to have my son crying for two hours non-stop. When I do go get him, he wants to drink milk and he has a dirty diaper; however, even if I just went in there to feed and change him, he stays awake. He did it the other day after waking at 4:00am being given milk and being changed. The past weekend, I put him... more

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Toddler Sleep Problems: My 15 Month Old Cries to Hold My Hand to Sleep- video

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Toddler-Sleep-Problems-My-15-Month-Old-Cries-to-Hold-My-Hand-to-Sleep-video

Would you like to have me answer your toddler sleep problem in my next video? If so, scroll down and submit your question in the comment section below. I will pick several questions a month to answer and post them here on the blog! If you would rather read than watch my above video then here is the transcript of this week's toddler sleep problem video: Hi, Kim West, The Sleep Lady and today I’m going to answer Sarah’s question. This is what she wrote in: “Shortly after birth, my daughter Lacy began holding my hand during nursing and when going to sleep. Foolishly, I gave her my hand and by now at 15 months old, she depends on me holding her hand when falling asleep three times a day. When she realizes my hand isn’t there anymore, she wakes up almost immediately crying for me and my hand. We have always tried to encourage a doll at bedtime but in the end the doll just doesn’t mean anything. She wants my hand. I put stuffed animals around the house and blankets next to her on the crib in hopes that she’ll attach to something other than my hand. How do I get her to have any interest in a lovey? The hand thing is not working anymore for my tired family. Please help me with this toddler sleep problem.... more

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Toddler Sleep Problems: Power Struggles

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toddler sleep problem

Written by Gentle Sleep Coach Tracy Spackman I often feel like I'm doing "Creative Parenting". I have 5 children and I found that I need to frequently mix up my method to keep it working when it comes to getting the kids to do what I want them to do. My 9 year old was taking hours to get 20 minutes of dishes done and this happens a lot. This day she had a friend over and the dishes were not happening. She would dance, laugh, sing, perform, touch a dish but not actually do anything about them while staying in the kitchen "doing the dishes". So my latest big idea was this..."Fine, Chloe I will do the dishes and you can sit on this hard wooden stool and watch. Your friend can sit over there. No talking." Then I started to wash the dishes as slowly as a turtle. After about 10 minutes (I washed the worst dishes first so not many got done but the ones I cared about the most did...) and she finally says..."Stop! I will wash the dishes!" It was torture to her to not be able to play with her friend until they were done and I was doing them soooo slowly. She did them super-fast and went to play. Mission accomplished. Now when I ask her if she wants to watch me do her job she says "No Way".  I didn’t find that method in a... more

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Toddler Sleep Problem: My 15 Month Old Continues to Wake During the Night for a Bottle!

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toddler sleep problem night waking

Would you like to have me answer your toddler sleep problem in my next video? If so, scroll down and submit your question in the comment section below. I will pick several questions a month to answer and post them here on the blog! If you would rather read than watch my above video then here is the transcript of this week's toddler sleep problem video: Hi, Kim West, The Sleep Lady and today, I’m going to answer this mom’s question. She wrote in the following: “My daughter is 15 months old and was born premature at 31 weeks.” (So, I’m going to consider her about 13 months.) “We’ve had some problems getting her to sleep at night since she was born. She still wakes up several times during the night and when she wakes up crying, I give her a bottle and once she’s done, I lay her back in her crib to fall asleep. I first put her down at 7:30p.m. This is after her set bedtime routine of bath, bottle and brush teeth. Once asleep, she will sleep until 12:30a.m. which is then followed up by her waking up every few hours until she’s up for the day at 6:30 a.m. When she’s home, she takes a two-hour nap around 9 and then a 45-minute nap around 3. I’m not sure what she does when she’s at daycare. They... more

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