My Toddler Was a Great Sleeper as a Baby. What Happened?
One of the most frustrating (and humbling) things as a parent is when your once great sleeper all of a sudden starts to struggle with sleep as a toddler. You thought you were on the right track. You did everything “right” when they were a baby. Followed wake windows, set up the perfect sleep environment, had the bedtime routine down to a science. Then the toddler bed or a new sibling or potty training or starting school entered the chat. And all of those things that you had been doing for two or three years were all of a sudden not working, and your toddler will not sleep. Not only is this a frustrating stage to be in, but it can also feel so lonely and isolating. Baby sleep struggles are constantly talked about. I’m betting that when you were pregnant, you heard, “Get sleep now before the baby comes,” or, “When the baby’s here, be sure to sleep while the baby sleeps,” no less than 10 times. You were expecting baby sleep to be hard. But toddler sleep? No one warned you about that one. People don’t talk about it as much (or if they do, everyone has a different opinion on how it should be solved). So let me be the one to tell you, this feels hard because it is hard. Toddler sleep is a whole different ball game than baby sleep. I hope this blog helps you feel a little less alone and helps you understand why this stage feels so overwhelming.
Why Toddlerhood Changes the Sleep Game
Toddlerhood is such a magical time, but it is also a time full of developmental leaps, language explosions, growing independence, new fears and anxieties, and lots of opinions! It’s also the age where their feelings are getting bigger, but they don’t have all of the tools to process them yet. And they’re realizing that their actions can get a response. Their growing independence often shows up at bedtime, and it tends to ramp up fast once the crib-to-toddler bed transition gives them the literal freedom to get up and test those new boundaries. And they know that protesting long enough or coming up with all of the bedtime stalling excuses might just work. They know that protesting long enough or coming up with all of the bedtime stalling excuses might just work.
So What Actually Helps?
Understanding the toddler brain can help you navigate toddler bedtime. Toddlers thrive on consistency, predictability, and feeling like they have some sort of control. Unlike babies, they understand what is happening and need to feel like they are a part of the team with mom and dad. They need to feel like they are a part of the sleep process, not like it is something being done to them. A clear, consistent approach with lots of prep work upfront works with the toddler brain, instead of against it. Just because the sleep techniques that worked at six months aren’t working at two or three years old, doesn’t mean you won’t ever get your good sleeper back. You just need a different approach.
That’s where I come in. As a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant who specializes in toddler sleep, I create custom sleep plans built around how the toddler brain actually works. Whether you're in the middle of the crib-to-toddler bed transition, welcoming a new sibling, working through separation anxiety, or something else, every toddler plan also comes with a custom Ready, Set, Sleep Prep Plan™ to prepare your little one mentally, emotionally, and physically for the sleep changes to come, so that when we get to the sleep training, they know exactly what to expect. If you’re ready to have your great sleeper back, I’d love to help! Book your free 15-minute discovery call.
