Typical sleep at this age


Between their second and third birthdays, toddlers need about 11 hours of sleep a night and a single hour-and-a-half to two-hour nap each afternoon. Most children this age go to bed sometime between 7 and 9 p.m. and get up between 6:30 and 8 a.m. But while it may seem that your child's sleep patterns finally resemble yours, she'll continue to spend more time than you do in light REM sleep until she's about 4. The result? Because she'll be making more transitions from one sleep phase to the other, she'll wake up more often than you do. That's why, if you want her to sleep through the night without calling for you, it's important that she learn how to soothe herself back to sleep.
How you can help your child settle and sleep

Now that your child is getting older, you can try a few new techniques to help her get a good night's sleep, including:

• Moving her into a big bed and praising her when she stays in it.
This is the age when your toddler is likely to make the transition to a bed, probably because she'll have outgrown her babyhood cot. The arrival of a new sibling can also prompt the decision; if you're pregnant with a new baby, move your toddler at least six to eight weeks before you're due, say most experts. You want your older child well ensconced in her new bed before she sees the baby taking over her cot. But if the move doesn't go well, it's fine to put it off until the new baby is 3 or 4 months old. The newborn may spend those months sleeping in a Moses basket anyway, and your older child will have time to get used to having a sibling, making the cot-to-bed transition easier. Other reasons to consider making the move include frequent jumping out of the cot and toilet training - your child may need to get up at night to go to the toilet.

Once she's using her new bed, praise your child when she stays in it at bedtime and overnight. After the confinement of her cot, she may get out of her big-girl's bed over and over just because she can. If she gets up, react calmly but firmly. Simply take her back to bed, firmly tell her that it's time to go to sleep, and leave. If she still won't stay in bed, you can try one of several strategies recommended by the top sleep experts - see the approaches to sleep problems section below.

• Anticipating all her requests and including them in your bedtime routine.
Your toddler may start trying to put off bedtime by wheedling for "just one more" - story, song, drink of water. Try to anticipate all of your child's usual (and reasonable) requests and make them part of your bedtime routine. Then, perhaps allow your child one extra request - but make it clear that one is the limit. She'll feel like she's getting her way, but you'll know you're really getting yours.

• Giving her an extra goodnight kiss or tuck-in.
It's okay to promise your child an extra goodnight kiss after you've tucked her in the first time. Tell her you'll be back to check on her in a few minutes. Chances are she'll be fast asleep by the time you return.
Potential pitfalls


If your toddler starts getting up more often when she graduates to a big bed, tuck her back in and bid her a firm goodnight. Other than that, how to handle the situation is a personal decision. To see what the experts suggest, see the approaches to sleep problems section below.

Another widespread sleep problem at this age is resistance to bedtime. Ease or avoid the problem by anticipating and managing your child's before-bed requests. Realistically, though, no toddler will run happily to bed every night, so be prepared for a few struggles. Again, for some ideas that might help, see the next section.

You'll probably notice that your child has some new nighttime worries these days. Being afraid of the dark, monsters under the bed, or separation from you is common in toddlers, so don't be too concerned. Fears are part of your child's normal development. If she starts having nightmares, go to her right away and talk to her about her bad dream while you calm her down; if bad dreams persist, look for sources of anxiety in her daily life. Your child could also suffer from night terrors which are different from nightmares. Most of the experts agree that if your child is truly terrified, it's fine to let her into your bed every once in a while, too.
Approaches to sleep problems


Two of the most common sleep problems for toddlers of all ages are difficulty falling asleep and frequent night wakings. What can you do when your child keeps waking up at night - and you know she's old enough to sleep all the way through? If you want her to sleep through the night without calling for you, the main thing is to make sure she learns how to settle herself back down - by finding her thumb, cuddling a transitional object, or some other way. Most of the experts agree that you should try to avoid letting your child become dependent on external conditions such as music, lighting, and feeding to fall asleep; if she does, she'll need the same things every time she wakes up at night before she can drop off again.