The Baby & Toddler Sleep Podcast with Chasing Sweet Dreams Erin McCormick

For parents of toddlers/preschoolers, the idea of giving up naps can be daunting. However, there are some tips and tricks that can make the process a little bit easier. In fact, many children transition to something that is commonly referred to as a quiet time for toddlers/preschoolers.

These periods of quiet time are particularly essential to those children who still have ‘nap days’. This often occurs when your child is transitioning out of afternoon naps, but may actually ask for, or show tired signs — which indicate they need a nap — a few days a week. It’s actually quite common for preschoolers to need afternoon sleep two or three days a week just to recuperate and be their happy selves. Quiet time is not only beneficial for kids it also gives parents a much-needed midday break. 



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“Child Won’t Sleep? Start Here!” free guide 

Sleep Timing and Quantity Chart 

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The drive to sleep is biological, but the way we sleep is a learned habit.  All humans wake in the night.  Babies who were held, fed, or rocked to sleep at bedtime, will ask for this same help when they surface from sleep in the night.   To be an independent sleeper, go down without help, and sleep 11 + hours through the night, your child needs to be at least 4 months of age and have this important skill.



Mentions: 

“Child Won’t Sleep? Start Here!” free guide 

Sleep Timing and Quantity Chart 

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The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that your baby should not sleep with a blanket until 12 months of age.  This is part of the Safe Sleep campaign to prevent the incidents of SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. This campaign also discourages the use of bumper pads in the crib and the use of pillows until age 2.

Even just using a blanket on the lower half of her body is not safe as she could kick the blanket onto her face.  The risks of having a blanket in the crib with a young baby are suffocation and strangulation. 

Is it safe for a baby to sleep with a blanket?

Mentions: 

“Child Won’t Sleep? Start Here!” free guide 

Sleep Timing and Quantity Chart 

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Your baby needs self-soothing skills to sleep through the night. This is the ability to relax down so she can drift into sleep.  She’ll need these skills again when she surfaces from a sleep cycle in the night, as all humans do.

When you do “sleep training” aka "sleep teaching" you are removing your baby’s favorite sleep crutch so that she can develop self-soothing skills.

Mentions: 

“Child Won’t Sleep? Start Here!” free guide 

Sleep Timing and Quantity Chart 

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What You Need To Know About Sleep Training vs Sleep Teaching
What you need to know about sleep training?
Us Moms.... we've been keeping each other down by using the term  "sleep training."

We’re all desperate for easy sleep.  Consumed by the idea that getting your baby to sleep should be this easy, natural, instinctual thing.  I know because when I was going through this, I thought this too.  I didn’t think I’d have to work at getting my baby to sleep and I thought I could do it without any tears. I mean.. .he seemed to have a feeding and fall back asleep so easily those first few weeks… wouldn’t that just continue?  (Spoiler:  it doesn’t always)

The demand for easy sleep has developed a market of unsafe products.  Products such as the Fisher-Price Rock and Play which was never marketed for “sleep” but was recalled due to over 30 infant deaths or the Doc a Tot which is not approved for safe sleep according to the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines.



Mentions: 

“Child Won’t Sleep? Start Here!” free guide 

Sleep Timing and Quantity Chart 

CSD Socials

Instagram 

Facebook

The first signs of teething arrive around 4 months when your baby will start drooling like Niagara Falls and be constantly shoving her hands in her mouth.

When I saw these signs, I was excited and proud that a tooth was coming! And then I waited and waited and waited….

My anticipation was a rookie mistake, as most kids will drool like that for about 2 months until the first tooth actually materializes, generally around 6 months.

Chronic Teething vs Acute Teething
There are large variations in tooth appearance related to your genetics, but most of us will overestimate the arrival of that first tooth, which will be the bottom middle teeth aka lower central incisors. I refer to this stage of teething as chronic teething, when we are waiting, seeing all that drool and have no rewards.

Acute teething occurs when the tooth is piercing through the gums. This is the most painful part of teething and usually, lasts 1-2 days. It’s a hard diagnosis to make since you can’t be 100% sure that the pain / poor sleeping is related to teething until the tooth pierces through the gum and you can see it, and by then the pain is receding.  It is a hindsight diagnosis.


“Child Won’t Sleep? Start Here!” free guide 

Sleep Timing and Quantity Chart 

CSD Socials

Instagram 

Facebook