Toddler Sleep Problems

An article very close to our heart at the moment with the release of our new Good Night, Sleep Tight Reward chart .  "Toddler Sleep Problems" by Dr Denise Duval, PhD, LCSW discusses how common it is  to see sleep problems in toddlers. Dr Duval is a children's issues expert who helps children make meaning of their experiences in order to work through what troubles them. Dr. Duval also helps parents better understand their children.

It is not uncommon to see sleep problems in toddlers. For some toddlers, getting them to bed is the issue. For others, it is keeping them in bed. Some toddlers fall asleep and stay asleep...as long as they are in their parents' bed. All of these scenarios can be challenging for parents and children.

First and foremost, it is important to try and understand what is behind the toddler sleep issues. When children's sleep is frequently dysregulated, this suggests there is something going on with them physically or emotionally. They may not be able to verbalize how they feel but their behavior is speaking for them.

There are myriad reasons why toddlers experience sleeping problems, including:

• Physical health problems, illness (e.g., earache, toothache, allergies, swollen glands, problems with elimination)
• Recent transitions (e.g., starting daycare/school, moving, room change)
• Change in the family dynamics (e.g., birth of a sibling, relative moving into the home, sibling with a disability, physical or behavioral problem)
• Family stressors (e.g., parental chronic illness, taking care of an sick relative, employment issues, financial concerns)
• Parental relationship problems (e.g., divorce, separation, marital discord)
• Parental mood and behaviors (e.g., anger, frustration, sadness, fear, worry, anxiety; withdrawal, aggression, substance use, excessive absence from the home)
• Death (e.g., death of a loved one or pet)
• Loss (e.g., friend moving away, loss of favorite blanket, toy or pacifier)

It makes sense that if children are experiencing a physical problem, they might be uncomfortable and have trouble sleeping. However, children's emotional states also have a significant impact on their regulatory capacity and can, thus, cause disruptions in sleep.

Often, when children are experiencing sleep problems, they report having bad dreams or being afraid of monsters and ghosts. Fantasy and imagination are not always clearly separated in toddlerhood and ghosts, monsters, and witches appear under the bed, in closets, and in dreams as symbolic representations of what worries children in reality. Transitions, loss, death or significant change can be confusing for toddlers; they may not understand these changes or have the words to describe their confusion. Further, children are very intuitive and pick up on the emotional environment surrounding them. Despite parents' best efforts, children are very attuned to their parents' moods and may feel worried, anxious, scared, sad, or angry when they sense something wrong with their parents. Some children even feel guilty, imagine that they are responsible for their parents' feelings and behaviors, and believe they must be "bad." Ghosts and monsters become the representatives of these confusing and frightening feelings. Needless to say, all of these feelings and attached symbolic fears can weigh heavily on children and contribute to toddler sleep problems.

What is important to help manage sleeping problems in toddlers is to understand the possible root causes. Once the potential reasons affecting toddler sleep are uncovered, they can be talked about and work through (i.e., children's feelings can be acknowledged, explored, and empathy and reassurance can be repeatedly provided). Parental issues can also be routinely examined and better managed so they are not projected onto the children.

Awareness of underlying problems is the first step to alleviating toddler sleep issues. Sometimes, simply bringing the underlying issues to awareness and processing related feelings in a supportive, calm environment is enough to help get children back on track with sleep. Sometimes, a little more structure and guidance is needed.

Click here to contact Dr Duval from Child Therapy Chicago. The Victoria Chart Company have recently launched their new Good Night, Sleep Tight Reward Chart which has been developed to help parents create a good bedtime routine for their children.  It has been launched in both UK and US last month and is receiving a positive response from families, sleep consultants and health professionals. Join us on facebook to stay up to date with coupons and offers

A Child Sleep Disorder Can Cause Educational Interference

An article from Reference Education Center details how important it is for everyone to get a good nights sleep....

Many children have sleep disorders that interrupt their lives, and those of their parents and siblings as well. A child sleep disorder can make life very difficult and interfere with the necessities of life. Parents who worry about the child sleep disorders in their family might rest assured that they are not alone. Many parents face similar problems. One of the main child sleep disorders that parents face is a child cannot sleep through the night. Most parents do not want their child to be awake in the middle of the night by themselves so this problem can affect their sleep as well.

The problems with some children are just part of their makeup because they do not sleep well through the night. Adults and children have sleep cycles that go between deep sleep and light sleep. The deep sleep cycle is when a person dreams. During the light sleep cycle, the child is more likely to wake up. Since each person goes through several of these cycles during the night, there are several times during the night when the child sleep disorder might occur. Infants do not usually sleep through the night for some time. These small babies have a light sleep cycle every fifty minutes. Parents of infants all know that this is the case, and they work to get their child on the proper sleep cycle.

A Child Sleep Disorder Can Interrupt the Necessary Amount of Sleep

Children need much more sleep than their parents although sometimes they want to stay up as long as their parents stay awake. A child in school needs between nine and twelve hours of sleep every night. They need at least nine hours to be ready to participate properly in school activities. There are many children who do not get this amount of sleep, and many of these do not do as well in school because of this. Children who are getting enough sleep will wake up easily. All parents who have trouble getting their children to wake up should know that their children need more sleep.

Children should also be able to fall asleep quickly. If they toss and turn for more than thirty minutes before they fall asleep, there is some kind of a problem. Children should be able to stay awake throughout the day if they are getting enough, proper sleep at night. There is information that a substantial number of children are not alert at school and that their drowsiness interferes with their education to some extent.


Today, The Victoria Chart Company™ is internationally recognized and is a specialist in creating products for positive development in children including the latest Good Night, Sleep Tight chart. The reward charts are used to build up a child's self-esteem, helping children become confident and, most importantly, proud of their progress.    Visit us at http://www.VictoriaChartCompany.com/  or http://www.victoriachartcompany.co.uk/ and stay up to date with parenting tips, free downloads  and coupons by joining us at www.facebook.com/VictoriaChartCompany or http://www.facebook.com/VictoriaChartCompanyUK