Okay guys, we are filming
about the two year sleep regression.
And the question is, I think.
Is your toddler suddenly refusing to take their day nap?
Taking forever to settle or needing active settling
all of a sudden to go off to sleep?
If they are, it's likely you are experiencing
the two year sleep regression.
Today, I'll be answering your sleep question,
my toddler is refusing to nap,
how can I get them to sleep again?
Hi there, I'm Jenna, one of the sleep experts
at Little Ones and mother to two beautiful children
with one more on the way.
We are certified baby sleep specialists
and have helped over 200,000 families just like yours
overcome their baby's sleep challenges.
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as soon as we publish a new video.
Also make sure to check out the description below
where you'll find more information and resources
about your toddlers sleep, sleep regressions
and case studies that can help you understand
what might be going on for your little one during this time.
We also love to hear from you.
At this age, it's a lot of trial and error
so share with us in the comments below your own experiences
with your toddlers sleep, how their naps are going,
or how long they're having at this stage
in your sleep journey
so that we can learn from each other's experiences.
So if your toddler is approaching two years of age
and suddenly starts to resist their nap,
it's likely due to the two year sleep regression.
For more detailed information on this regression
in particular, we have a fantastic article
linked in the description below
and it's well worth checking out.
The great news is, this regression is only temporary
and it does pass.
It's also not an indication
that your toddler is ready to drop their nap altogether
as they'll quickly get overtired without it.
Most often, a small tweak will make the world of difference
and it can be as simple as adjusting their wake up time
or nap start time to get things back on track.
So how can I get my toddler to sleep again?
Make sure they're having enough awake time before their nap.
If they've been sleeping past 7AM
and going down for their nap at 12:30,
it's likely they just aren't tired enough to nap
or settle well.
You can either start waking them no later than seven
or push their nap out to one or 1:30
if you prefer a later day.
Keep in mind it might take a bit of trial and error
to find the sweet spot,
Use of our nap tracker within the app can be really helpful
so that you can log what time they woke up,
or what time you woke them,
and what time you put them down for their nap,
keeping track of what works or what didn't
so that you know where to make changes.
An active morning can also really help.
So heading out to a playground, swimming pool, a bike ride
or scootering around the neighborhood
to really burn off that energy
and ensure that they are ready for sleep.
Continue to offer the nap in their cot at home.
Make sure the sleep environment is spot on.
Think sleeping bag, cuddly, dark room, white noise.
Keep things as consistent as you can
so that they have the best opportunity to nap well.
As tempting as it can be,
particularly if new siblings are arriving,
now is not the time to move them into a toddler bed.
It can seem like they're absolutely hating their cot.
They might be standing up, throwing their cuddly out,
possibly even attempting to climb out.
Try adjusting the wake up time and nap start time first
and unless you have to, for safety reasons,
stick with the cot through this regression.
It's most likely just a case of them not being tired enough
to happily settle for sleep.
Stick to your normal wind down routine.
For my son at this age, this meant a 12PM lunch
then straight off to bed.
Heading into the room 10 minutes before the nap
was due to start, a quick nappy check or change,
into a sleeping bag, a short story in the chair in his room,
white noise on, lights off, and then down to bed at 12:30.
At this stage, we were actively waking him at 7AM
and we had to have a really busy morning
for him to happily settle off to sleep.
If your toddler normally self settles,
continue to encourage this and try not to interfere
even if they're taking longer to fall asleep.
A bit of fluffing around in bed at this age
is perfectly normal.
If they've gotten upset, using your voice to soothe
via a monitor can work better than going into the room.
This might sound like lay down, lay down,
it's sleep time now.
If they do take longer to settle,
allow the full nap once asleep,
let them sleep their normal nap length
and then push bedtime out a little bit later that night.
With all that in mind, there can be a peak
in separation anxiety with this regression.
So if they are getting really upset at nap time,
if voice to soothe isn't working,
you might need to try working back
through the Parent Present Settling Method
to help your toddler through this regression.
Just make sure you do make your way out the door again.
You can find detailed information
on this settling method inside our app.
If naps are just not happening at home, don't panic.
You can try doing it in the car or the pram
every second or third day to prevent over tiredness
from building up.
Even if it's not the full nap length, it will still help.
If they refuse to nap at all, bring bedtime forward
to 6PM to prevent over tiredness and try again tomorrow.
It's really important to be patient and consistent.
Remember that this one will pass on its own,
so long as sleep associations
that you might struggle to keep up don't creep in.
If you're really struggling to get things on track,
our team of sleep consultants would love to help.
And remember, we are available to you 24 hours a day,
seven days a week inside our Little Ones village.
If you've found this video helpful,
don't forget to check out the links
in the description below for more information
on toddler and baby sleep.
If you liked this video, be sure to give us the thumbs up
and subscribe to our channel to see more.
We'll talk to you again soon.