Toddler · 1–3 years
Toddler Sleep Solutions (1–3 Years).
Certified toddler sleep consulting for ages 1–3. Bedtime battles, early rising, the crib-to-bed transition, and endless negotiation — we end it with a plan that actually holds.
Common challenges
What's happening at this age.
- Bedtime that stretches to 90 minutes of negotiation, stalling, and one more story.
- Climbing out of the crib — and not old enough for a bed.
- The 2-to-1 nap transition throwing off nights.
- 5 a.m. wakeups nobody signed up for.
- Middle-of-the-night appearances at your bedside.
- The 18-month or 2-year sleep regression that keeps going.
The approach
How Jenna works with this stage.
Toddlers don't have a sleep problem — they have a boundary problem, a schedule problem, or both. The good news is toddlers respond fast when the plan is consistent, the routine is tight, and the adult sticks to it. That's the hard part; it's also the whole game.
Every toddler plan starts with an audit of the bedtime routine, the sleep environment, the schedule, and the response strategy. We fix the schedule first — because half of toddler bedtime problems are actually undertired or overtired kids — then we tighten the routine, then we teach the response to the stalling and the middle-of-night pop-ups.
The approach is gentle but firm. Toddlers are old enough to understand what's happening, so we use tools like OK-to-wake clocks, choice-based routines, and clear language about bedtime expectations. Cry-it-out is not the tool at this age. Consistency is.
What the plan includes
Everything you get for this age.
Quick answers
Questions parents ask about this age.
Why does my toddler fight bedtime?
Bedtime battles come down to one of three things: a routine that's too flexible, a bedtime that's misaligned with your toddler's biology, or the child having too much control over the sequence. A tight, predictable 20–30 minute routine plus a fixed bedtime — with a couple of small choices built in — usually ends the negotiation inside a week.
How do I stop my toddler waking at 5 a.m.?
Early rising has four causes: bedtime too late, nap too long or too late, too much light or noise, or a wake window mismatch. Fix them in that order and hold each change for 5–7 days. Most families push wakeups back to 6:30 or 7 within 1–2 weeks.
When should we move from crib to bed?
Closer to 3 years old is ideal for most kids. Move earlier only for safety (climbing out) or arrival of a sibling. Once the move happens, the plan is boundaries, a consistent response to getting up, and a bedroom set up so a wandering toddler can't get into trouble.
Is it too late to sleep train a 2-year-old?
No — sleep training works at any age. Toddlers actually respond fast when the plan is consistent because they're old enough to understand what's happening. Expect 5–14 nights of testing followed by real, durable change. Later isn't worse; it's just a different approach.
When do toddlers drop to 1 nap?
The 2-to-1 nap transition typically happens between 13 and 18 months, with 15 months as the most common age. Signs of readiness: refusing one of the two naps for 5+ days in a row, or bedtime drifting past 8 p.m. The transition takes 2–4 weeks to settle.
How long is normal for toddler bedtime routine?
20–30 minutes is ideal for ages 1–3. Longer than that invites stalling, shorter than that doesn't give a toddler enough wind-down. Keep the same sequence — bath, PJs, teeth, books, bed — every night. Predictability is what makes a routine actually work.
How do I handle my toddler coming into my room at night?
Walk them back to their own bed calmly, briefly, and without conversation — every time. Most toddlers test this hard for 3–5 nights and stop when the response is boring and predictable. OK-to-wake clocks and a clear morning rule ("stay in bed until the light turns green") speed this up.
Different age?
Sleep support for every stage.
Better sleep starts with
one call.
15 minutes. Free. No pitch. Virtual — U.S. and Canada.