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Active evenings help with toddlers' sleep

Dr Pamela Douglas4th of Oct 202323rd of May 2024

toddler plays happily in the bath

This page is part of a collection of short articles called Brief & simple, which together make up a quick summary of The Possums Sleep Program in plain language. For comprehensive information and support, please go to The essentials section of The Possums Sleep Program, and begin to work your way through the program's online text and videos.

To keep the settings of your baby's body clock healthy, it's best if evenings are like daytime, filled with light, noise and activity.

It's not necessary to dim the lights in the evening. When your baby's sleep pressure is high enough, they will fall off to sleep easily, with a quick feed or cuddle. We want to make your baby's sleep as easy and as no-fuss as possible!

If you baby doesn't want to go sleep in the evening, that's alright, try again later. Their sleep pressure isn't high enough yet. When the sleep pressure is high, going to sleep becomes easy.

Acknowledgements

I'm grateful to Professor Sophie Havighurst, Ros June, and Caroline Ma at Mindful, The University of Melbourne, for their feedback on the articles in the Brief & simple section of The Possums Sleep Program. They helped me keep the language plain and the concepts as accessible as possible. For comprehensive information and support, please go to The essentials section of The Possums Sleep Program, and begin to work your way through the program's online text and videos.

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Next up in possums sleep 101 (brief & simple)

Problems with toddler night-time sleep

toddler crying in cot at night time

This page is part of a collection of short articles called Brief & simple, which together make up a quick summary of The Possums Toddler Sleep Program in plain language. For comprehensive information and support, please go to The essentials section of The Possums Toddler Sleep Program, and begin to work your way through the program's online text and videos.

When the sleep pressure is high enough in the evening, cuddles with a loving adult, often combined with a story, can be the best way to dial down the toddler's sympathetic nervous system. The sleep regulators kick in easily, and sleep pressure happens without a fuss, when your toddler

  • Has high enough sleep pressure, and

  • Is dialled down.

It's hard for sleep regulators to do their job when our sympathetic nervous system is dialled up....

more articles in possums sleep 101 (brief & simple)

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    Introduction to this brief & simple section of the Possums Toddler Sleep Program
  • 2

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    Key things to know about toddlers' sleep
  • 2

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    How much sleep does your toddler need?
  • 2

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    Is it normal for toddlers to wake in the night?
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