Logo - The Possums baby and toddler sleep program.Logo - The Possums baby and toddler sleep program.
menu-icon-libraryfull programsmenu-icon-audioaudio program
what is the possums sleep program?building this program from the scienceresearch that shows it workstestimonials from parents
speak to dr pam
login-iconlogin

Welcome back!

Forgot password
sign up
search

Search programs

Toddler Sleep (12-36 months) icon

Toddler Sleep (12-36 months)


  • Being relaxed about your toddler's daytime sleep helps create healthy night-time sleep patterns
  • Getting your toddler up at the same time each day helps when you have night-time sleep problems
  • What to do when your toddler wakes too early in the morning?
  • How to balance the three pressure points when you are resetting your toddler's body clock
  • It takes one or two weeks to reset your toddler's body clock
  • Sleep your toddler in the midst of light, noise and activity during the day
  • Is it ok if your toddler takes a late afternoon nap?
  • Why it's best not to be constantly trying to reset your toddler's body clock
  • Making changes to daytimes with your toddler for the sake of better sleep begins with tiny steps

Listen to audio program

Next article

Sign up now
  • Toddler Sleep (12-36 months)
  • S2: Daytimes
  • CH 2: Making changes
  • PT 2.1: Body clock reset

Being relaxed about your toddler's daytime sleep helps create healthy night-time sleep patterns

Dr Pamela Douglas17th of Sep 202323rd of May 2024

two mothers breastfeed their babies outside on the steps of an apartment

Parents often receive worrying messages which aren’t true or helpful about their toddler's sleep. Two things might then happen when you're worrying a lot about your toddler's daytime sleep.

  • Your attention might narrow down onto sleep. It's easy to find yourself wearing a sleep lens, thinking of the whole day's plans in relation to sleep, always wondering when your toddler should next be napping. After a while, this narrowing of attention worsens exhaustion, and is miserable.

  • Long daytime naps can make the nights unnecessarily broken in a few weeks time, disrupting your toddler's body clock.

I’d like to invite you take off the sleep lens and live the days wearing a sensory motor lens. This means turning your attention to thinking about your little one's sensory motor needs, as well as your own sensory enjoyment and emotional needs.

It means focussing on pleasurable activities outside the house which are satisfying to you, usually with plenty of walking thrown in, all the while experimenting with your two toddler sleep superpowers, flexible feeds (depending on how you're feeding milk and the age of your toddler) and rich sensory motor nourishment, to dial your toddler down.

This way, you're not trying to get your toddler to sleep, and you're not trying to keep your toddler asleep. You're able to relax into creating the most enjoyable days possible for yourself (outside the home), as you let your your small child's sleep look after itself.

So many parents have said to me over the years that their toddler simply never goes to sleep on his own without dialling up, or without them making an effort. They are quite astonished when they put in place these strategies from The Possums Sleep Program, and suddenly their little one has quietly dropped off to sleep in the high chair, cheek down in the food, or in the middle of some other activity!

Finished

share this article

Next up in Body clock reset

Getting your toddler up at the same time each day helps when you have night-time sleep problems

Toddler starts day

Getting up at a different time from morning to morning might disrupt the settings on your toddler's body clock

Getting up at different times can disrupt the settings of your little one's body clock. This is particularly true if there is a big difference between get up times from day to day. A disrupted body clock means

  • Your toddler wakes excessively at night, or doesn't settle back to sleep for long periods in the night, or keeps you awake with lots of restlessness and wanting to feed. He might be getting the same amount of sleep overall, but it's very broken up and spread out

  • You experience…

logo-possums
decoration

About us

AboutCode of ethicsSpeak to Dr Pam

Programs

Browse sleep programsAudio programsGet advice

Help & Support

FAQsContact us

Legal

Privacy policyTerms & conditions

Get sleep tips and Possums updates straight to your inbox

Receive tips, updates, offers and more from Possums. We respect your privacy, and we'll never spam you. Unsubscribe anytime.

Dr Pam logo

© Dr Pamela Douglas 2025

Visit to learn more about the Possums project