I'm a pediatric sleep doctor, author, and in my day job I run the Yale Pediatric Sleep Center. I've been writing about pediatric sleep issues for tired parents since 2012. Join my newsletter to get the best information about sleep problems (and solutions) in children.
Two gentle sleep training techniques for toddlers and preschoolers
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When parents think sleep training, the often think about extinction or CIO sleep training. Although CIO sleep training works well for infants and younger toddlers, I prefer gentler methods for older toddlers and preschoolers, especially if they are anxious. The “Excuse Me Drill” and “Taking a break” are two simple, gentle techniques which work well for children two and up who need their parents to fall asleep. These are two of my favorite techniques, and in my book It’s Never Too Late To Sleep Train, I called them “progressive break” techniques. For both of these techniques, you leave your child alone for a very short period of time between when you turn off the lights and when they fall asleep. Then, you gradually increase the length of time they are alone. Here's the magic part, as your child feels confidence in their ability to be alone, at some point you will come back to the room and they will be asleep! For most parents, I recommend the "taking a break" version, but for anxious kids or those with developmental delay, the "excuse me drill" may work better. Sound appealing? Please read all about it here and share with your friends if you think it is helpful Craig |
Craig Canapari MD
I'm a pediatric sleep doctor, author, and in my day job I run the Yale Pediatric Sleep Center. I've been writing about pediatric sleep issues for tired parents since 2012. Join my newsletter to get the best information about sleep problems (and solutions) in children.
I hope you having a great summer, and perhaps have a cool vacation ahead of you. However, summer can be a tricky time for parents and kids in terms of sleep. Arielle and I just recorded a whole episode of The Sleep Edit podcast on Summer and Back to School Sleep issues. You can find the podcast here or in your local pod catcher Or, if you prefer video, here is the YouTube link for the podcast episode. I also want to share a few articles I wrote on this topic, with the first being the most...
Are magnesium sprays the next miracle sleep cure—or just marketing? You may have seen it on TikTok or in the parenting forums: magnesium sprays and lotions being hyped as the natural fix for kids who struggle with sleep. As a pediatric sleep doctor, I get asked about these products all the time. So I did what I do best—dug into the science. 📉 Spoiler alert: There’s no solid evidence that these products actually help kids sleep better. And they may not even be absorbed through the skin. In my...
Daylight savings time begins on Sunday, March 9th. This was a bummer before I had kids, as it meant losing an hour of sleep. I would feel pretty cruddy for about a week afterwards. Then, my kids were early risers, so I liked it. Why? The beginning of DST shifts their apparent wake time a bit earlier. So a kid who was waking up at 5:30 AM was getting up at 6:30 AM literally overnight. (A "later" bedtime was the cost of this but I'm not a morning lark, so it was a fair trade-off). However, it...