You asked

If my toddler is taking long daytime naps but not sleeping well at night what should I do?

If your 12 to 14 month old toddler is having trouble sleeping through the night but takes considerably long naps during the day, you need to change their schedule.

The bulk of a child’s sleep should occur at night. Sometimes toddlers will get into a habit of taking long naps and consequently waking up during the night. You can change this by altering their routine.

First, readjust your child’s sleep schedule by moving their afternoon meal and nap time to an earlier time. They may just be taking their nap too late in the day.

If your child seems to be an early riser, you can alter the schedule by moving the afternoon nap to a later time and waking him up earlier in the morning. When you do this you must also consider what time the child is going to bed at night and adjust this time as well. Don’t let your toddler nap for more than three hours. If they do, wake them up to play.

When you find the schedule that works, stick to it. Toddlers love routine and being consistent with their schedule will get your toddler in the habit of normal sleep.

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