You asked

Will my child sleep better if I put her to bed later or stop letting her nap?

Many parents believe that eliminating their child’s daily nap or keeping their child up later will make them so tired that they will fall asleep faster and sleep better at night. Unfortunately, parents who do this will soon find this technique is counterproductive. A child who does not get the proper amount of sleep and are overly tired during the day will experience sleep deprivation will wake up more often at night.

Eliminating your toddler’s daily nap will also cause sleep deprivation and sleep disturbances. Without a daily nap, a toddler will have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep throughout the nights.

As your toddler gets older nap times can change, but this should start to happen around the time they begin preschool. Until then, the best course of action is to establish a routine nap time and bedtime and to be consistent with your toddler’s schedule.

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If you can’t get your toddler to sleep through the night then it may be necessary to adjust his or her nap times during the day
Different children nap for different lengths of time at different times of the day but the most important factor is daily routine and consistency
There are many reasons you’re toddler may not be sleeping but also many simple solutions for this frustrating problem
When and how to make the transition from crib to bed
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A guideline to knowing how much sleep your child needs and ensuring he or she is well rested

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