Top 12 sleep solutions for parents of babies, toddlers and preschoolers

7. Keep your child on a regular sleep and nap schedule.
Your older infant, toddler or preschooler's wake-up time and bedtime should stay within a one-hour window most of the time (a 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. bedtime works best for most toddlers and preschoolers). Obviously, you can make exceptions on special occasions, but you don't want those special occasions to be too frequent or your child's circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle) will start to get seriously out of whack.

8. Don't be in any rush to eliminate naps.
And when your child does eliminate his nap, try to encourage him to replace nap time with quiet time instead. That way, he can have a bit of a break in the midst of his busy day and, on days when the two of you are home together, you can benefit from that break, too.

9. Serve your child foods that are sleep-enhancing, not sleep-inhibiting.
If you serve complex carbohydrates with protein, you're giving your child a snack with plenty of lasting power. He won't wake up hungry anytime soon. On the other hand, foods high in protein or sugar tend to give you an energy blast that can make it hard for you to get to sleep. And carbs straight up can make you very dozy. Other things to think about on the dietary front: Be particularly careful of the timing of big meals (not too close to bedtime) and watch how much caffeine your child is consuming.

10. Use physical activity to promote sleep.
Provide your toddler or preschooler with opportunities to be physically active during the day so that he will sleep more soundly at night. And give your baby some opportunity for some "floor time," too.

11. Avoid TV/computer and other highly stimulating forms of play right before bedtime.
Vigorous exercise can be quite stimulating, so enjoy being active as a family earlier in the day. Remember that preschoolers have particularly vivid imaginations. Monitor your preschooler's media consumption carefully to reduce fears of "the monster in the closet." And if your preschooler does develop some bedtime or middle-of-the-night fears, treat those fears seriously. Then help him to come up with a concrete game plan for dealing with the monster in his nightmare or the monster in his closet.

12. Don't forget to practise good sleep hygiene yourself.
Not only will you have more patience and stamina to deal with whatever parenting challenges await you in the night, you'll also be modeling healthy sleep habits for your child. (Are you having problems getting to sleep? Read 10 bedtime rituals to guarantee a good night's rest.)