When Arthur’s parents first reached out, they were exhausted.

Arthur had been struggling with sleep for a number of months and had never really been a consistently strong sleeper. His parents had not experienced a full week of settled nights, and he was waking multiple times overnight, often becoming very distressed.

Like many toddlers, Arthur had developed several strong sleep associations. He relied on a bottle at bedtime, often needed another bottle during the night, and regularly fell asleep in his parents' arms before being transferred into bed.

His sleep challenges included:

• Relying on a bottle at bedtime
• Waking for bottles overnight
• Being held to sleep before being transferred into bed
• Multiple night wakings
• Becoming very upset during the night
• Short or inconsistent weekend naps
• A bedtime that was later than ideal for his age

His parents wanted support to help Arthur settle more easily, sleep for longer stretches overnight and develop healthy, independent sleep habits.

The Sleep Transformation

Just two weeks later, Arthur had made fantastic progress.

He is now:

• Settling much more easily at bedtime
• Sleeping around 11–12 hours overnight
• Waking far less frequently during the night
• No longer relying on a bottle to settle
• Following a more age-appropriate sleep routine
• Developing strong independent sleep skills

The transformation in such a short period of time has been wonderful to see.

The Main Toddler Sleep Challenges

When we looked at Arthur’s sleep as a whole, a few key issues were contributing to the difficulties.

Sleep Debt, Overtiredness and Routine

Arthur had been struggling with unsettled sleep for many months. Frequent night wakings, short weekend naps and a bedtime that was happening later than his body needed meant he had gradually built up a significant amount of sleep debt.

When toddlers become overtired, many parents expect them to fall asleep more easily. In reality, the opposite often happens. As wakefulness stretches on, the body produces more cortisol (the body's alertness hormone), leaving a child feeling wired even though they are exhausted.

This can contribute to:

• Bedtime battles
• Difficulty settling
• Frequent night wakings
• Early morning waking
• Short or less restorative naps

Arthur's inconsistent weekend naps were also contributing to overtiredness. At 20 months old, most toddlers still benefit from a restorative daytime nap around the middle of the day. When this nap became too short or happened too late, bedtime became much more difficult.

We knew improving his overall sleep schedule would be one of the biggest factors in helping his nights improve.

 

Bottle-to-Sleep Association

Arthur had developed a strong association between feeding and falling asleep.

Although he no longer required overnight milk for nutritional reasons, the bottle had become a familiar source of comfort and part of how he expected to fall asleep at bedtime and return to sleep whenever he woke overnight.

Feed-to-sleep associations are incredibly common. However, when a toddler believes they need a bottle to fall asleep, they often look for the same support every time they wake during the night.

This can make independent resettling much more difficult and lead to frequent night wakings.

Parental Support and Night Wakings

Arthur had also become reliant on being held until he fell asleep.

When he woke overnight, he naturally expected the same level of support again.

This is incredibly common, especially when parents are exhausted and simply trying to get everyone back to sleep. Over time, however, it had become another strong sleep association.

Arthur had learned that:

• Mum or Dad would hold him until he fell asleep.
• Waking overnight brought that same support again.
• Being held helped him return to sleep.

Our goal was to gently help Arthur understand that he was safe while also giving him the opportunity to develop the confidence to fall asleep and resettle more independently.

The 20-Month-Old Sleep Plan

The family chose my two-week sleep support package, where we worked together step by step to improve Arthur’s routine, naps, bedtime and independent sleep skills.

Establishing an Age-Appropriate Schedule

We introduced a more consistent morning wake-up time and worked towards protecting Arthur's daytime nap, particularly at weekends. Keeping his body clock predictable helped improve both naps and nighttime sleep.

Supporting a Restorative Nap

Arthur continued taking one midday nap that aligned with his natural sleep rhythm. We focused on protecting this nap and keeping it consistent across the entire week to reduce overtiredness.

Earlier Bedtime and a Consistent Routine

We introduced an earlier bedtime based on both the timing and quality of Arthur's daytime nap.

His bedtime routine became calm, predictable and took place entirely in his bedroom. We removed stimulating activities before bed and ensured all of his needs were met before lights out.

This helped Arthur recognise that bedtime was approaching and allowed his body to begin winding down naturally.

Moving the Bottle Away From Sleep

Rather than feeding immediately before sleep, Arthur's bedtime bottle was moved earlier in the bedtime routine and offered outside the bedroom.

As he no longer required overnight milk, we gradually reduced his night bottles and replaced them with calm, consistent reassurance where needed.

This gentle approach helped him move away from relying on milk as his main way of settling while still feeling safe and supported throughout the transition.

Encouraging Independent Sleep

We gently supported Arthur in learning how to fall asleep without relying on being held.

He was given the opportunity to settle in his own bed while still receiving reassurance from his parents when needed.

As with every toddler, consistency was key. Over time, Arthur learned that he was capable of falling asleep and returning to sleep in his own space.

The Results

In just two weeks, the change has been fantastic.

Arthur is now:

• Settling much more easily at bedtime
• Sleeping 11–12 hours overnight
• Waking far less frequently during the night
• No longer relying on overnight bottles
• Following a predictable sleep routine
• Developing healthy independent sleep skills

Most importantly, his parents are feeling more rested, confident and reassured that Arthur is capable of sleeping well.

A Note From Me

Toddler sleep can feel incredibly overwhelming when night wakings have become part of everyday life.

When your child relies on bottles, cuddles or being held to sleep, it's completely understandable to continue doing what works in the moment. These habits are not a sign that you've done anything wrong. They are simply sleep associations that have developed over time.

Late bedtimes, overtiredness, inconsistent naps and strong sleep associations can all contribute to bedtime battles and frequent night wakings. But with the right schedule, clear boundaries and a consistent response, toddlers can learn to fall asleep and return to sleep much more independently.

Sometimes small, steady changes can completely transform sleep for the entire family.

Need Help With Your Toddler's Sleep?

If you're struggling with:

• Bedtime battles
• Frequent night wakings
• Early rising
• Needing to lie beside your toddler to sleep
• Bottle-to-sleep associations
• Nap resistance
• Building independent sleep skills

I've created a comprehensive Toddler Sleep Guide to help you understand why these sleep challenges happen and, more importantly, exactly how to improve them.

Inside you'll discover:

• Toddler Sleep Basics
• Creating the Ideal Sleep Environment
• Building a Calm, Consistent Bedtime Routine
• Common Toddler Sleep Challenges (and how to overcome them)
• Age-appropriate schedules
• Nap timing
• Bedtime battles
• Night wakings
• Early rising
• ...and so much more.

👉 Shop the Toddler Sleep Guide here.

Still need more personalised support?

Every child is different.

If you'd like a tailored sleep plan and daily guidance specific to your family, I'd love to help.

👉 Book a free 15-minute Sleep Assessment Call, and together we'll create a personalised plan that works for your child—and your family.