Toddler Sleep Challenges: Overcome Early Rising, Night Wakings & More

The Situation

When James’ parents first reached out as a Infant & Child Sleep Consultant , they were completely exhausted. James had never been a great sleeper, but things had reached a breaking point. They were struggling with early rising, short naps, and a lengthy bedtime routine that required them to stay with him until he fell asleep. On top of that, frequent night wakings meant that he often ended up in their bed just so everyone could get some rest. At times, he also relied on a bottle to help him settle back to sleep. His parents knew they needed to make a change but weren’t sure where to start.

The Plan

After analyzing their intake form and conducting a 1 hour consultation call to learn more we put the following plan in place: 

1. Lengthen Naps & Set a Consistent Nap Schedule

Our goal was for James to take a solid 1–2 hour nap to prevent over tiredness, improve his mood, and make bedtime easier. To do this we focused on setting a consistent nap schedule, ensuring that naps happened at the right time  in a quiet, dark sleep environment. By lengthening his daytime sleep, we could help eliminate early rising and reduce bedtime battles.

2. Establish an Early Bedtime & Predictable Routine

 We set James’ bedtime earlier , adjusting as needed based on his nap quality and sleep cues. On days when his nap was short, bedtime was moved even earlier to prevent over tiredness. A predictable, calming bedtime routine (20–30 minutes) was introduced, all in his bedroom to signal that sleep was approaching.To avoid stalling and bedtime battles, we ensured all of his needs were met before bed (bathroom, water, comfort items). We also maintained consistent sleep boundaries while giving him choices within limits—helping him feel in control (e.g., “Do you want to read one book or two?”).

3. Removing the Bottle-to-Sleep Association

As James was at an age where he didn’t need a bottle for nutrition reasons , we moved his final bottle 20–30 minutes before bedtime and gave it outside of his bedroom, so he no longer linked feeding with falling asleep.
To make the transition fun, we had James throw his bottle in the sink and say "night-night" to it, reinforcing that it was part of his evening but not needed for sleep. Since James no longer needed overnight feeds for nutrition, bottles were removed during night wakings. Instead, we used gentle soothing techniques to help him settle back to sleep.

4. Encouraging Independent Sleep

Our ultimate goal was for James to learn to fall asleep independently at bedtime without needing his parents to stay with him.
We worked on putting him down drowsy but awake and gradually reducing parental presence, helping him build confidence in settling himself.
Over time, James would learn   to self-soothe during night wakings, meaning fewer disruptions and a more restful night for everyone.

The Outcome

Through consistency and patience, James is now settling to sleep independently with a calming 20–30 minute bedtime routine. He is sleeping 11–12 hours overnight with no  wake-ups and no longer relying on a bottle. His naps have improved, now lasting over an hour, giving him the restorative daytime sleep he needs.

This family chose my 2-week support package, as after our initial call, we felt this was the best fit for their needs.

If you can relate to James' story and are struggling with your little one’s sleep, why not book a free 15-minute sleep assessment call with me to see how I can help? No obligation required 💛 

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