PRP013: My Child Refuses Sleep

PRP013: My Child Refuses Sleep

Author: Nicole Weeks: PhD/Masters Provisional Psychologist, Mum of two, Science-Practitioner February 3, 2016 Duration: 19:40
Show Notes: My Child Refuses Sleep

Has your child become an expert at stalling bedtime? Have you gone through patches where your child refuses sleep? Most parents have been there. It is a most frustrating time, when long anticipated peace and quiet is just around the corner. Dr Ashley Soderlund, developmental psychologist from Nurture and Thrive Blog, provides great suggestions for diagnosing and addressing bedtime refusal.
Summary
The problem

Toddler or preschooler refuses sleep by using stalling tactics - asking for a drink, a cuddle, a story, grumbling

Suggestions

Look at the bedtime - is it too early or too late? Has your child dropped a nap and needs to sleep earlier? Does s/he just need less sleep now?
Perhaps your child is attempting to exert control. Provide apparent control through:

A consistent bedtime routine
A bedtime routine chart (Sign up to download ours)


Include a massage as part of the bedtime routine.
Use a toddler clock to cue bedtime (See a toddler clock review here).
Get out of Bed Free Tickets (also featured in the video below)
Check out the video below for more suggestions


Links

Nurture and Thrive Blog
Toddler Clock Review
Sign up for quality copies of our bedtime routine photos (Pictured below) and/or leaving the house routine sketches


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Is this scenario familiar to you? What has worked? What hasn't? Please share your wisdom in the comments below.

Thank you!

Ever feel like you're navigating the wild world of parenting by guesswork? You're not alone. The Practical Research Parenting Podcast is here to bridge the gap between academic journals and the day-to-day reality of raising kids. Hosted by Nicole Weeks, a provisional psychologist and a mum of two young children herself, this series digs into the evidence behind the big parenting topics without losing sight of the practical, often messy, application. Nicole brings her perspective as both a science-practitioner and a parent living through the toddler and preschooler years right alongside you. The conversation in this podcast begins with foundational issues like sleep and discipline, then evolves based on real questions-both those arising from her own family life and those sent in by the community. It’s specifically tailored for parents with children born from 2011 onward, making the discussions immediately relevant. You’ll find a thoughtful, relatable exploration of how research can inform our approaches to attachment, behaviour, and building positive, lasting connections with our little ones. It’s less about rigid rules and more about understanding the ‘why’ behind the strategies, giving you a grounded, evidence-based toolkit for your own parenting journey.
Author: Language: en-au Episodes: 33

Practical Research Parenting Podcast| evidence-based | raising children | positive parenting
Podcast Episodes
PRP012: Independent Play and How to Encourage it [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:51
Show Notes: Independent Play and How to Encourage it Does your toddler struggle to play independently? This is common and frustrating, especially when you are on a schedule to get dinner on the table. Dr Ashley Soderlund…
PRP011: Defiant child, the boundary testing threenager [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:48
Show Notes: Defiant child, the boundary testing threenager Don't miss this interview with Dr Ashley Soderlund from Nurture and Thrive Blog. Ashley gives a brilliant answer to my question about a defiant child who has sta…
PRP010: Baby Sleep Book: Dream Baby Guide Review [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:25
Show Notes: Baby Sleep Book - Dream Baby Guide Review For a text version of this podcast go to Dream Baby Guide Summary This episode provides practical suggestions from the Dream Baby Guide by Sheyne Rowley. The Dream Ba…
PRP006: Emotional regulation, helicopter parenting, and sleep [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:43
Show Notes: Baby Emotion Management - Part 2, Emotional regulation, helicopter parenting, and sleep Your responses impact your child's ability for emotional regulation and sleep. This episode explores how. I also examine…
PRP005: Baby emotion management – Interpreting Emotions. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:04
Show Notes: Baby Emotion Management - Part 1, Interpreting emotions This episode explores social referencing. This is where young children look to adults to interpret ambiguous situations or emotions. Particularly, I app…
PR-P004: Bed time routine modelling (and other uses of modelling) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:09
Show Notes: Bed Time Routine Modelling This episode introduced a couple of ways that I have used modelling to familiarise my kids with a new bed time routine. I then present modelling principles based on Bandura's Social…
PR-P003: 5 Research-based Sleep Training Methods [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:04
Cry it out and controlled crying are commonly recommended for addressing sleep problems. There are alternative sleep training methods. Mindell and colleagues (2006) reviewed research on 5 approaches (including cry it out…