The Sleep Edit

Can you keep breastfeeding and still work toward better sleep? Craig and Arielle talk with pediatrician and lactation consultant Dr. Lauren Hughes about newborn feeding, bottles, milk supply, and the difference between sleep training and night weaning. They also get into the advice that leaves parents feeling trapped: stretch every feed, never offer a bottle, assume every night waking means hunger.

Key Takeaways

• Sleep training and night weaning are two separate decisions. Lauren sleep trained her twins at eight months and did not night wean them until eighteen — a baby can learn to fall asleep without help and still get every overnight feed they need.
• Six hours counts as sleeping through the night. It may not be the six hours you wanted — 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. qualifies — and reframing the target is sometimes the entire intervention.
• Milk storage capacity runs from roughly two to twelve ounces per breast and has nothing to do with breast size, which is why dropping a night feed is a non-event for one parent and tanks supply for another. How long you can go before engorgement is roughly your own ceiling, since engorgement is what tells the body to make less.
• "Normal" is far wider than parents are told: in the newborn weeks three hours is a maximum, not a minimum — babies can eat sooner, and three hours is when you wake them. Breastfed babies average about 24 ounces in 24 hours, range 19 to 32.
• It isn't nipple confusion, it's flow preference — babies take the path of least resistance, so a fast bottle beats the work of the breast, and paced feeding is the fix. Offering a bottle once a week from about a month old heads off the refusal that surfaces the week daycare starts.
• The research on feeding method and sleep genuinely conflicts, and neither host picks a side. Under six months exclusively breastfed babies wake more often, though most studies find no difference in total sleep; after six months most find breastfed infants sleeping less — and much of the older literature simply asked parents, whereas Rudzik's actigraphy study found no difference in measured sleep even as formula-feeding mothers reported more.

Links

Studies, articles & posts

• Infant sleep reports versus actigraphy by feeding method — Rudzik, Robinson-Smith & Ball, 2018
• Milk feeding, complementary foods, and infant sleep: a systematic review — Fu et al., 2021
• Sleep-related infant deaths: updated recommendations — American Academy of Pediatrics, 2022
• How to keep your sleeping baby safe — AAP parent guide
• Bedsharing and breastfeeding: Protocol #6, 2019 revision — Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, published 2020; a different professional position from the AAP

People & books mentioned

• Dr. Lauren Hughes — pediatrician and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant
• Dr. Hughes' newsletter
• Bloom Pediatrics and Lactation — practice founded by Dr. Hughes

Get in touch & next steps

• Craig's free sleep training starter kit
• Arielle's free 24-hour sleep guide
• Full medical disclaimer
• Submit Listener Feedback and Questions Here

• (00:00) - Intro

Tips for Infants, Toddlers, and Teens

In this episode of the Sleep Edit podcast, hosts Dr. Craig Canapari and Arielle Greenleaf provide evidence-based tips and strategies to help parents manage their children's sleep during the summer and back-to-school transitions. They discuss common issues such as later bedtimes, disrupted routines, increased screen time, and the impact of travel on sleep patterns.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer
• 01:09 Meet the Hosts
• 01:24 Summer Sleep Challenges
• 03:55 Pandemic Sleep Patterns
• 05:08 Structured Days Hypothesis
• 07:57 Managing Heat and Sleep
• 09:58 Travel and Sleep Tips for Infants and Toddlers
• 16:06 Vacation Sleep Realities
• 19:47 School-Age Sleep Strategies
• 20:50 Replicating Schedules for Special Needs Children
• 21:47 Bedtime Recommendations for Different Age Groups
• 23:07 Managing Screen Time During Summer
• 24:01 The Benefits of Summer Camps and Jobs
• 24:49 Camping as a Sleep Reset Tool
• 26:41 Traveling to Adjust Sleep Schedules
• 27:25 General Summer Sleep Tips for Parents
• 32:23 Adjusting Teen Sleep Schedules Before School Starts
• 37:38 Final Thoughts and Contact Information

Links

• The Structured Days hypothesis
• Study of 9-15 year olds showed that later shift was associated with poorer dietary choices
• Resources (slides and references) from Dr. Canapari's talk on Covid-19 and sleep
• The Forbidden Zone and what it means for putting your kid down
• Vacation "sleep": How to get shuteye when on the move
• Dr. Canapari's article on summer sleep and back to school
• Camping as a way to reset sleep schedules

Get in touch & next steps

• Craig's sleep training starter kit
• Arielle's free 24-hour sleep guide
• Full medical disclaimer 
• Submit Listener Feedback and Questions Here

• (00:00) - Intro

Your child's cortisol is not a problem you need to manage — and most of the scary sleep advice that says otherwise is built on a misreading of the science. Craig and Arielle take on the claims that spread fastest online and hold up worst: the "overtired baby floods with cortisol" story, rigid wake windows, the 3-6-9 rule and the Wonder Weeks, magnesium lotions, melatonin as a quick fix, and the "biologically correct" 7 p.m. bedtime. It's an episode about why simple, absolute rules go viral while real answers — nuanced, and dependent on your actual child — do not. They close on the hardest question a tired parent faces: in an unregulated field full of confident strangers, how do you tell a trustworthy sleep expert from a good marketer?

Key Takeaways

• The "overtired child floods with cortisol and can't sleep" claim gets the science backwards. Poor sleep can nudge cortisol up, but cortisol is a marker of inadequate sleep, not its cause — and it is not something parents need to manage at home.
• The Middlemiss (2012) study used to argue that sleep training is harmful had no control group and studied infants in an unfamiliar inpatient setting, nothing like sleep training at home. Better-controlled work, including Gradisar's randomized trial, found infant cortisol did not rise after sleep training. A few hard nights are brief, harmless stress — not the chronic toxic stress that genuinely affects development.
• Wake windows describe something real — sleep drive builds the longer a child is awake — but the rigid, age-based formulas online are not research-based. Watch the child in front of you and their 24-hour sleep totals, not a chart. "Average" sleep needs span wide ranges and were never meant as individual targets.
• Magnesium lotions have no evidence they do anything; melatonin is a hormone, not a routine fix for healthy children, and should follow behavioral changes and a conversation with your pediatrician. Melatonin is now the most common substance U.S. children accidentally ingest — store it like medication.
• For most children before puberty, a bedtime roughly between 7:30 and 8:30 works well; an artificially early bedtime mostly manufactures bedtime battles. And the pediatrician is the first stop for sleep questions — "evidence-based" has become a marketing phrase, so ask any consultant how they actually make decisions.

Links

Studies & research

• Middlemiss et al. (2012), Early Human Development — the cortisol/extinction study commonly cited against sleep training. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2011.08.010
• Gradisar et al. (2016), Pediatrics — randomized controlled trial; infant cortisol did not rise after graduated extinction or bedtime fading. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-1486
• Tuladhar et al. (2021), Journal of Sleep Research — infant diurnal cortisol and sleep. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13357
• Earlier bedtimes and child sleep — systematic review of 45 studies, JAMA Pediatrics. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2795862
• Pediatric Melatonin Ingestions, United States, 2012–2021 — CDC MMWR. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7122a1.htm
• Iglowstein I, Jenni OG, Molinari L, Largo RH. Sleep duration from infancy to adolescence: reference values and generational trends. Pediatrics. 2003 Feb;111(2):302-7. doi: 10.1542/peds.111.2.302. PMID: 12563055.

Further reading on cortisol, sleep training, attachment, and online misinformation:

• Bilgin & Wolke (2020), Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry — "cry it out" and attachment/behavioral development at 18 months. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13223
• Davis & Kramer (2021), Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry — commentary on Bilgin & Wolke (2020). https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13390
• Spangler & Grossmann (1993), Child Development — biobehavioral organization in securely and insecurely attached infants. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.1993.tb02962.x
• Ramos et al. (2025), Scientific Reports — mother-infant cortisol levels and maternal childhood adversity. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-28548-8
• Immeli, Douglas & Kolho (2026), Acta Paediatrica — misinformation and the medicalisation of infant health care in the social media era. https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.70468
• "Guided by Routine and Nurturance: How Parent Characteristics Shape Online Infant Health Information Seeking" — PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41622498/

Craig's articles

• Should My Child Take Melatonin? A Guide for Parents — https://drcraigcanapari.com/should-my-child-take-melatonin-a-guide-for-parents/
• Melatonin Overdoses Are on the Rise: Why Parents Should Worry — https://drcraigcanapari.com/melatonin-overdoses-are-on-the-rise-why-parents-should-worry/
• Should You Give Your Child L-Theanine for Sleep? — https://drcraigcanapari.com/should-you-give-your-child-l-theanine-for-sleep/

Resources & past episodes mentioned

• The Sleep Edit, Episode 12: Melatonin and Magnesium, Oh My — https://sleepedit.show/episodes/episode-12-melatonin-and-magnesium-oh-my
• BBC News — undercover investigation into dangerous baby sleep advice (2026) — https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce84e1vn1l2o
• Huckleberry — sleep-tracking app; provides 7-, 14-, 30-, and 90-day sleep averages

Get in touch & next steps

• Craig's free sleep training starter kit: https://drcraigcanapari.com/sleep-training-starter-kit/
• Arielle's free 24-hour sleep guide: https://expect-to-sleep.kit.com/24hrsleep
• Full medical disclaimer: https://sleepedit.show/disclaimer
• Submit Listener Feedback and Questions Here

• (00:00) - Intro

We opened the mailbag. Craig and Arielle grouped dozens of listener questions by theme and worked through them — covering infant sleep and the SNOO, night wakings that seem to defy logic, 4 AM toddler wake-ups, bedtime resistance, a 5-year-old with "bad dreams" that aren't actually scary, daycare nap chaos, and a rapid-fire round on floor beds, crib-to-bed transitions, and whether you have to sleep train at all. Some of it is practical, some is reassuring, and a few answers hinge on the difference between a behavior problem and a medical one.

Key Takeaways

• Safe sleep comes first. In the first six months especially: flat, firm surface; room-share without bed-share; no soft bedding. If an infant genuinely can't tolerate lying flat, that's a pediatrician conversation, not a sleep-training one.
• When night wakings look random on the "same" schedule, average total sleep over seven days. Clock-time schedules can hide big variation in actual sleep amounts — and total sleep is what the child's body is optimizing against.
• A pattern of 4–5 hours of solid sleep followed by wakings every 2–3 hours almost always points to a sleep-onset association. If your child falls asleep with you present, they tend to need you present to transition between each subsequent sleep cycle.
• The right order for night weaning, room transition, and sleep training: get the baby into their own sleep space first, then address feeding, then sleep train. Don't layer sleep training on an unresolved feeding problem, and don't put an infant on a floor bed.
• A toddler whose sleep is consistently wrecked by mild congestion deserves a look for obstructive sleep apnea — especially if they snore when well. Benadryl only "works" because it sedates; it doesn't dry up viral secretions, and OTC cough/cold products aren't recommended under 6.
• You don't have to sleep train. If your child and household are sleeping well enough, there's nothing to fix. Sleep training is a tool for when someone in the house is suffering — not a milestone to hit.

Links

Studies, articles & posts

• Is Room Sharing in Infancy Necessary for Safe Sleep in 2024? – Dr. Canapari
• Co-Sleeping in Infancy: Bed-Sharing Is Not Safe – Dr. Canapari
• Sleep-onset associations: toddler night wakings and how to fix them – Dr. Canapari
• Why does my toddler wake up at night? – Dr. Canapari
• Toddler early morning awakenings: what to do about them – Dr. Canapari
• Is your toddler screaming at bedtime? A concrete plan for bedtime resistance – Dr. Canapari
• Napping problems in toddlers and preschoolers – Dr. Canapari
• What to do about nap strikes – Dr. Canapari
• The bedtime pass: a great technique for older kids – Dr. Canapari
• Huggy Puppy: my favorite treatment for nighttime fears – Dr. Canapari
• How to stop co-sleeping so you and your child can sleep better – Dr. Canapari
• Sleep training in a coughing child – Dr. Canapari
• Obstructive sleep apnea in children – Dr. Canapari
• AAP safe sleep recommendations (2022 update) — room sharing without bed sharing, flat firm surface, no soft bedding, ideally through the first 6–12 months
• Study showing benefits of outdoor play for sleep in Japanese Toddlers Murata E, Yoshizaki A, Fujisawa TX, Tachibana M, Taniike M, Mohri I. What daily factors affect the sleep habits of Japanese toddlers? J Clin Sleep Med. 2023 Jun 1;19(6):1089-1101. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.10508. PMID: 36789883; PMCID: PMC10235708.

People & books mentioned

• Become Your Child's Sleep Coach: The Bedtime Doctor's 5-Step Guide, Ages 3-10 – Lynelle Schneeberg PsyD
• The Happiest Baby on the Block – Harvey Karp MD

Get in touch & next steps

• Arielle's free 24-hour sleep guide: https://expect-to-sleep.kit.com/24hrsleep
• Submit Listener Feedback and Questions Here

• (00:00) - Intro

Episode 17 – Show Notes

Our Sleep Routines in 2026 | The Sleep Edit

Craig and Arielle take a turn in the hot seat this week — sharing their own sleep habits, gear, and personal struggles. From frigid bedrooms and weighted blankets to trazodone, magnesium, and light therapy glasses, this episode is part confessional, part practical guide.

They also dig into CBT-I for insomnia, the phenomenon of orthosomnia (when sleep tracking makes your sleep worse), what melatonin actually does at a low dose, and how to think about supplements when the evidence is thin but the risk is low.

Timestamps

• 4:23 — Our personal sleep histories
• 6:36 — Restless leg syndrome & childhood sleep anxiety
• 8:50 — Psychophysiologic insomnia & CBT-I explained
• 11:00 — Bedtime boxes & stimulus control for kids
• 12:50 — Sleep tracking: Oura Ring vs. Apple Watch
• 16:20 — Orthosomnia — when tracking makes sleep worse
• 18:32 — How your tracker score affects how you feel the next day
• 19:00 — Sleep environment: cold rooms, darkness, white noise
• 22:52 — Sleep masks, weighted blankets (Bearaby), and pillows
• 27:00 — Light-up alarm clocks (Philips, Hatch)
• 29:00 — AYO light therapy glasses & circadian entrainment
• 32:00 — Nighttime routines: DND, showers, reading
• 34:40 — Why a hot shower helps you sleep (the science)
• 36:00 — Craig's meditation practice & pre-bed habits
• 39:20 — Arielle's history with insomnia & trazodone
• 41:10 — What sleep medications actually do (and don't do)
• 44:17 — Magnesium glycinate — the evidence
• 47:35 — L-theanine — even less evidence, still worth trying?
• 48:11 — Melatonin: Craig's 1mg dose & the heart failure study
• 52:00 — How we're actually sleeping in 2026

Key Takeaways

• Both hosts have struggled with sleep throughout their lives — and that's part of why they do this work.
• Sleep anxiety in children (and adults) responds well to CBT-I; the behavioral components are often more important than the cognitive ones.
• Sleep trackers are best used to observe trends, not to optimize nightly metrics. Fixating on scores can cause orthosomnia — anxiety that worsens the very sleep it's supposed to measure.
• A cold bedroom (ideally 60–67°F), darkness, and quiet are the most evidence-based environmental changes you can make.
• A warm shower or bath before bed works by triggering a drop in core body temperature — the direction of change matters, not just the temperature itself.
• Magnesium glycinate and L-theanine have limited but plausible supporting data; more importantly, they're safe at typical doses. Use third-party tested brands.
• Melatonin is a hormone — more is not better. Craig uses 1mg. A 2024 conference abstract linking long-term melatonin use to heart failure has significant methodological limitations, was not peer-reviewed, and is not cause for alarm at low doses in otherwise healthy adults.
• Trazodone is a reasonable long-term option for some people with chronic insomnia. It's not habit-forming, increases slow-wave sleep, and has a stable side-effect profile — but it's still a tool, not a substitute for good sleep habits. Note: AYO glasses recommend a 20-minute morning session (not 10 minutes as mentioned in the episode).

Links

Craig's gear & supplements

• AYO Light Therapy Glasses
• Bearaby Weighted Blanket
• Oura Ring
• Magnesium Glycinate 500mg
• Nature's Trove L-Theanine
• Melatonin 1mg
• ConsumerLab.com — third-party supplement testing (subscription ~$60/yr)

Craig's posts & calculators

• Magnesium for Kids' Sleep – Dr. Canapari
• Melatonin & Heart Failure Study – Dr. Canapari
• Melatonin Dosing Calculator for Children – Dr. Canapari

Clinicians & resources mentioned

• Dr. Shelby Harris – CBT-I specialist
• Dr. Lynelle Schneeberg – Become Your Child's Sleep Coach: The Bedtime Doctor's 5-Step Guide, Ages 3–10
  • Book on Amazon
• Orthosomnia – original paper by Dr. Kelly Baron (J Clin Sleep Med, 2017)
• CBT-I Coach App (VA) — free, useful for teens 12+ and adults

Arielle's website & resources

• Expect to Sleep
• Free 24-Hour Sleep Guide (Arielle)

Contact Listener questions: [email protected]

Holidays can be a time of joy, family, and fun—but they can also throw a wrench into your child’s sleep routine. Whether it’s late-night celebrations, travel to visit relatives, or adjusting to time zone changes, holiday sleep disruptions are a challenge for many parents. But don’t worry—we’ve got you covered.

In this episode of The Sleep Edit, we cover practical strategies for navigating holiday sleep challenges for children of all ages. From tips for maintaining flexibility while traveling, to handling sugar-fueled energy spikes and keeping routines intact, this conversation is packed with actionable advice to help your family enjoy the season while staying (relatively) well-rested. They’ll even share some pro tips, like the ultimate New Year’s Eve bedtime trick you won’t want to miss.

Remember: holiday sleep doesn’t have to be perfect—it just has to work for you and your family. So, give yourself some grace, enjoy the cookies, and focus on the quality of your time together.

Links

• Dr. Canapari's guide to Vacation "Sleep"
• Canapari's guide "Holiday Travel Sleep Guide: Real Parents, Real Questions, Real Solutions"
• Arielle's guide: "How to enjoy your holidays and protect your child's sleep" 
• Studies on sugar consumption and sleep 
  • Study of 287 children ages 8-12 showing no association between sugar and sleep or behavioral change
  • Study of 2600 children aged 6-12 showing that more sugar consumption was associated with decreased sleep duration
  • Metanalysis of studies of young children 0-5 showing worse diet and higher sugar intake were associated with lower sleep quality

Timestamps

• 00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer
• 01:13 Navigating Holiday Sleep Challenges
• 03:18 Travel Tips for Parents
• 06:04 Managing Sleep in Different Environments
• 13:30 Handling Naps and Bedtime During Holidays
• 22:19 Dealing with Food and Sugar
• 28:50 Final Tips and Holiday Wishes
• 30:53 Conclusion and Resources

Connect with Us! Send us an email about questions, feedback, or ideas for future topics.

Welcome to The Sleep Edit, the podcast that helps tired kids and parents sleep better. Each week, Dr. Craig Canapari and sleep consultant Arielle Greenleaf break down evidence-based strategies you can actually use.

Why are nap transitions so confusing—and why do they so often derail nights? In Part 2 of our napping series, Craig and Arielle dig into the real-world challenges families face when moving from 3→2 naps, 2→1 nap, and eventually dropping naps entirely. Using concrete examples, sleep-need math, and practical troubleshooting, this episode explains exactly what to look for and how to navigate every transition with less stress.

You’ll learn

• How to know when it’s time to drop a nap

• The signs of a nap transition vs. a temporary “nap strike”

• Why total 24-hour sleep matters more than wake-window charts

• What typical daytime sleep looks like for infants and toddlers

• The sleep math behind transitions (high vs. low sleep-need kids)

• How daycare schedules can derail naps—and what parents can control

• Strategies for capping naps, shifting schedules, and preventing bedtime battles

• When early morning awakenings actually signal too much daytime sleep

Chapters

• 00:00:01 — Welcome & Episode Setup
• 00:01:07 — The 3→2 Nap Transition: When It Starts
• 00:02:48 — Biology of Sleep Drive & Late Naps
• 00:03:43 — Why Late Bedtimes Are So Common Now
• 00:04:59 — How Total Sleep Needs Shape Nap Schedules
• 00:06:32 — Wake Windows vs. Real Sleep Need
• 00:07:52 — Consolidated Naps & Nap Length Targets
• 00:09:41 — How to Use the Third Nap as a Bridge
• 00:11:06 — Example: Designing a 13.5-hour Sleep Day
• 00:12:59 — Signs It’s Time to Drop From 3→2 Naps
• 00:14:45 — Why Transitions Are Messy (and Normal)
• 00:15:56 — The 2→1 Nap Transition: Age & Signs
• 00:17:46 — Developmental Milestones That Disrupt Naps
• 00:19:06 — Case Example: Drew (13 Months)
• 00:20:57 — How to Start the 2→1 Transition Step-by-Step
• 00:22:54 — Shifting Nap Timing & Early Bedtime Strategy
• 00:23:56 — Tracking Sleep: Apps vs. Diaries
• 00:24:53 — Why Smart Monitors Often Mislead Parents
• 00:26:50 — When Nights Get Worse Because of Nap Issues
• 00:27:59 — The 1→0 Transition: What Truly Signals Readiness
• 00:29:18 — Daycare Nap Challenges & Parent Options
• 00:31:56 — Capping Naps to Protect Nighttime Sleep
• 00:33:30 — Nap Strikes vs. True Transitions
• 00:36:06 — Early Morning Awakenings & Too Much Day Sleep
• 00:38:30 — Final Thoughts & The Greenleaf Windows

Links

• Napping spectacular episode 1
• CIO episode of the Sleep Edit
• Dr. Canapari’s article on Le Pause Sleep training
• Period of purple crying
• Dr. Canapari's article on napping
• Dr. Canapari's article on sleep needs in children
• Dr. Canapari articles on the science of why children stop napping
• Arielle's website

References

1. Paruthi, S., Brooks, L. J., D’Ambrosio, C., Hall, W. A., Kotagal, S., Lloyd, R. M., Malow, B. A., Maski, K., Nichols, C., Quan, S. F., Rosen, C. L., Troester, M. M., & Wise, M. S. (2016). Consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine on the recommended amount of sleep for healthy children: methodology and discussion. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 12(11), 1549–1561. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.6288
2. Spencer, R. M. C., & Riggins, T. (2022). Contributions of memory and brain development to the bioregulation of naps and nap transitions in early childhood. PNAS, 119(11), e2114326119. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2114326119
3. Staton, S., et al. (2020). Many naps, one nap, none: A systematic review and meta-analysis of napping patterns in children 0–12 years. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 50, 101247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2019.101247
4. Galland, B. C., Taylor, B. J., Elder, D. E., & Herbison, P. (2012). Normal sleep patterns in infants and children: A systematic review of observational studies. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 16(3), 213–222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2011.06.001
5. Horváth, K. (2018). Spotlight on daytime napping during early childhood. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1238. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01238
6. Wolke, D., Bilgin, A., & Samara, M. (2017). Systematic review and meta-analysis: Fussing and crying durations and prevalence of colic in infants. The Journal of Pediatrics, 185, 55–61.e4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2017.02.020
7. Lavner, J. A., et al. (2023). Sleep SAAF randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open, 6(3), e236276. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.6276
8. Paul, I. M., et al. (2016). INSIGHT Responsive Parenting Intervention and Infant Sleep. Pediatrics, 138(1), e20160762. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-0762

Why do some toddlers nap like champs while others refuse entirely? In Part 1 of our Napping Spectacular, Craig and Arielle unpack what the science says about total sleep needs, how nap patterns change across infancy and early childhood, and the very real “art” of troubleshooting naps at home. We cover when to drop naps, how brain development (especially the hippocampus) affects nap transitions, what to do about short naps, and how to keep daytime sleep from stealing restorative overnight sleep. We also talk through safe approaches to contact naps and why it’s normal for newborns to have unpredictable naps and periods of crying.

Key takeaways

• Think in 24 hours: aim to balance daytime sleep with restorative overnight sleep.
• AASM consensus ranges: infants 4–12 mo (12–16 h), toddlers 1–2 y (11–14 h), preschoolers 3–5 y (10–13 h), school-age 6–12 y (9–12 h), teens 13–18 y (8–10 h).
• Nap transitions are tied to brain maturity; as memory systems develop, many preschoolers naturally nap less.
• Typical goals for many infants: at least two naps of ~1 hour each and ~10 hours overnight (individual needs vary).
• Independent sleep skills are the linchpin for extending naps beyond a single 30–45 minute sleep cycle.
• Watch sleepy cues, but remember boredom can masquerade as tiredness in older infants.
• Contact napping can be soothing, but it’s risky if the caregiver is truly exhausted—prioritize safe sleep.
• Newborn naps are erratic; you can practice gentle routines, but you can’t “schedule” a newborn.
• Consistency across naps and nights helps babies learn faster than a mix-and-match approach.

Links

• Napping spectacular part 2
• CIO episode of the Sleep Edit
• Dr. Canapari’s article on Le Pause Sleep training
• Period of purple crying
• Dr. Canapari's article on napping
• Dr. Canapari's article on sleep needs in children
• Dr. Canapari articles on the science of why children stop napping
• Arielle's website

Chapters

• 00:00 Intro and disclaimer
• 01:10 Why naps feel harder than nights; personal stories
• 03:00 What parents often misunderstand about naps
• 04:00 How much sleep kids need (AASM consensus)
• 06:00 Why naps matter for mood and learning
• 06:40 Brain development and nap transitions (hippocampus)
• 07:00 Average nap duration by age; variability is normal
• 09:10 How many naps per day; typical progression through early childhood
• 12:00 Galland review; why transitions are tricky in real life
• 14:00 The “art” of troubleshooting naps
• 15:00 Naps vs. nights: balance the 24-hour total
• 18:00 Targets for infants; prioritizing overnight sleep
• 22:00 High vs. low sleep-need babies
• 23:00 Nap routines vs. bedtime routines; wind-down for toddlers
• 25:00 How to get longer naps: schedule fit and independent sleep
• 27:00 Evidence-based infant sleep tips (INSIGHT and SAAF principles)
• 29:00 Reading sleep cues without getting trapped by rigid schedules
• 30:30 Overtiredness vs. boredom; case example
• 34:00 Can you sleep-train for naps but not nights? Why consistency wins
• 36:00 Typical nap times by age; capping late naps
• 39:00 Newborn nap reality check
• 40:00 Contact napping and safety
• 42:00 Period of PURPLE Crying and parental stress
• 45:30 Wrap-up and preview of Part 2

References 

1. Paruthi S, Brooks LJ, D’Ambrosio C, et al. Consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine on the recommended amount of sleep for healthy children: methodology and discussion. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2016;12(11):1549-1561.
2. Spencer RMC, Riggins T. Contributions of memory and brain development to the bioregulation of naps and nap transitions in early childhood. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2022;119(11):e2114326119.
3. Staton S, et al. Many naps, one nap, none: A systematic review and meta-analysis of napping patterns in children 0–12 years. Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2020;50:101247.
4. Galland BC, Taylor BJ, Elder DE, Herbison P. Normal sleep patterns in infants and children: A systematic review of observational studies. Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2012;16(3):213-222.
5. Horváth K. Spotlight on daytime napping during early childhood. Frontiers in Psychology. 2018;9:1238.
6. Wolke D, Bilgin A, Samara M. Fussing and crying durations and prevalence of colic in infants: Systematic review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Pediatrics. 2017;185:55-61.e4.
7. Lavner JA, Hohman EE, Beach SRH, Stansfield BK, Savage JS. Effects of a responsive parenting intervention among Black families on infant sleep: Secondary analysis of the Sleep SAAF randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open. 2023;6(3):e236276.
8. Paul IM, Savage JS, Anzman-Frasca S, Marini ME, Mindell JA, Birch LL. INSIGHT Responsive Parenting Intervention and infant sleep. Pediatrics. 2016;138(1):e20160762.

Contact

Listener questions: [email protected]

 Tips for Infants, Toddlers, and Teens In this episode of the Sleep Edit podcast, hosts Dr. Craig Canapari and Arielle Greenleaf provide evidence-based tips and strategies to help parents manage their children's sleep during the summer and back-to-school transitions. They discuss common issues such as later bedtimes, disrupted routines, increased screen time, and the impact of travel on sleep patterns. 

• 00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer 
• 01:09 Meet the Hosts 
• 01:24 Summer Sleep Challenges 
• 03:55 Pandemic Sleep Patterns 
• 05:08 Structured Days Hypothesis 
• 07:57 Managing Heat and Sleep 
• 09:58 Travel and Sleep Tips for Infants and Toddlers 
• 16:06 Vacation Sleep Realities 
• 19:47 School-Age Sleep Strategies 
• 20:50 Replicating Schedules for Special Needs Children 
• 21:47 Bedtime Recommendations for Different Age Groups 
• 23:07 Managing Screen Time During Summer 
• 24:01 The Benefits of Summer Camps and Jobs 
• 24:49 Camping as a Sleep Reset Tool 
• 26:41 Traveling to Adjust Sleep Schedules 
• 27:25 General Summer Sleep Tips for Parents 
• 32:23 Adjusting Teen Sleep Schedules Before School Starts 
• 37:38 Final Thoughts and Contact Information

Links

The Structured Days hypothesis

Study of 9-15 year olds showed that later shift was associated with poorer dietary cohoices

Resources (slides and references) from Dr. Canapari’s talk on Covid-19 and sleep

The Forbidden Zone and what it means for putting your kid down

Vacation “sleep”: How to get shuteye when on the move

Dr. Canapari’s article on summer sleep and back to school

Camping as a way to reset sleep schedules

This episode of The Sleep Edit is all about you—our listeners. We’re tackling the most common (and frustrating) pediatric sleep challenges straight from your inbox:

• What to do when your toddler suddenly won’t nap
• How to handle a preschooler who wakes five times a night
• When to push bedtime later—and when not to
• Strategies for night weaning, managing anxiety, and fixing early morning wake-ups
• Plus: Why our parents swear we were “better sleepers” back in the ’80s and ’90s

Whether you’re a parent in the trenches or a sleep consultant supporting families, this episode is packed with actionable insights and real-world context.

⏱️ 

Chapters & Timestamps

00:00 — Welcome & Disclaimer

01:55 — How Long Should a One-Nap Schedule Last?

A parent asks how long to let a toddler nap after transitioning to one nap—without disrupting night sleep.

04:24 — Does Your Toddler Need a Later Bedtime?

Signs that bedtime might be too early and what research says about optimal timing.

07:15 — Arielle’s Take on 24-Hour Sleep

A fellow consultant asks Arielle how she explains this foundational concept.

10:32 — What Is 24-Hour Sleep Anyway?

A parent wants to understand how to think about total daily sleep needs.

12:59 — Easiest Way to Night Wean a Toddler

Strategies for toddlers waking twice a night for milk.

16:05 — Why Were 80s Babies “Better Sleepers”?

Craig answers a fun cultural question: Have parenting expectations changed—or is it selective memory?

21:18 — 4-Year-Old Suddenly Waking All Night (Tried Everything)

Becky shares a sleep regression story after months of solid sleep and multiple failed interventions.

26:45 — 2-Year-Old Needs Touch to Fall Asleep, Progressive Breaks Failing

Charlotte asks whether this method is right for her daughter after meltdowns.

32:17 — 7-Year-Old with Bedtime Anxiety & Nightmares

A parent shares a common dilemma: supporting an anxious child without becoming a permanent bedtime fixture.

39:12 — 5-Year-Old Calls Out But Stays in Bed

Carys from the UK wonders how to manage frequent call-outs from a child who does fall asleep independently.

44:06 — Toddler Wakes at 5 a.m.—Can We Shift Later?

Anjo asks how to extend a solid 7–5 schedule without creating new problems.

46:50 — Sibling Sleep Chaos: Two Kids, Two Problems

Pat shares a double trouble scenario: one kid waking for milk, another up too early and waking the house.

51:03 — Nap Refusal at Home, But Not Daycare

Morgan asks how to handle nap refusal at home after major life changes (new baby, new daycare).

55:10 — Final Thoughts & Wrap-Up

Links

Arielle’s new website : Expect to Sleep Again

Arielle on Instagram: @expecttosleepagain

Research links:

Metanalysis showing that earlier bedtimes led to more sleep 

Small study of infants showing sleep extension with earlier bedtimes

Dr. Canapari’s articles:

Do Wake Windows Help Babies and Kids Nap Better?

How to Stop Night Feedings

Huggy puppy intervention for night time fears

Early morning awakenings: What to do about them

Bedtime pass for middle of the night awakening

Accommodations and anxiety

Progressive breaks sleep training method

Camping out method sleep training