The Top 10 Sleep Mistakes Parents Make

Lisa Meltzer، Ph.D.، a pediatric-sleep specialist at National Jewish Health in Denver agrees: "Sleep schedules are very important for setting our internal clocks. A consistent sleep schedule will help a child get sleepy and fall asleep around the same time every day. If the schedule is constantly changing، it's like flying back and forth across time zones every night; the body doesn't know when to fall asleep."

"Bedtime struggles often result from an inconsistent schedule as parents may be trying to put their children to bed too early (when the child isn't tired) or too late (when the child is overtired)،" Dr. Meltzer adds.

Of course، there's room for some flexibility. Some days your child will nap more، and others they will nap less. "As you learn to read [their] sleep cues and recognize [their] sleep windows، you'll be able to adjust the schedule more easily،" says West.

If your little one is content، you've probably got a good sleep schedule going on. If they're fussy and demanding، they may need longer naps، an earlier bedtime، a later wake-up، or all of the above.

Letting Them Stay Up Late، Hoping They'll Sleep In

It sounds like a good idea—after all، when teens go to bed late، don't they want to sleep until noon the next day? Unfortunately، that just doesn't work for little ones.

"Again، the internal clock is a powerful force that typically wakes young children up around the same time every morning، no matter what time they go to sleep at night،" says Dr. Meltzer. "So parents who let their child stay up late are simply asking for an overtired child the next day." Instead، keep a set bedtime to make sure your child gets the 10 to 11 hours of sleep they need each night.