How Long Should You Leave a Toddler in a Crib When Awake?

Establish a Healthy Nap Schedule

• Dr. Weissbluth, pediatrician and author of "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child," writes that once your child becomes a toddler, he will only need one nap. The morning nap is the first nap to go, but the transition to just one nap can be very challenging. By 21 months, the total time spent napping is about 2.5 hours. If you are unsure of how long your child should nap, ask yourself if he appears well-rested or fussy and throws tantrums easily. This may mean he needs longer naps. When putting your toddler down for a nap, leave him alone for about an hour in the crib. If he does not sleep, at least he will get some rest.

Leaving Your Toddler Alone at Night

• Dr. Weissbluth suggests that if your child is healthy but cries when put to bed -- and stops as soon as you pick him up -- ask yourself what you can do to regulate his sleep patterns. It is important to look at the overall picture to determine why he is crying in his crib at night, including the timing of his naps or whether bedtime should be earlier. Was there a recent event that disrupted his schedule causing an overtired state? Does he mouth-breathe or snore or is he starting to get ill? Even if he is crying, you should not go to pick up your child, because this encourages fragmented sleep which leads to poor-quality sleep. Follow your head and not your heart when letting your child learn to fall back asleep unassisted.

Healthy Night Time Habits Equals Later Morning Sleep

• You may find that your child is waking up too early in the morning which may be caused by going to bed too late. Try an earlier bedtime which will prolong night sleep and helps prevent your child from waking up early. In the morning, do not go to your child until it is actually time to get up. Anytime before 5 or 6 a.m. is too early. Some children naturally do not need more sleep then this, but if your toddler is accustomed to receiving a bottle of milk at such an early hour, try gradually transitioning from a bottle of milk to a bottle of water. Keep the bottle of water in the crib and he can sip from it when he wakes.

Pitfalls of Leaving Toddler Alone for Nighttime Sleep

• If you establish a good set of bedtime routine and sleep rules early on, this will help alleviate some struggle with protest crying at night and during naps. At night, there should not be a time limit. Healthy children will give up protest crying at night after a short while. According to Weissbluth, there is no evidence of emotional problems later in life if your child protest cries while learning how to sleep better alone.