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My child needs to sleep

How about setting the record straight on sleep science for 0-5-year-olds. More than one third of parents report that their children aged 1-6 have sleep problems. That’s a lot of kids and adults who don’t sleep well!

The goal is to accompany parents so that they can approach this period with confidence, following the child’s rhythm and being in line with their values.

Research findings can inform decisions to adopt healthy behaviors and help develop realistic expectations around sleep and its development.
This section contains scientific information on sleep for children aged 0-5 years.
Please feel free to ask us questions about research advances made with families. We want to make science accessible so that it can help you sleep better.

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Guiding with confidence

Links between self-soothing and sleep autonomy

1- Self-soothing : Is the ability of babies and children to find comfort on their own, without the intervention of another person, at any time of the day or night,
  • Gabrielle Fréchette-Boilard, M. Psy. ed. and Ph.D. candidate, Catherine Lord, Ph.D. and Evelyne Touchette, Ph.D
  • 13 December 2023
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Falling asleep, Guiding with confidence, Nap

Teddy bears and blankets

Teddy bears and blankets, or transitional objects, are not a recent concept, having first appeared in scientific literature in the 1950s. The first studies on the subject were aimed at
  • Gabrielle Fréchette-Boilard, M. Psy. ed. and Ph.D. candidate, Catherine Lord, Ph.D. and Evelyne Touchette, Ph.D
  • 13 December 2023
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Guiding with confidence, Vital need

Sleep and emotions

What if learning to sleep also meant learning to regulate your emotions? Sleep: the dance between night and day. From the very first year of a child’s life, sleep plays
  • Gabrielle Fréchette-Boilard, M. Psy. ed. and Ph.D. candidate, Catherine Lord, Ph.D. and Evelyne Touchette, Ph.D
  • 13 December 2023
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Basics of sleep

Sleep regressions

Sleep scientists agree that sleep regressions are a myth, they don’t exist. In reality, the evolution of sleep never goes backwards. Variations are normal: toddlers sleep in waves, with their
  • Gabrielle Fréchette-Boilard, M. Psy. ed. and Ph.D. candidate, Catherine Lord, Ph.D. and Evelyne Touchette, Ph.D
  • 13 December 2023
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Vital need

Naître et Grandir: How sleep affects development and behaviour

This fact sheet from Naître et Grandir presents the realities of sleep for children aged 1 to 12: their sleep needs, signs of fatigue and the impact of sleep on
  • Evelyne Touchette, Ph. D., professor researcher, expert in sleep
  • 29 September 2023
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Basics of sleep

Naître et Grandir: Babies and Sleep

This fact sheet from Naître et Grandir presents the realities of sleep for babies aged 0 to 12 months, divided into age groups.  They discuss sleep needs, the evolution of
  • Evelyne Touchette, Ph. D., professor researcher, expert in sleep
  • 29 September 2023
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Falling asleep

Naître et Grandir: Helping your child fall asleep

This fact sheet from Naître et Grandir discusses the causes of difficulties falling asleep or refusing to go to bed in children. The impact of daytime and nighttime activities on
  • Evelyne Touchette, Ph. D., professor researcher, expert in sleep
  • 29 September 2023
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Nap

How to manage the transition to stopping naps

My child seems to need naps less and less, what should I expect during this transition? During the first 5 years of life, a child’s sleep needs evolve from multiple
  • Geneviève Forest Ph.D., Rachel Pétrin Ph.D. candidate, Catherine Lord, Ph.D. and Julie Andrews, Ph.D.
  • 29 September 2023
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Nap

When to stop naps?

Is napping still essential after a certain age? When can one confidently stop? Despite the recent surge in research on children’s sleep and the growing awareness of the importance of
  • Geneviève Forest Ph.D., Rachel Pétrin Ph.D. candidate, Catherine Lord, Ph.D. and Julie Andrews, Ph.D.
  • 29 September 2023
Image articles
Nap

Short sleeper? Long sleeper?

There comes a time when we all ask ourselves: Does my child still need to take a nap? A need that changes with age, just like learning to walk Around
  • Geneviève Forest Ph.D., Rachel Pétrin Ph.D. candidate, Catherine Lord, Ph.D. and Julie Andrews, Ph.D.
  • 29 September 2023
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Recent posts

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White noise

Links between self-soothing and sleep autonomy

Teddy bears and blankets

Sleep and emotions

Categories
  • Child (26)
    • Basics of sleep (9)
    • Falling asleep (4)
    • Guiding with confidence (7)
    • Nap (4)
    • Sleep disorders (4)
    • Vital need (3)
  • Parent (9)
    • Tips and tools (7)
    • Your vital need (2)

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Disclaimer of liability

“Learning to sleep like learning to walk” is an online resource that offers reliable information validated by scientists and specialists in sleep, health and child development.

Warning. “Learning to sleep like walking” is not medical assistance and cannot replace the advice of a legally authorized health specialist. Only health specialists can provide you with medical advice, whatever your or your child’s condition, following a thorough examination and personalized care.

Learning to sleep like learning to walk © 2025 under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence

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