227. Should Your Baby or Toddler Have a Set Morning Wake Time?
Release Date: 02/17/2026
236. The Rescue Bedtime: What It Is and How to Use It for Overtired Babies and Toddlers
How Long 'Til Bedtime?
Missed a nap? Short nap day? Bedtime suddenly a struggle? Your child may need what Allison calls a rescue bedtime. In this episode, Allison breaks down one of the most powerful and most underused tools in a parent’s sleep toolkit: moving bedtime earlier after a rough nap day. This simple shift can prevent overtiredness, protect nighttime sleep, and keep a child’s schedule on track. Many parents worry that an earlier bedtime will cause an earlier wake-up. In reality, the opposite is often true. A well-timed rescue bedtime helps children catch up on missed sleep, fall asleep more easily, and...
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235. What Time Should My Child Go to Bed? How to Find Their Ideal Bedtime
How Long 'Til Bedtime?
If bedtime feels like a battle, your child is waking during the night, or mornings are starting way too early, the issue may not be how much sleep your child is getting. It may be when they are going to sleep. In this episode, Allison explains one of the most important and overlooked concepts in children’s sleep: sleep timing. Once a baby develops a mature sleep rhythm, sleep becomes less about wake windows and more about anchor start times that align with their natural biological clock. Every child has a natural "sleep wave," a time when their body is primed to fall asleep easily and stay...
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234. Does My Child Have Nightmares? What They Are, What to Do, and How to Make Them Stop
How Long 'Til Bedtime?
If your child wakes up in the middle of the night scared, fully awake, and talking about monsters, sharks, or something chasing them, you’re likely dealing with a nightmare. In this episode, Allison explains what nightmares really are, why they happen, and how they’re different from night terrors. You’ll learn one of the most important clues for telling the difference between the two, and why the timing of the wake-up matters more than most parents realize. Nightmares are extremely common, especially in the preschool and early elementary years when imagination is developing quickly. But...
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233. Night Terrors in Kids: What They Are, Why They Happen, and How to Stop Them
How Long 'Til Bedtime?
If you’ve ever rushed into your child’s room in the middle of the night to find them screaming, sitting up, and completely inconsolable… and only to have them settle back to sleep like nothing happened… night terrors may be the reason. Night terrors can be incredibly frightening to witness, but they’re often misunderstood. In this episode, Allison explains what night terrors really are, why they happen, and what parents can do both in the moment and behind the scenes to prevent them. You’ll also learn one of the most important clues for telling the difference between night terrors...
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232. Toddler Sleep Boundaries: Toys in Bed and Early Morning Play
How Long 'Til Bedtime?
Many toddlers wake up before it’s truly time to start the day, or before their wake up light turns green. When that happens, parents often wonder: Should I let my child quietly play with toys until it’s time to get up? And is it okay to let kids bring toys into bed at bedtime or nap time? At first glance, both of these solutions can feel harmless or even like a parenting win. But in reality, they can sometimes create habits that make sleep more difficult. In this episode, Allison answers these two common questions and explains why protecting the sleep environment matters more than many...
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231. How to Set Your Twins Up for Sleep Success
How Long 'Til Bedtime?
If you have twins and are struggling to get any consolidated sleep, you're not alone and you're certainly not doing anything wrong. In this episode, Allison dives into the unique challenges of twin sleep and shares practical strategies to help you build rhythms that work for both babies and for you. From syncing overnight feeds to navigating naps when your twins have completely different sleep temperaments, this episode walks you through the simple adjustments that can make twin sleep far more manageable. Because while sleep advice for single babies often focuses on following each baby’s...
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230. Sleep Starts With a Bed: Addressing Furniture Poverty for Families with Lauren Evans
How Long 'Til Bedtime?
What does sleep look like for a child who doesn’t have a bed? In honor of National Sleep Awareness Week, Allison is spotlighting a foundational—but often overlooked—piece of healthy sleep: having a bed. In this episode, she’s joined by Lauren Evans, mom of two and Executive Director of Beds for Kids, an organization serving more than 1,000 families each year by providing beds and essential furniture to children and parents in need. Lauren shares how becoming a parent shaped her passion for this work, the moment she first realized furniture poverty existed, and how Beds for Kids grew...
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229. Special Time: The Secret to Easier Bedtimes and Better Behavior
How Long 'Til Bedtime?
If bedtime in your house is full of stalling, endless requests, or sudden separation anxiety, it may not be about sleep at all. It may be about connection. In this episode, Allison explains how a small tweak to your language - and just 10–15 minutes of intentional one-on-one time each day - can dramatically reduce bedtime resistance and improve behavior throughout the day. You’ll learn: Why attention is currency for young children How unmet connection needs show up as bedtime battles The three simple rules that make “special time” effective How to implement it realistically,...
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228. Spring Forward Sleep Tips: How to Handle Daylight Saving Time With Kids
How Long 'Til Bedtime?
- Download Allison’s free printable guide to plug in your child’s schedule and follow a clear plan for the time change. If time changes make you anxious every year, you are not alone—but the good news is that the spring time change is typically the easier one to manage. In this episode of How Long ’Til Bedtime?, Allison walks you through exactly how to adjust your child’s sleep when the clocks spring forward, without triggering early mornings, short naps, or a full-blown sleep regression. You’ll learn why you don’t need to prepare days in advance, what to do on the actual day of...
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227. Should Your Baby or Toddler Have a Set Morning Wake Time?
How Long 'Til Bedtime?
In today’s conversation, Allison breaks down why when your child starts their day plays a surprisingly powerful role in naps, bedtime, and overall night sleep. She answers a common question parents ask: Should my baby or toddler wake up at the same time every morning? The answer is yes… with important nuance. You’ll learn how morning wake time sets the rhythm for the entire day, why too much variability can throw off naps and bedtime, and what a “consistent” wake time actually looks like for babies and toddlers (spoiler: perfection not required). Allison also addresses early morning...
info_outlineIn today’s conversation, Allison breaks down why when your child starts their day plays a surprisingly powerful role in naps, bedtime, and overall night sleep. She answers a common question parents ask: Should my baby or toddler wake up at the same time every morning? The answer is yes… with important nuance.
You’ll learn how morning wake time sets the rhythm for the entire day, why too much variability can throw off naps and bedtime, and what a “consistent” wake time actually looks like for babies and toddlers (spoiler: perfection not required). Allison also addresses early morning wakings, explains why wake windows may work against you in certain situations, and shares two practical adjustments that often help families move in the right direction.
If sleep has felt unpredictable or hard to stabilize, morning wake time may be the overlooked piece of the puzzle.
In this episode, we cover:
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Why morning wake time influences naps, bedtime, and night sleep
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What “consistent” wake time really means (and why kids aren’t robots)
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How shifting wake times can create nap and bedtime chaos
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The role of circadian rhythm in baby and toddler sleep
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Why wake windows aren’t evidence-based and when they may backfire
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What to do if your child sleeps in after a rough night
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Why early bedtimes can actually lead to later mornings
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How early feeding times may reinforce early wake-ups
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Practical steps to create more predictable, restful sleep days and nights
Resources mentioned in this episode:
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Episode 205: Baby Sleep Myths: Why Wake Windows Aren’t Evidence-Based (and What to Do Instead)
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Learn more about working with Allison and her team at sleepandwellnesscoach.com
Click here to listen to the episode on YouTube
Wondering if your child is getting enough sleep? Allison’s free guides take the guesswork out of bedtime. Learn the optimal sleep ranges for every age so your little one can feel their best—day after day. Get your free copy now: 0-2 Years Old or 3 to 10 years old
From baby sleep to toddler sleep, daycare naps to sleep training—How Long ’Til Bedtime? is the podcast for parents who want practical, guilt-free sleep tips they can actually use.
Hosted by pediatric sleep coach Allison Egidi, each episode delivers real solutions for every stage—from navigating newborn sleep struggles and weaning night feedings to helping your 3-year-old fall asleep independently (and stay asleep!). Whether you’re trying to make sense of daycare sleep patterns, craving your evenings back, or simply need a working mom podcast to keep you grounded, you’re in the right place.
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