Nursing Your Toddler to Sleep

My three-year-old is nearly weaned but still has a hard time falling asleep without nursing. Is it okay to nurse her to sleep, or should I insist that she learn to fall asleep an her own?

Falling asleep at the breast is a profoundly satisfying experience for a young child—one she has probably enjoyed from her earliest days. While it is true that children need to explore different ways to let go of wakefulness at the end of the day, a nursing session just before bedtime can help your daughter relax enough to focus on this skill and succeed at it.

Since any kind of milk or juice can promote tooth decay when in contact with your baby’s teeth for long periods, try offering your child the breast just before brushing her teeth and then ease her toward sleep with a bedtime story and a kiss good-night.