Common problems parents encounter with their children during the preschool years relate to sleep, eating, safety, and difficult emotions and behavior.

Sleeping

Preschool children between the ages of 2 and 5 need about 11 to 13 hours of sleep each day. Your preschooler may go through phases when he or she resists resting. Sometimes children may refuse to go to sleep as a way to assert their independence. Other times, they may simply need extra attention or reassurance before they feel safe and comfortable enough to sleep well.

You can help foster good sleep habits by:

• Setting bedtime routines. Do things in the same order each night so that the child understands what to expect and associates these steps with going to sleep.
• Handling sleep disturbances in a consistent manner. Sometimes young children wake up and want attention or reassurance. Keep your response the same each time your child wakes up. Sleep problems often become worse if the child is rewarded with attention. Many times, children quickly fall back asleep on their own. If you feel you need to go into your child's room, make the visit quick and businesslike.
• Helping prevent nightmares. Preschool-age children's rich fantasy lives and active imaginations make them prone to nightmares. These typically occur toward the end of the night or very early morning. You can help prevent nightmares by controlling what you allow your child to watch on television. In addition, encouraging your child to regularly talk about daily events helps a child understand his or her environment. This prevents a child from feeling confused or fearful, which also can lead to nightmares.
• Managing night terrors. Night terrors are different from nightmares because the child remains asleep throughout the entire episode and does not have any memory of it in the morning. Night terrors tend to occur about 3 to 5 hours after the child goes to sleep; nightmares usually happen at the end of the night. Children cry intensely and often lose their breath, which often frightens parents. After 10 to 30 minutes, the child will settle down and return to a deep sleep. Do not try to wake a child during a night terror. Instead, reassure your child and hold him or her to prevent injury. Do not be alarmed if your child seems unaware of your presence. Most children grow out of this sleep behavior. Making sure your child gets enough sleep can help reduce the frequency of night terrors.

Eating

Finicky eating habits are common and normal in preschoolers. Many children have smaller appetites than they had in their younger years because they are growing more slowly. As long as you offer nourishing foods from the major food groups and focus on the big picture-how much is eaten throughout the entire day or over the course of a few days-your child should not have problems. With a parent's guidance, a child naturally balances out his or her diet in an average week.

Safety