ABSTRACT
The toddler years are dominated by a gradual process of separation between the child and his parents. This chapter talks about separations as they affect sleeping problems. Some toddlers are by nature more timid and less receptive to new experiences than others, and this will have an impact on their subsequent development. Some children seem to be born constitutionally more emotionally robust than others. Some children can be helped through the periods of absence with the presence of the special toys or pieces of blanket or bits of fluff that some babies and toddlers develop a strong attachment to. These "transitional objects", as they are sometimes called, may have a particular texture or smell that reminds the child of the parent and gives comfort to the child in her absence. As with separations, the arrival of a sibling brings with it the recognition that the toddler has to share his parent(s) with another.
