It's not surprising that so many toddlers resist bedtime. Having to make their sleep/wake cycles conform to those of other family members isn't easy when your body is running on a different biological clock. The bad news is that lots of youngsters continue to resist bedtimes throughout their childhoods, and getting teenagers to cooperate with lights out can be even more difficult since their biological clocks begin to change, turning them into night owls.

The good news is that it's far easier to deal with the crankiness of a sleep-avoidant older child than with a sleep-deprived toddler. Parents can anticipate that even if they're not getting much rest now, once children have mastered basic sleep skills, things will get better!