As we get more into colder weather here in the U.S., that means we are spending a lot of time indoors these days! Between freezing temps and snow, this time of year doesn’t exactly scream, “Let’s get outside!”

But did you know that in some cultures, sub-freezing temps are considered perfect napping temperatures? For BABIES?! It’s true! In Scandinavia and Iceland (just to name two), it is common practice to nap babies outside in all seasons – even when the temperature drops well below freezing. The main reasons Nordic mothers nap their babies outside? Because, according to them, it helps their babies take better, longer naps. In fact, napping baby outside would appear to be so successful that it is a common cultural practice that dates back generations in many northern countries!

So what’s the scoop here? Can napping a baby outside really mean longer naps? And is it something you should try?

Napping Baby Outdoors – Does It Actually Work?

It’s hard to say for certain whether napping a baby outside will always result in longer, deeper naps. Remember, some sleep problems (like persistent sleep associations) will often interfere with sleep regardless of how, where, and when you put your baby down for a nap. If your baby is used to nursing to sleep, for instance, your baby will likely wake between sleep cycles needing to nurse, regardless of whether he’s outside or not. So we certainly wouldn’t call this a solution to persistent problems like short and inconsistent naps.

That said, it’s a documented fact that fresh air does tend to help babies and toddler sleep better. One study specifically designed to determine whether or not napping a baby outdoor improves sleep found that children who napped outside did nap for longer periods than those children who napped indoors. Even better, another study found that children who are exposed to a daily dose of fresh air and sunshine actually sleep better and longer at night. So it would seem that fresh air can positively affect more than just nap sleep – it can mean longer nighttime stretches, too!

So why is it that fresh air seems to have a measurable impact on sleep? Probably because fresh air has a measurable positive impact on just about every other area of your child’s health, too! Fresh air has been shown to reduce rates of childhood obesity and ADD/ADHD, to improve mental performance and grades in school, to improve vision, to increase creative thinking and problem solving too (source). It would seem that our bodies are just designed to be outside! But as we spend more and more time indoors (as humans tend to do here in the 21st century), it creates problems like obesity, hyperactivity…and poor sleep.

It’s also true that cooler temps in particular help promote better, longer sleep. Plenty of research supports the idea that people sleep best when the thermostat is set in the low-to-mid 60 degree Fahrenheit range. Why? Because these cooler temps help our core temperatures to drop, a phenomenon which is essential to sleep. It would seem, then, that napping a baby outside, with baby all bundled up against the freezing temps, is a great and expedient way to achieve the cool temps needed for great sleep.

Should You Try It?
So is napping your baby outdoors something that you should try? Well, first off, napping a baby outdoors in high heat and humidity will likely have the opposite of the effect that you want: it’ll probably keep your baby awake and sleeping fitfully! On the other hand, if you live in a colder climate, you may consider trying a nap outdoors. Here are a few things to keep in mind, however:

• Bundle baby up well if it is cold outside.
• Check babies and toddlers often, especially their head, neck, and extremities. Ensure that they are not sweating due to overdressing or cold due to being underdressed.
• Shield your baby and their stroller from direct sunlight and wind.
• DO NOT cover your baby’s entire stroller with a thick or tightly woven blanket – this restricts air circulation and is dangerous.
• Do use the baby monitor if you are going to be inside your home and your baby is outside. Most baby monitors measure the temperature, which means you can keep an eye on your baby AND on the temperature. Note that while it is common practice in some countries to keep a baby’s stroller on the curb while mom steps into a cafe or a shop, we do not recommend being too far from your baby’s stroller during outdoor sleep. (source)
• Be advised that neighbors or passers-by may be alarmed at the site of a seemingly-unattended baby, so be close at hand to offer assurances that you are supervising your child.

Fresh Air Means Better Baby Naps and Sleeping Through The Night

Here’s the good news: fresh air helps a baby sleep well at night and nap soundly. And even if you DON’T feel comfortable putting your baby down for naps outdoors, you can certainly carve out some time to take a walk or go to the park with your baby. Make it a point to get your child outdoors (even during the winter) for a little time every day, and you will most likely notice at least slight gains in your child’s sleep. Add that to the long list of other benefits that fresh air provides, and you are well on your way to enjoying a happy, healthy, RESTED child!

The post Can Fresh and Cold Air Help Your Baby Nap and Sleep Longer? appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

We’ve written quite a bit about sleep regressions on this site (in fact, Nicole herself was instrumental in coining that term!), and with good reason: your child goes through FIVE sleep regressions in the first year of life alone!

But how can you know for sure if something is a sleep regression?

How do you distinguish a sleep regression from a growth spurt?

What about a sleep regression vs. a funky phase that has no real explanation?

And, for that matter, how do you distinguish what seems like poor sleep due to a sleep regression from the kind of poor sleep that is the result of a newly-formed bad sleep habit?

Sleep Regression? Phase? Habit? How is a tired parent to tell the difference? Read on for answers!

Sleep Regressions – What You Need To Know

Before we launch into this article, it might be helpful to offer a bit of background information about sleep regressions.

One primary benefit we have over other parents is YOUR experience. What we mean by that is that, sure, everyone on The Baby Sleep Site® team has experience with our own children, but now that we’ve helped countless parents, we see patterns that most parents don’t have the luxury of seeing. We benefit from your experience and know the potential pitfalls to look out for; we glean these not only from our own experience as parents but from all of yours, too. It’s actually very interesting to put it all together!

Our experience tells us that MANY people will have sleep troubles around the same time:

• 4 month old sleep regression – This is probably one of the biggest trouble spots for many new parents (though only some will consider it a sleep problem until 6 months, waiting for a baby to “get over it”). The way your baby sleeps fundamentally changes and it never changes back!
• 8 month old sleep regression – This one is another big one, but doesn’t always happen in the eighth month. This can be around 8, 9, or 10 months and usually related to a lot of development going on with your baby. This usually gets better a few weeks later, though it’s easy to develop new long-term habits trying to deal with it.
• 11-12 month old – We hear about this one fairly often but not enough to say it’s a “big” problem for all families. Around 11 months old, we have found that some babies will start fighting one or both naps and then it will pass 2-3 weeks later.
• 18 month old sleep regression – This is a common age to hear from parents about their toddler’s sleep, usually related to napping, night waking, and testing limits or questions about discipline.
• 2 year old sleep regression – Around this age, I find many parents writing to me about bedtime getting later, which is common at this age, especially in the summer.

These are all very common trouble spots and, as we always say, the biggest “danger” with these times is to make new long-term habits such that something that would have been temporary becomes a long-term sleep problem for you and your baby.

Are there other challenging times? You bet! The first two years (sometimes three) are difficult, regardless, but around 7 months, your baby begins developing separation anxiety, then there is teething, of course, and other issues like that come up here and there. Some will simply be more sensitive to all the changes than others.

Sleep Regression or Sleep Phase? How To Tell The Difference.

First, we should explain that a “sleep regression” has been a term that people have used to say “Sleep really messes up at this time, but don’t worry it will go back to normal.” But, a “regression” implies that something will go back to how it once was and, in that regard, it’s likely that only the “8-month sleep regression” fits the definition.

18 months is a close second, but if you aren’t careful, that strong independence-seeking stage can bleed into 2 and 3 years old and that’s a heck of a long “regression!”

Remember, at 4 months, your baby changes how he sleeps and while some will then begin to sleep better without you changing anything, he will never sleep the way he did when he was a newborn.

By contrast, at 8 months, this is generally a “blip” due to rapid development and the simple inability to sleep with so much going on in their minds. As long as you don’t inadvertently make some new long-term habits, your baby most likely will get past this in 3 to 6 weeks and go back to how he was sleeping before. If it was bad before, though, that may not be very desirable!

Every other “blip” in your baby’s sleep we would call a “phase.” Generally speaking, there are two distinct causes for a sleep phase: either your child is working on a new developmental milestone (whether you can see it or not), or your child’s external environment is changing in some way that impacts sleep.

Now, sleep regressions happen due to development – but not all development is linked to a full-blown sleep regression.

Your baby learns a LOT in a short amount of time! Just to name a few, they learn names of objects, how to roll, crawl, pull up, stand up, sign language, and/or hand gestures, walk, talk, object permanence, eat, cause and effect, and so on. And, there are likely lots of “little” things we don’t even see that can cause sleep phases. All of that can make some babies feel unsettled, insecure, happy, tired, over-tired, excited, over-stimulated or all of the above! No wonder they can’t sleep, sometimes!

By contrast, some sleep phases can be caused by a disruption to your child’s usual environment.

For example, welcoming a new baby into your home and/or moving to a new house can both cause major sleep disruptions! Sleep tends to derail for a bit in both cases. Similarly, if you take a vacation, you can expect your child’s sleep to fall apart for a bit. And illness falls into this category, too; when your child is sick, you’ll have a rough sleep phase for awhile!

What About Sleep Habits? How Do Those Differ From Sleep Regressions and/or Sleep Phases?

There is no black and white as far as when you have a sleep regression, phase, or a habit, but our general rule of thumb is to wait 2-3 weeks to see what happens. If you have an abrupt sleep change, try to give your baby 2-3 weeks to see if something reveals itself. It could be a new tooth or a new “trick” or even an illness a few days later.

There is no reason to feel alarmed that something has changed in those first 2-3 weeks. But if, after 2-3 weeks, you are still dealing with the exact same issues – in other words, if the sleep problem has “stuck” – then that’s when we tend to tell people to treat the sleep issues as new habits, and to take action.

Now, we’ve been assuming, so far, that your baby was sleeping well and then suddenly wasn’t.

But if your baby wasn’t sleeping well before and then sleeping gets even worse, that would be another reason to start working on sleep sooner rather than later.

Sleep may not become “perfect” until a sleep regression is over, for example, but it could be a whole lot better if your baby WAS waking 3 times per night and is now waking 6-8 times per night, which is excessive even for a sleep regression.

In the end, you know your baby best and, although you may be a new mom or on your third baby and forgot everything from your younger one(s), your instincts will guide you more than you think. As soon as you start to feel resentment or that you can barely function or, worse, your baby can barely function, it’s likely time to do something about it.

Although it may be your fault your baby won’t sleep, it doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. Only some babies will eventually grow out of their sleep problems. We work with parents of toddlers all the time still waiting for their baby to grow out of the same sleep problems they had at 4 months old!

How do YOU decide if your baby is going through a sleep regression, a phase, or a new sleep habit? Scroll down to share your tips and stories, to ask questions, and to hear from other parents like you!

The post Sleep Regression, Phase, or Habit – Which Is Causing Your Baby’s Sleep Problems? appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

From the time your baby was born, you have no doubt been diligent about what kinds of food and nourishment goes into her mouth. From breastfeeding and/or choosing the best formula during her newborn months, to introducing healthy foods once your baby started solids, to coming up with creative and healthy meals that your toddler will actually eat – you are no doubt well-aware that what goes into your child’s body has a big impact on her health.

But did you know that your child’s meals and food choices can also have a big impact on the quality of her sleep? It’s true! Keep reading to learn how your child’s food choices, as well as the timing of her meals, can affect her nap time and nighttime sleep.

How Your Child’s Food Choices Affect Sleep

You probably know that food provides energy, so in that sense, all foods are energizing. However, you may not know that certain foods can have a stimulating effect on the brain. The most classic examples, of course, are caffeine-containing foods. Caffeine has a strong stimulant effect on the brain. Refined sugar is another classic stimulant. Both caffeine and refined sugar will make your child more alert and much less inclined to sleep. For that reason, it’s best to minimize your child’s intake of the following foods:

• Coffee and tea (both regular and decaf, as decaf contains some caffeine)
• Soda (even caffeine-free sodas, as they contain small amounts of caffeine)
• Chocolate (double-whammy: it contains caffeine and refined sugar!)
• Sugary beverages and fruit juices
• Sugary snacks and candy

However, there are other types of foods that actually have a sedating effect on the brain. They produce chemicals that promote sleepiness and relaxation. These foods that help sleep contain a substance called tryptophan.

What is tryptophan? Glad you asked! Tryptophan is an amino acid that our bodies use to synthesize proteins. Tryptophan also produces a brain chemical called serotonin from which melatonin (which is so essential for sleep that it’s named the ‘sleep hormone’) is manufactured.

Foods that contain high levels of tryptophan include the following:

• Dairy products (Cheddar, gruyere, and Swiss cheeses have particularly high amounts of tryptophan)
• Nuts
• Tofu and soy products
• Wheat and oats
• Bananas
• Green leafy vegetables
• Eggs
• Poultry (especially turkey)

But here’s the thing: in order for the tryptophan to help your child feel sleepy, your kiddo needs to eat tryptophan-containing foods alongside foods that contain healthy, complex carbohydrate foods. Why? Because carbohydrates cause the release of insulin, which helps tryptophan reach the brain and cause sleepiness.

Good examples of meals that provide the proper combination of complex carbs and tryptophan include:

• Turkey with sauteed greens
• Whole-wheat pasta with some cheddar cheese grated on top
• An egg sandwich on whole wheat bread and topped with swiss cheese
• Tofu with stir-fried vegetables
• Tuna with brown rice

How The Timing Of Your Child’s Meals Impact Sleep

It’s not just what your child eats that has an impact on sleep; WHEN your child eats has a real effect on how well your child sleeps.

Here are a few meal-scheduling tips designed to ensure that your child sleeps well and isn’t kept awake by an ill-timed meal or snack:

• Avoid large meals 1 hour or less before bedtime. A large meal will raise your child’s metabolic rate and body temperature, which will make it tough to get to sleep. You want your child’s metabolism and temperature to be decreasing as they head towards bedtime, not increasing.
• Your child’s largest meal of the day should happen at midday. Dinner should be a bit smaller than lunch and should happen at least 2 hours before your child’s bedtime.
• A small snack before nap time or bedtime can be a great idea; just be sure it’s healthy and doesn’t contain refined sugar or caffeine. In addition, offer the snack about 30 minutes before your child needs to go down for sleep.

Remember, food choices and meal-timing won’t fix persistent sleep problems. If your child is taking short, inconsistent naps and is struggling to sleep through the night, you will likely need to try sleep coaching in order to see improved sleep. But feeding your child the right foods and timing up meals carefully can certainly help to enhance already-strong sleep habits.

How do your child’s food choices and meal times impact sleep? Scroll down to share stories, to ask questions, and to hear from other parents just like you!

The post Do Your Child’s Food Choices Affect Sleep? appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

Whether your early-riser is a wee babe or a great big toddler, one thing is certain: early waking is rough! The timing of your baby or toddler’s morning wake-up sets the tone for the rest of the day, AND it sets the pace for the day’s sleep and feeding schedule. That means a way-too-early wake-up call can wreak havoc on what could have otherwise been a perfectly fine day.

Clearly, early rising is a problem that needs fixing!

What Is “Waking Up Too Early”, Anyway?

Now, remember that ‘early’ is a relative term – for some parents, a 5:00 wake-up time is ideal, while for others, anything before 8:30 is considered “way too early!” That’s why it’s a good idea to establish an objective “waking too early” standard against which you can judge your situation.

As a rule of thumb, if your child’s wake-up time is after 6 a.m. and he or she is waking up fairly happy and refreshed, then you likely don’t have an early waking problem on your hands. Take a good, hard look at your child’s wake-up time – is it after 6 a.m.? Also, think about how your child wakes up – is she happy and energized? If your child is waking at or after 6 a.m. and seems refreshed and ready to tackle the day, then (as much as it may pain you to hear this!) you probably don’t have an early rising problem. A wake-up time of 6:00 or later is reasonable and developmentally appropriate for most babies and toddlers, provided they are getting adequate nighttime and nap time sleep.

That said, if your child is waking before 6 a.m., and/or seems cranky and tired first thing in the morning, then you likely do have an early-rising issue on your hands.

Why Your Baby Is Waking Up Too Early

Occasional early waking can be caused by a variety of factors, including….

• ….illness.
• ….teething.
• ….traveling (and sleeping in an unfamiliar setting).
• ….sleep regressions.
• ….potty training (for toddlers).

Honestly, occasional and intermittent early waking is nothing to worry much about; if you can trace the cause to something temporary, then simply work on getting back on track as soon as you can.

However, if your baby regularly rises before the sun, then it’s likely you have a scheduling problem to solve.

Two Common Causes of Waking Up Too Early (And What To Do About It)

1. Nap Timing: It may be that either the timing of your child’s naps are off, or the length of the naps themselves is off. If your child’s nap schedule builds in too much awake-time during the day, for instance, then your child may be overtired at bedtime and is more likely to sleep poorly and wake too early. What’s more, if your child’s naps are too short, then that can also cause overtiredness.
2. Bedtime Timing: Contrary to what you might guess, keeping a baby up late at bedtime will not mean a later morning wake-up time! Sleep begets sleep, so a baby who goes to bed early is more likely to sleep well and wake at a decent hour. That said, though, older toddlers who still take an afternoon nap may actually benefit from a later bedtime. If you put a toddler to bed early, he may not be tired enough for sleep and may instead bounce around his bed for hours before he finally falls asleep.

Baby Waking Up Too Early? Here’s How To Fix It

So your baby is more than just an early bird. At this point, you probably know what’s causing the early waking….but how are you supposed to fix it? Good question!

First, you’ll want to start treating your child’s early-morning wake-up calls as night wakings, and not “start-of-the-morning” wakings. That means that while it’s fine to get up and offer your baby comfort and reassurance, try not to get your baby up for the day. If you do, you’re merely reinforcing that this early-morning waking is fine and normal and part of the regular routine. Do this for a week or so, and your problem may solve itself.

If, after a week of treating early wakings as night wakings, your child is still too much of an early bird, then begin making schedule adjustments. Do you need to work in an extra nap during the day? Maybe you need to shift the timing of any naps, so that your child has less awake time during the day? Consider moving bedtime earlier, or possibly later? Do you need to move feedings so that they happen closer to naps and bedtime? Perhaps you need to offer a bedtime snack? Gradually make these schedule adjustments, while still treating any early wakings as night wakings.

Generally, following these steps will resolve most early waking problems. If you’re still struggling, however, you may need a more expert approach to solving your problem.

For more early-waking help, check out our members-only e-book, Shift Your Child’s Schedule. It includes helpful tips designed to shift your child’s schedule either forward or backward so as to fix early- or late-waking problems. Members enjoy unlimited access to this e-book at no additional cost.

More Help From The Baby Sleep Site^®

Early waking can be a tough habit to break. Fortunately, we can help! Connect with one of our expert consultants today; she’ll craft a Personalized Sleep Plan^® just for your baby, walk you through every step of sleep coaching and schedule-making, and provide detailed answers to your most pressing sleep training questions.

Purchase a sleep consulting package today, and connect with your expert sleep consultant!

Once you make your choice and purchase, you will immediately receive an e-mail with your Helpdesk login information. You’ll be able to log in and get started immediately!

Want more information about how personalized help works? Check out our FAQ page here, and get answers.

Or, join our VIP Members Area packed with exclusive content and resources: e-Books, assessments, detailed case studies, expert advice, peer support, and more. It usually costs less to join than buying products separately! And don’t forget that, as a member, you’ll also enjoy a weekly chat with an expert sleep consultant, which is perfect if you have truly tough, pressing sleep coaching questions that require expert help.

The post Baby Waking Up Too Early? Here Are 5 Tips To Help appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

To co-sleep, or not to co-sleep…that’s a hot, debatable topic these days! Of course, we work with families all over the world, who sleep in a variety of arrangements, so we pass no judgment. We make it our priority to respect every parent’s personal philosophies and goals.

But we also make it a priority to emphasize the importance of safe sleep practices. And let’s face it, when it comes to co-sleeping, there is quite a debate out there about whether or not it’s a safe way to sleep.

The Overlooked Facts About Co-Sleeping

There’s a lot we could say about safe co-sleeping, but we’ve already made those points in this article, Is Co-Sleeping Dangerous?

But here’s the thing – we have learned a lot about how and why parents co-sleep in the years since the American Academy of Pediatrics issued its warnings about the dangers of bed-sharing in 2011. The AAP went to great lengths then to issue warnings about the dangers of co-sleeping…and some states (New York and Wisconsin, for example) have taken up the call by creating their own anti-co-sleeping campaigns. The goal was to staunch the rising tide of infant deaths related to bed-sharing, and some of the tactics used in this anti-co-sleeping campaign were downright disturbing (like this image of baby sleeping next to a meat cleaver).

But it’s looking more and more like these campaigns have not only failed to make a meaningful difference in co-sleeping rates — it’s looking more and more like they have backfired…and it’s easy to see why.

For one, most of these campaigns strongly emphasize the dangers of sharing a bed with your baby – but really, sharing a bed is far, far less dangerous than parents sharing a couch with their babies, or a recliner. As Dr. Melissa Bartick shared in a recent article with WBUR, in Boston,

“As states have adopted the AAP 2011 recommendations, the advice to never sleep with your baby has backfired in the worst possible way. Rather than preventing deaths, this advice is probably even increasing deaths. Included in 2009 study that the AAP even cited in its statement for other conclusions, parents of two SIDS babies who slept with their infant on a sofa did so because they had been advised against bringing their infants into bed but had not realized the dangers of sleeping on a sofa. In fact, deaths from SIDS in parental beds has halved in the UK from 1984-2004, but there has been a rise of deaths from cosleeping on sofas.”

And it’s becoming clearer and clearer that not all co-sleeping is equal. An attachment parent who is committed to co-sleeping, and who is incredibly intentional about her family’s sleeping arrangements, is not at all the same as a parent who simply collapses on the sofa with baby on her chest, out of sheer exhaustion. So to treat ALL co-sleeping as dangerous is really unfair; we know that intentional co-sleeping, done safely and carefully, is actually quite safe indeed.

And finally (and perhaps most importantly), here’s what is most revealing about how far short these anti co-sleeping campaigns have fallen: the evidence suggests that in spite of the AAP’s best efforts, over 40% of mothers report that they frequently or always share a sleep space with their child (and it’s likely the co-sleeping stats are grossly underestimated). The scare tactics simply aren’t working.

So what does this suggest? To us, it suggests that what we don’t need is a fear-based campaign designed to terrify mothers into not co-sleeping…instead, what we need is a comprehensive system to educate mothers about how to co-sleep safely and with intention, if they do choose to occasionally or frequently (or even always) share a sleeping space with their babies.

In some ways, this is similar to the sex education that many teenagers receive in school. (Okay, not totally similar, but stick with me here!) There is lots of evidence that abstinence-based sex ed, on its own, is not nearly as effective as programs that teach both the value of abstinence AND safe-sex practices. You simply can’t terrify or persuade teenagers into not having sex, and hope that works. It doesn’t.

Similarly, you can’t terrify moms into not co-sleeping – the evidence suggests that they will anyway. So what if, instead, we focused on educating moms about what safe co-sleeping practices look like?

The fact is, as Dr. James McKenna points out, co-sleeping has been around since the dawn of time. We will never eradicate it, and campaigns that are designed to dissuade parents from sharing a sleep space with their children are bound to fail – whereas campaigns designed to educate and inform can only succeed.

How To Co-Sleep Safely

With all this talk about how to co-sleep safely, you may be wondering, “How exactly DO I co-sleep safely, anyway?” Glad you asked! These resources are great ones, if you want to educate yourself about safe co-sleeping practices:

• Safe Co-Sleeping Guidelines
• KellyMom Guide To Safe Co-Sleeping
• Co-Sleeping Frequently Asked Questions

In the end, what we want to leave you with is this: there is no “right” or “wrong” sleeping arrangement for you and your baby, provided your sleeping arrangements are safe. Safe bed-sharing, safe room-sharing, safe crib-sleeping…it can all work! And your baby can sleep well, and peacefully, in any sleeping arrangement. The Baby Sleep Site^® team is 100% committed to respecting your parenting goals, and your family’s sleeping arrangements, and we will work with you to improve your child’s sleep no matter what those arrangements look like. We will never pressure you to change you sleeping set-up; instead, we will work within the parameters you give us, and will respect them every step of the way.

Browse our list of consultation package options here.

What are your thoughts on co-sleeping? Any co-sleeping stories or tips to share?

The post The Co-Sleeping Campaign That Backfired Completely appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

When a family is expecting a new baby, one thing that’s likely high on the to-do list is setting up a nursery. That’s one of the fun parts of being pregnant, after all — buying cute nursery stuff makes up for all the nausea, leg cramps, and constant trips to the bathroom! 😉

What is Room-sharing?

When setting up a nursery for your baby, you’ll probably include a crib in your plans. Whether or not your baby will sleep there, though, is less certain. Plenty of parents prefer keeping their babies (especially newborns) nearby at night. These parents often sleep their babies in bassinets near (or right next to) their own beds. This practice is called room-sharing.

Room-sharing directly affects sleep (both yours and your baby’s); whether those effects are good or bad (sleep-wise) varies from family to family. Some families find that room-sharing helps everyone sleep better; for others, the opposite is true.

In this article, we’ll explore all the ways (good and bad) that room-sharing affects sleep. However, before we continue, I should note that room-sharing and bed-sharing are not the same thing. Room-sharing is considered safe; bed-sharing, however, is inherently risky, if precautions aren’t taken. We’ll talk primarily about room-sharing in this article.

How Sharing A Room With Your Baby Affects Your Sleep: the Good

Whether your baby sleeps in your room or you sleep in hers, there can be some definite advantages to keeping your little one close by.

• It’s breastfeeding-friendly. This is especially true if you use something like the Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper; one side drops, allowing the bassinet to be pushed up right next to mom’s side of the bed. When baby is so close at hand, it eliminates the need to get up and walk down the hall, leading to faster nighttime feeds and more sleep for mom.
• You can monitor baby easily. When you and baby share a room, you’re better able to monitor him throughout the night. And this makes a difference: according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, room-sharing can actually help reduce the risk of SIDS. Some parents find that having constant access to their baby throughout the night actually helps them (the parents) sleep better, since there’s no wondering if baby’s too hot or cold, or if baby’s still breathing.
• Nighttime fussiness is quickly resolved. If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you know by now that hunger isn’t the only reason a baby wakes during the night. Babies wake due to discomfort, or because they need their pacifiers replaced, or simply because they’re going through a sleep regression. And when baby’s nearby, it’s much easier for mom and dad to offer comfort. After all, simply rolling over and replacing baby’s pacifier is easy; walking across the house to do it (especially if you’re doing it 10 times each night!) is frustrating.

How Sharing A Room With Your Baby Affects Your Sleep: the Not-So-Good

There are plenty of families who find that room-sharing disturbs everyone’s sleep (including baby’s).

• You hear every.single.sound. This was me! When my oldest son was a newborn, he slept in a pack-n-play right next to my bed. That arrangement lasted a grand total of 3 nights. Turns out becoming a mom had given me the hearing of a bat; every little hiccup or sigh or grunt from my son caused me to wake instantly. It wasn’t until I moved him down the hall that I finally started getting some sleep! Your baby may also hear every single sound you make, which is not so good, if you have a snorer in the family or an early riser.
• You might be tempted to check on baby constantly. This goes right along with the last point; when you hear every sound your baby makes, you end up checking on your baby all the time. (You know — just to make sure that sneeze wasn’t something serious! 😉 ) Not only does this wreak havoc on your own sleep; it can disturb your baby’s, too. Often, those little sights and grunts happen when baby is fast asleep; when you check on her, you risk actually waking her up.
• Your baby can develop less-than-ideal sleeping habits. This dovetails with the “nighttime fussiness” point in the last section. When you’re room-sharing, it’s easy to stop nighttime crying by offering the breast (after all, how many people can sleep next to an all-night buffet and not eat?), or replacing the pacifier. And that’s a good short-term solution; everyone will get more sleep on that particular night. But is it a good long-term solution? If that happens every night, your baby runs the risk of developing major sleep associations. And of course, sleep associations ultimately mean less sleep for you and, especially, for your baby.
• Baby bedtimes are very early compared to an adult’s bedtime. Not many adults want to go to bed around 7 or 8 PM. Similarly, some parents need to get up early before the baby to go to the gym, get ready for work, clean, etc. When you’re sharing a room, that can get tricky! You may want to consider using a SlumberPod® (pictured here) such that your baby may not be disturbed while you read before bed or get ready in the morning. It’s a perfect solution and if you use Coupon Code BABYSLEEPSITE20, you can get $20 off!

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: there is no one-size-fits-all solution for baby sleep. Room-sharing is a perfect arrangement for some families; it’s decidedly not for others. We recommend finding the solution that allows everyone in your family to get the rest they need (including you!) That might be room-sharing; it might be something else.

Nicole’s Note:
“When my youngest was born, we planned on having him in a bassinet in our room. He *hated* it! Never slept even one minute in it. We switched to a Close and Secure Sleeper between us after that and he was so noisy! I would ‘pat him back to sleep’ even when he was sleeping! LOL That was the end of room-sharing for us with that one. 🙂 But, we have many clients who room share successfully. All babies (and situations) are unique!”

Have you tried room-sharing? Does it work for you? Share your story!

If you’re looking for ways to get your baby or toddler into a healthy sleeping routine, please be sure to pick up your FREE copy of 5 (tear-free) Ways to Help Your Child Sleep Through the Night, our e-Book with tear-free tips to help your baby sleep better. For those persistent nighttime struggles, check out The 3-Step System to Help Your Baby Sleep (babies) or The 5-Step System to Better Toddler Sleep (toddlers). Using a unique approach and practical tools for success, our e-books help you and your baby sleep through the night and nap better. For those looking for a more customized solution for your unique situation with support along the way, please consider one-on-one baby and toddler sleep consultations, where you will receive a Personalized Sleep Plan™ you can feel good about! Sometimes it’s not that you can’t make a plan. Sometimes you’re just too tired to.

The post How Room-Sharing Affects Your Baby’s Sleep appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

A baby night waking is one of the most common issues that bring tired parents to The Baby Sleep Site. But, why exactly do babies wake at night? Why won’t your baby sleep? This article will discuss the 5 primary reasons for baby night waking.

 

1. Sleep Prop

The official name is “sleep association” but these are more widely known as “sleep props” or “crutches.” This is something your baby “needs” (using that term loosely) in order to sleep. For most babies, in my experience, this will be a pacifier, bottle, or breastfeeding (so a nipple of some sort because sucking is so soothing to them). For many others, this might be movement such as rocking, bouncing, walking, the car, etc. Still fewer, some babies will wake for much less. It might be a hand on their back, just a little reassurance, picking them up for a minute, a snuggle with mom. For high-needs babies, they may need more than one (e.g. bouncing with a pacifier). This varies based on your baby’s temperament.

The bigger the sleep prop, the easier to change, for most babies. Some babies’ sucking reflex is much stronger, though, that can be difficult to change depending on your baby’s age. Sometimes you need to avert their sucking to something besides a pacifier that is harder to find at night, for example. By far, I believe the “small” reasons for waking are much harder to change. Who wants to deny your baby a one-minute hug if he seems to need it, even though it’s exhausting to be woken up EVERY night at 4 a.m.? It becomes an issue of attempting to teach them that there is a right and wrong time for certain things such as 2 p.m. IS an appropriate time to play peek-a-boo, but 2 a.m.? Not so much. It is probably your fault your baby won’t sleep and that’s okay!

2. Developmental Milestones

When your baby is learning how to roll, crawl, pull up, cruise, walk, talk, etc. this can disrupt their night sleep (and your baby’s naps, too!). This might not be too surprising to you since you know all too well when you have a lot on your mind, you might have trouble sleeping, too. This is particularly true during the 8, 9, or 10 month old sleep regression.

One key here is to keep your expectations in check because even when it doesn’t seem like your baby is learning something new doesn’t mean he isn’t. There is a lot to learn and you will be amazed at just how much they change in a short amount of time. When your baby can learn how to go back to sleep on his own, this night waking can be a lot less disruptive for everyone. It doesn’t mean it will necessarily be perfect, but you hearing him wake once a night is a lot different than five times! Even better when he can go back to sleep on his own without a tear or your input whatsoever. Just because a baby wakes at night doesn’t mean he needs to “need” something.

3. Teething

Gah! Teething. It feels like babies teethe for what feels like a constant two years! Many people will throw in that they can teethe for a long time before a tooth even pops through, too. This makes you feel powerless because you have to constantly wonder if teeth are trying to pop through or not. Is he in pain? Is this why my baby is waking all night? Then there is the “other” side who say teething does not disrupt sleep at all. Yeah…right. Because all babies are the same, right? I can tell you there are plenty of babies who are great sleepers but wake for a week (or so) due to teething and then go back to sleeping well, so I know teething does affect some babies.

Having a “teething plan” is of utmost importance. I tried to be sensitive to my sons during teething, but also had to keep sleep at the top of priorities for everyone’s sakes. My second son had a much rougher time with teething than his older brother (who inspired this site) who had more sleep problems, ironically! Finding a healthy balance of helping them through teething without creating a bunch of sleep props is the key to getting through the two years (or more) of teething. I think part of what got me through was what toddlers can teach you about sleep training.

4.Hunger

This one might seem obvious, but there are some people who are surprised when a 5-month-old breastfed baby is still waking at night for a feeding or two, especially if their doctor has told them their baby should not need to eat at night. Keep in mind that to go all night without eating means going 12-13 hours without a feeding, since babies need a lot of sleep. Make sure you read about night feedings and when to night wean.

5. Being Human

This one seems to surprise people. A lot of new parents seem to be confused as to why their baby does not sleep the same every day. This is just a friendly reminder that our babies are not robots. I, too, wondered why my baby woke up at a different time every day or a different time at night for his feeding or took a different length nap every day. Not only did I wonder, but it drove me crazy!! I look back and wondered why I expected him to be the same every day. Perhaps it was the books I was reading. I honestly don’t know.

There are some babies who you can set a clock by and then there are those like my son who’s different every. single. day. Without fail! Most of it is his temperament and the fact that not all babies are regular. I look at myself and realize that I am not 100% consistent every day, either. Sometimes I’m starving when I wake up and other days I’m not. Some days I’m starving for lunch by 11 a.m. and other days I wait until 1 p.m. to eat. Why did I expect my baby to be the same every day when I’m not? I’ll never figure that one out, but I can share my wisdom with you that our babies will have good days and bad days just like we do.

There are many reasons a baby is waking at night (or any person for that matter) and the number of reasons increases with toddler sleep. Too cold, too warm, sick, and so on. The above reasons are just the five that seem to come up most frequently in sleep consultations. You may want to read about the ideal temperature for your baby to sleep and, of course, when your baby is miserable due to illness, make sure that you comfort and tend to them so they can get better. As with any temporary sleep disruption, though, try to limit things that can become long-term habits.

 
Want FREE sleep help that you can put to use right away? Download a copy of our free guide, 5 Ways To Help Your Child Sleep Through The Night! The guide is available to download instantly, which means you can start using the techniques in it as early as tonight. So download now, and learn why your baby is waking at night – and what you can do about it.
 
 
Click here to learn more about how to get your free guide.

A better night’s sleep could be just a few clicks away. So don’t wait – download now, and start your journey to better sleep tonight!
 

What are some of the reasons your baby is waking at night? Scroll down to share your story, to ask questions, and to hear from other parents just like you!

The post 5 Reasons Why Your Baby is Night Waking and Won’t Sleep appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

Unfortunately, for some of us, sleeping in the crib is just a nice dream. After you had your baby, you might have purposely decided to keep baby in your room in a co-sleeper bassinet and imagined transitioning her to her own room and crib around 6 months old when she was sleeping through the night. When she turned 6 months, you might have learned it’s not that easy to transition baby to sleep in her crib and I’m here to help!

One thing I want to emphasize is that only some people can sleep anytime, anywhere. My husband happens to be that way. (As I’m typing this, he just started snoozing on the couch next to me.) Only some of our babies will sleep in a stroller (my boys are NOT among them!) and only a few will transition to sleep in a crib without a hitch. My older son (who inspired this site) was not so adaptable, which is why I did make a whole site about baby sleep. 😀

When your baby is a newborn, she might not sleep in her crib because it’s far away from anyone who she seeks comfort from, mommy and daddy. And, it might seem too big compared to the womb, especially if she isn’t swaddled.

Months later, now your baby won’t sleep in the crib because it’s the equivalent of you going to sleep in the guest room. It is only her bed because you said it’s her bed. Your nursery might be beautiful, but to her, she may as well be in a different house when she’s trying to sleep in “her room”. Some adults can’t sleep well in a hotel (even the nice ones) for the same reason: It’s not your bed.

Once again, sleep associations come into play in how your baby knows how to fall asleep. Does she need to move to sleep (via a rocking chair, bouncing ball, or bouncy seat)? Does she need to suck to sleep (via pacifier, nursing, or bottle)? And, is she in a comfortable place to sleep? Up until now she hasn’t slept in her crib, so why would that be a comfortable place today just because she turned 5 or 6 months old?

How to Get Your Baby to Sleep in the Crib

The #1 goal in helping your baby sleep in the crib is to make it feel like HER room and HER bed. Here are a few tips you might consider:

• Consider putting YOUR bed in HIS room for a few days.
• Make sure you spend non-sleep time in HIS room
• Have him sleep on his own crib sheet for a few days, so it has his scent
• YOU sleep on his crib sheet for a few days, so it has YOUR scent
• Give it time. Don’t expect it to go perfectly on the first day. It might take a few days to a couple of weeks, but the first few nights will most likely be the most difficult. Expect it to be rough and he might just surprise you, but do expect it to take work. Only some will have an easy transition.

One thing you want to do is make sure your baby knows how to fall asleep on his own, FIRST. Otherwise, you are simply going back and forth from your room to his all night, instead of reaching over a foot or two (or if you are co-sleeping, maybe just a few inches). Even if your baby is sleeping great in your room, if she has trouble adjusting, make sure you are sensitive to the fact that this is a new place for her and don’t just let her cry it out. Some babies actually sleep BETTER, immediately, once they are in their own space, not smelling Mommy’s milk or hearing Daddy’s snoring all night long.

How Did You Get Your Baby to Sleep in the Crib? Scroll down to share your tips, to ask questions, and to hear from other parents just like you!

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My youngest started crying at about midnight. I went in, cuddled him for a couple of minutes, and put him back down with his crib music on and left. No more peeps out of him!

Flash forward to about three in the morning, and to me almost back to sleep. My other son came running into my room saying he had a bad dream (See our series on nightmares and night terrors here). After I gave him a few minutes of cuddles, I took him back to his bed. He called out for me a little later to turn his fan on. Interestingly enough, I had also turned on my youngest’s ceiling fan a few hours earlier, too. I thought they were both hot (I was too)! But then, I remembered I wanted to do an article about the moon’s effect on our sleep – if there was any! So that night, at about 4 am, I looked it up, and what do you know? It was a full moon that night!

So, does the moon affect our baby’s sleep?

Mostly what I found was that the moon affecting human behavior and sleep, in general, is not proven and generally accepted as untrue among scientists.

In theory, the full moon affecting humans could be true – as it does have an effect on the oceans/tides. After all, the human body is made up of 60% water! However, the amount of water in the oceans is so much greater than our “tiny” human bodies. The water in the ocean is considered “unbounded”, and it’s also been said that a mosquito on our arm would have more of an effect than the moon.

It’s also been said that the term “lunatic” comes from our history that at one time we did believe the moon was to blame for strange behavior, but this has remained unproven by numerous scientific studies. I’m inspired to track my sons’ sleep for the next month and see what happens during the next full moon! For tonight, I’ll stick to reading Goodnight Moon to my boys.

I have subscribed to a website about the full moon where they send you an email reminding you it’s coming. They posted an article about the connection (or lack thereof) between sleep and the moon, here: Full Moon Info WebSite. Here is where you can find the remaining Full Moons for the current year.

A Study May Prove The Moon Impacts Sleep

Research finally caught up and there is now some evidence the moon impacts sleep, especially for children. However, other studies are showing no link. I think we know who’s right!

So, tell me, for my own informal research…

Does your baby wake up during a full moon?

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Temperature and Sleep

When my son was a toddler, I realized that the same night he started waking up at night again was when we had put thermals on underneath his fleece footed PJ’s. Because it was so freezing outside and we were worried about him being cold, we over-compensated. As parents, we often worry about our children being too cold but this can often cause more sleep problems than it solves! And, boy, was I happy to figure it out! You’d think your toddler would say, “Mommy, I’m too hot,” but they simply don’t always realize what’s waking them up. So, I did some homework so I could pass on the best temperature for your baby or toddler’s room when they sleep. Hopefully, my experience again will help others.

Temperature and SIDS

It is very important that you not overheat your newborn when they sleep as it increases the risk of SIDS.

Body Temperature

Our internal body clock controls our body temperature and when our temperature is high, like during the day, our bodies are more awake. We all have a dip in body temperature in the afternoon and we feel sleepy (Ferber calls this the “afternoon dip”). At night, when the sun goes down, our body temperature starts to drop and the hormone Melatonin is released in our bodies inducing sleep.

Our body temperature is lowest at night until around 4 a.m. our bodies start to prepare to wake up. Many parents complain about early waking. It’s the lightest sleep of the night.

What Temperature to Set Your Thermostat?

The best room temperature for a sleeping baby is between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit (or 18.3 to 21.1 Celsius), but I recommend you use these numbers as a starting point. In my experience of over 10 years as a sleep consultant, the best temperature for your family will vary a little, depending on you (and your baby) and how many blankets you use. Keep in mind that your child won’t learn to keep a cover on all night until over 18-24 months.

With the air conditioning on, 72 degrees can feel cold whereas if you put your thermostat to 72 with the heater, it will probably be too hot. In the summer, at night, my family keeps our thermostat at 72 degrees Fahrenheit and during the winter we set it to 63 degrees Fahrenheit. Your baby or toddler’s skin should feel cool to the touch, but not frigid like their fingers are ice cubes. And, generally, your child should never be sweating.

For my youngest, we put on a onesie t-shirt, thermal pajamas, and then fleece pajamas over those this winter. For my eldest, we put just Fleece footed pajamas and to go with his sheet and comforter. In the summer, generally, pajamas and a sleep sack (or sheet and comforter) are sufficient.

If our body temperature being higher in the day keeps us awake, I would venture to guess that my son was waking up partially because his body temperature was too high as much as it was because he may or may not have been uncomfortable. The moral of the story is to keep the kids warm, but not too warm, and not too cold, either, yet another parenting magic trick!

Is 78 Degrees Too Hot for Baby to Sleep?

Yes, in my experience, 78 degrees is too hot for a baby to sleep well both in the summer and the winter. Overheating can also increase the risk of SIDS so can be unsafe. Ideally, the room temperature will be between 68 and 70 degrees. If you live in a warm climate, 72 to 74 degrees may work but you must not overdress your baby if you want them to sleep.

Is 80 Degrees Too Hot for Baby to Sleep?

Yes, again, 80 degrees is likely much too hot for your baby to sleep well. At 80 degrees, they are likely sweating through their pajamas and onto their sheets. When the sheets are wet, you can be even more uncomfortable!

Is 74 Degrees Too Hot for Baby to Sleep?

It is possible 74 degrees is comfortable enough for your baby to sleep but if they feel warm to the touch, you may want to dress them lighter, use a lighter sleep sack, or reduce the temperature of the house. At 74 degrees, it’s borderline.

One final thing to keep in mind is that in my family of four, two of us are extra sensitive to temperature but we all sleep poorly when the room temperature is TOO HOT. You might need to experiment with what the best temperature is for your particular baby since some of us run hotter than others. I hope this article will help you find the best temperature for your baby’s sleep!

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