The sooner your little one settles into bed, the sooner you can get some well-deserved shut-eye yourself. Though, getting your baby to fall asleep can be much easier said than done. When the usual lullaby or pre-bedtime snuggle session doesn’t work, here are a few other reliable tips for moms and dads when they want to quickly lull their child to sleep. 

1.) Enforce An Early Bedtime

Experts have agreed that an early bedtime is an effective way to ensure your baby is sleepy when it’s time for them to be put down for bed. Around eight weeks, babies experience an increase in melatonin, a hormone that signals your body when it’s time to go to bed. Melatonin levels tend to increase soon after the sun sets, and if your baby is kept awake too long, they’ll become overstimulated and difficult to put to sleep. 

Having a regular, early bedtime around 6.30 p.m. or 7 p.m. helps maintain their sleeping patterns and keeps their sleep-wake cycle more consistent. Research has shown that 18-month-old babies with late bedtimes are more likely to develop issues relating to motor function, social skills and language. Irregular or late bedtimes can also have a negative impact on their behavioral issues as they get older, and even their ability to focus in school. 

2.) Create A Comfortable Environment

Your baby’s bedroom environment should make them feel comfortable, relaxed, and most importantly — sleepy. Night lights are popular among young children, but be smart about placement and how bright the light is. Light has an influence on melatonin levels in the body and can prevent/delay the hormone from releasing at the time it should. 

They certainly don’t need a bed that’s as nice as yours, but your child’s mattress should still be comfortable enough to put them to sleep. Especially if you want them to fall asleep quickly. Infants and children exert very little pressure onto a bed because they weigh so little, so they’ll need something really soft that cradles and supports their little body. 

3.) Put Them Down When They’re Drowsy (Not Asleep)

If you’re waiting until your baby is asleep to tuck them into their crib, you’re putting them down a little too late. For starters, when your baby eventually wakes up in the middle of the night, they might become confused or agitated after not recognizing their surroundings — considering they fell asleep on your shoulder in the living room. Then they’ll need to rely on you to go back to sleep, and that’s what you want to be weaning them off of.

Eventually, around 5-6 months, babies are able to ease themselves to sleep without you. It’s up to the parent, however, to help them reach the point where they’re comfortable to do so. Accordingly, you should take your child to bed when you notice they’re feeling drowsy so they can drift off to sleep without having you by their side. Signs of drowsiness include calmness, blank staring, closed fists, yawning, or jerky leg and arm movements. 

4.) Don’t Always Rush To Their Cribside

If you’re a first-time parent especially, it can be hard to resist the urge to rush to their bed when they’re crying in the middle of the night. It’s important, though, to hold off a few moments before you tend to them if you know they’re taken care of (fed, diaper changed, etc). The goal is to encourage your child to calm themselves down without you. If that doesn’t work, professionals suggest you try the “soothing ladder” technique. 

Start off by patting and rubbing, but don’t pick them up yet. You don’t want to be too intrusive right off the bat, or you risk waking them up even more. Then, you can work your way up to rocking, and feeding them should be the last resort if you still can’t get them to fall back asleep. This will inevitably occur more often with babies who are under 3-4 months old, and you’ll just need to keep practicing the soothing ladder method until your baby learns to self-soothe on their own. 

5.) Practice A Relaxing Nighttime Routine

If your baby’s brain is stimulated too close to bedtime, it will be close to impossible getting them to fall asleep as quickly as you want them to. By the time your baby is about 6-8 weeks old, you should both be implementing relaxing activities into your nightly schedule. Incorporating a consistent routine helps indicate to your baby that it’s time to go to sleep, as their body will begin to recognize that it’s bedtime once your routine becomes a regular practice. 

About 20 minutes before bed, reduce noise and light pollution in your home to help wind them down. Then, try to incorporate relaxing activities that your child enjoys like a warm bath or a soft read-aloud. Research has actually shown that your child is never too young for story-time, and you can even start reading to them as soon as they leave the hospital with you. 

Importance Of Sleep For Infants

Sleep plays an essential role in anyone’s mental and physical health, but this sentiment is particularly true for babies as it is crucial for both their cognitive and physical development.  Sleep deprivation in these crucial early stages of life can lead to problems down the road like hyperactivity, negative or aggressive behavior, mood swings, and or anxiety.

There are two stages of sleep; REM and non-REM. Babies spend half their time in each stage, but at about six months, they spend about 30% of the time in REM. For infants, REM sleep helps prepare their brains for retaining new information, which is critical for effective learning. During non-REM sleep, on the other hand, their body builds muscle tissue and releases a hormone pertinent to their growth and development. 

Here is a helpful table to help you determine whether or not your baby is getting enough sleep.

Newborns: 16 hours (with naps)
1 month: 15.5 hours (with naps)
3 months: 15 hours (with naps)
6 months: 14 hours (with naps)
9 months: 14 hours (with naps)
1 year: 14 hours (with naps)
1.5 years: 13.5 hours (with naps)
2 years: 13 hours (with naps)

Bio: Gwen Thompson is a Certified Sleep Science Coach that writes for The Slumber Yard. Besides helping people improve the quality of their sleep, she also likes playing the piano, making homemade jewelry, and taking her dog for walks.

The post 5 Tips To Get Your Infant To Fall Asleep Quickly appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

You can’t believe you are actually holding your baby in your arms after you felt them grow inside for so long. You get to feel their skin, gaze into their eyes, feed them, put on those insanely adorable baby clothes you so lovingly picked out, and bask in the glow of motherhood. It can be a magical time. But, it can also be an exhausting time. Your baby is likely feeding around the clock and the concept of days and nights may yet be a foreign thing. Your baby may sleep most of the day and night and you wish they would be awake a little longer. Or, you may have a very curious newborn, who tries to stay awake as much possible, and you may be asking yourself, “How do I get my baby to sleep?” We have you covered new moms and dads. Today we are answering the big question – how do I get my 2, 3, or 4 week old to sleep?

Let’s take a look at the 6 steps to help your 2, 3 or 4 week old baby sleep.

Life with a tiny newborn can be one big roller coaster. They need you 24/7, you likely have a lot of appointments and check-ups to go to, you are working on learning their rhythms, their personality, their preferences, their unique feeding needs, and trying to settle into a loose routine. In addition, you might even have older siblings to tend to, family and friends coming and going, and sleep might feel like a distant dream. But, sleep is very important for you and for your newborn baby. Sleep and rest are important to help mom recover and establish a good milk supply if you are breastfeeding, and an enormous amount of your newborn’s crucial development happens while they’re asleep! To help you get you and your baby off to the best start possible, let’s review the key steps to getting your 2, 3 or 4 week old to sleep.

How To Get My 2, 3 or 4 Week Old To Sleep At-a-Glance

1. Develop a consistent sleep routine
2. Review your baby’s schedule
3. Consider gentle sleep coaching/training
4. Create a sleep plan for your family
5. Gather support from your village
6. Prepare for the next sleep speedbump

And, now for a few details…

1. Develop a sleep routine for your 2, 3 or 4 week old

Taking a little bit of time to set the environment for sleep is crucial, and part of cueing your baby it’s time for sleep. It may feel a bit silly to do this so soon, especially if your baby is sleeping most of the day. But, it’s never too early to start working on just bedtime, at least and creating the perfect routine for you and your baby. Plus, it’s a bonus if dad, grandparents and older siblings can be a part of the process, so they learn and enjoy this special time, too. So, if you haven’t started yet, there’s no better time to begin practicing a consistent set of steps you do before bed (and eventually, at each sleep period, including night and at nap times). It is absolutely fine to keep it pretty short at this age. You might say goodnight to everyone, turn down the lights, close curtains, change your baby’s diaper, sing a lullaby, nurse or offer a bottle, cuddle the baby for a few minutes while burping, and then lay your baby down for sleep while saying a key phrase (e.g. “I love you. Time for sleep. Night night.”). As your baby grows it can be wonderful to add a story, for example, but right now it’s best to keep it brief. After all, 3 week old’s have very short periods of wakefulness and it’s important to avoid overtiredness.

2. Review your 2, 3 or 4 week old’s schedule

Having an actual schedule is likely weeks or months away since we expect your days and nights with your newborn to vary a lot! So, we are not recommending that you have a strict schedule with your baby, right now. But, everything with newborns is connected – feedings and sleep. So, it can be helpful to start thinking of your day in terms of activities and begin laying the foundation for consistency down the line. Your baby’s hormones may not begin to normalize and enable them to stay awake more during the day for another couple of weeks or so, so it’s common to see some confusion still on your baby’s part. This means they may be awake longer during the night than during the day. Although this day/night confusion will typically go away on its own, it can be helpful if you begin to set a more consistent wake-up time, and first nap, for example. Be sure to expose your baby to plenty of light (not direct sunlight) during the day, to help the process out. What might a typical day or schedule look like you ask? Check out our sample schedules here or make your own custom schedule!

3. Consider gentle sleep training (or coaching) for your 2, 3 or 4 week old

If the previous steps haven’t seemed to make much a difference in your 2, 3 or 4 week old’s sleep and you’ve downloaded our free e-Book, 15 Baby Sleep Facts New Parents Need to Know, it’s likely your baby may have some sleep associations that need to be resolved with gentle sleep coaching. Ideally, you’d get a professional assessment of your baby’s sleep challenges, but if you feel certain a dependence on parental help could be part of the issue, then you may want to consider gentle sleep coaching your baby towards more independent sleep. This essentially involves helping your baby learn to fall asleep with less help from you – at this age, it would be an extremely gradual process and with a lot of reassurance and comfort from you along the way. We expect most babies this age to need significant help going to sleep, but even now, certain habits may be difficult to maintain. This likely means that we may be working toward only minor changes to begin with. But even minor changes can make a big difference for a struggling mom and baby. For example, a common goal at this stage may be that you are trying to help your baby learn to fall asleep while in his bassinet for some sleep periods, rather than being held by you or sleeping on you for all of their sleep times. It can be hard to hold a newborn to sleep all day when you have an active older sibling, as an example. Given your baby’s age and our experience, however, we do feel strongly this should be done using a very hands-on, gentle sleep coaching method which limits crying.

Not sure where to begin? Check out Gentle Sleep Training Explained + 5 Strategies

4. Create a plan for your 2, 3 or 4 week old

If gentle sleep training is something you are considering, it will be important to figure out what to do next. Some of us are planners and others do fine just jumping in. If you are not a planner, you can certainly skip this step, but newborn parents are usually so exhausted and overwhelmed, that may be a plan is just the ticket. After all, it’s hard to know how to get to where you’re going without a travel plan. Make the plan as detailed as you want it, but having a step-by-step plan helps you stay on track, committed, and consistent. Remember that things are not likely to go very quickly at this age, so it’s important to take it one step at a time, but not lose sight of your overall goals. Not sure where to begin or need help creating your baby’s sleep plan? Consider making your own sleep plan or letting us create a Personalized Sleep Plan® for you and your baby.

5. Get support for your 2, 3 or 4 week old’s parents (you!)

We always hear that “it takes a village” to raise a child, but gone seem to be the days where we have a lot of help nurturing our babies (and ourselves!). I don’t know about you, but my mom came out for only one week when my first baby was a newborn, and that was about it. My husband and I were largely on our own. No Aunts to regularly hold the baby while I took a nap or enjoyed a (hopefully hot) meal. So, getting through lack of sleep during this 2, 3 or 4 week old period can be tough without much support. We sometimes have to recruit our own village. Consider hiring a sleep consultant or asking your partner, friends, or family members to help you implement your sleep plan. Having a support system in place can make all the difference in the world in reaching your sleep goals!

6. Prepare for your 2, 3 or 4 week old’s next speedbump

Whether you’ve already made some progress getting your 2, 3 or 4 week old to sleep a little better, or you’re just starting on your journey to better baby sleep, it’s important to keep in mind what’s coming next. Why? Because babies are growing and changing at an incredible rate! Every day your newborn is likely to surprise you. So be prepared and make sure you plan ahead, and have a game plan in place, before the next sleep challenge emerges. Around 6 weeks your baby is likely to go through a growth spurt, and at 3 to 4 months old your baby may begin to experience their first sleep regression. What’s a “sleep regression” you ask? Now is also the time to start thinking about how you’ll help your baby through any potential setbacks (teething, travel, and illness are BIG ones!) – sometimes the key to overcoming or even avoiding setbacks is knowing when they are likely to happen, what is happening when you experience a sleep change and having a game plan in place for how you’ll get through them!

So, is your 2, 3 or 4 week old sleeping well for their age? Or, maybe it’s time to learn how to get your 5, 6, or 7 week old sleeping?

The post How to Get My 2, 3, or 4 Week Old To Sleep appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

Previous: How To Get My 9 or 10 Month Old To Sleep

One of the most common questions we get here at The Baby Sleep Site^® is “How do I get my 11 or 12 month old baby to sleep?” and that’s the question we are answering today!

While some babies can be challenging sleepers from birth, many will go through periods where they sleep well, only to regress. What’s a sleep deprived parent to do!? Let’s take a look at the 6 steps to help your 11 or 12 month old baby sleep.

As soon as you get your 9 or 10 month old through the nap transition, growth spurts, separation anxiety phase, and they were sleeping soundly in longer stretches during the night, your 11 or 12 month old may start resisting sleep, waking frequently at night, taking short naps, or refusing one of their naps altogether. You are probably asking yourself what is going on?! 11 and 12 month olds are going through a rapid period of development and their brain and bodies are fundamentally changing and growing. Your 11 to 12 month old will likely be staying awake longer periods during the day, and exploring their environment like never before – your little cuddle bug has now turned into an insatiable little explorer who is always busy! As if all this wasn’t enough, your 11 to 12 old may be cruising, standing, or even beginning to walk all. day. long. This can make for some challenging bedtimes and naps, and your little one may also wake up more frequently at night, as a result.

How To Get My 11 or 12 Month Old To Sleep At-a-Glance

1. Develop a consistent sleep routine
2. Review your baby’s schedule
3. Consider gentle sleep coaching/training
4. Create a sleep plan for your family
5. Gather support from your village
6. Prepare for the next sleep speedbump

And, now for a few details…

1. Develop or strengthen the sleep routine for your 11 or 12 month old

Setting the environment for sleep is crucial, and part of not just letting your baby know that sleep is coming, but in continuing to set their expectations when it comes to sleep. This means to have a consistent set of steps you do before each sleep period, at night and at nap times. For parents who may not be keen on strict routines, have no fear! It does NOT have to be a long “event.” For instance, you can shut the curtains or blinds, change your baby’s diaper, read a short book (your baby may be picking their favorites right now!), feed the baby (if appropriate), cuddle the baby or sing a lullaby for a few minutes, and then lay your baby down for sleep while saying a key phrase (e.g. “Sleepy time for baby. I love you. Night night.”). At this age, it becomes extremely important to have a very distinctive end to your routine, too. The key to your “distinctive end” is that it should NOT be something you (the parent) does for your baby such as sing, rub your baby’s back, or hold your baby’s hand. Turning on a crib aquarium or a musical toy that plays for a few minutes, for example, can be very helpful as they start showing the first signs of independence and try to “delay” going to sleep.

2. Review your 11 or 12 month old’s schedule

For some 11 or 12 month old babies, their sleep schedule is fundamental to helping them sleep well. Some babies are more adaptable or less sensitive and may not need a very regimented schedule, though knowing when you’ll be able to have “me” time is a must for a lot of parents! Babies this age continue to increase their awake time, and sleepy cues become a lot less reliable. Remember your little busy explorer who never quits? They might not even seem tired until they’re in the crib! For this reason, a lot of babies may even do better with a “by the clock” schedule. If you are experiencing sleep issues, I strongly recommend developing or adjusting your baby’s schedule to see what type of impact it may or may not have on your baby’s sleep. That may even be all you have to do! Some families, depending on their situation, may not be able to stick with a precise schedule as well as others, but just do your best. What type of schedule should your 11 or 12 month have? Check out our sample schedules here or make your own custom schedule!

3. Consider sleep training (or coaching) for your 11 or 12 month old

If the previous steps haven’t significantly improved your 11 or 12 month old’s sleep and you’ve downloaded our free e-Book, 5 Ways to Help Your Child Sleep through the Night, it’s likely your baby has sleep associations that need to be resolved with sleep training. Ideally, you’d get a professional assessment of your baby’s sleep challenges, but if you feel certain a dependence on parental help is part of the issue, then you may want to consider sleep coaching your 11 or 12 month old. This essentially involves helping your baby learn (or even re-learn) to fall asleep on their own, without as much help from you. If you would like to improve your baby’s sleep habits, or get “back on track,” but are not sure how to go about it. Or, if your baby WAS sleeping well before, but the methods you used are no longer working, you might need to revamp your strategy.

Not sure which sleep coaching method may be best for you and your baby? Be sure to listen to my tele-seminar about sleep training strategies.

4. Create a plan for your 11 or 12 month old

If you’re considering sleep training, it’s important to figure out what to do next. Some of us are planners and others are more go with the flow. If you’re not a planner, it might be OK for you to skip this step, but if you’ve been trying to help your 11 or 12 month old sleep for some time, you’ve developed and strengthened your routine, reviewed their schedule carefully and “going with the flow” without a set strategy isn’t getting you the results you want, maybe a plan is just what you’re missing. After all, it can be hard to reach your destination without a travel plan! Make the plan as detailed as you want it, but having a step-by-step plan helps you stay on track, committed, and consistent. Not sure where to begin or need help creating your baby’s sleep plan? Consider making your own sleep plan or letting us create a Personalized Sleep Plan^® for you and your baby.

5. Get support for your 11 or 12 month old’s parents (you!)

Everyone says that “it takes a village” to raise a child, but gone seem to be the days where we have a lot of help nurturing our babies. I don’t know about you, but half of my family lives more than a short drive away, and most close by relatives are busy with their family and work schedules. My husband and I were largely on our own while raising our boys. No Aunts or Grandmas to regularly feed or play with the baby while I rested, caught up with a friend or enjoyed a (hopefully hot) cup of coffee. So, getting through these sleep issues can be tough without support. We sometimes have to recruit our own village. Consider hiring a sleep consultant or asking your partner, friends, or family members to help you implement your sleep plan. Having a support system in place can make all the difference in the world in reaching your sleep goals!

6. Prepare for your 11 or 12 month old’s next speedbump

Now that you learned how to get your 11 or 12 month old to sleep, what happens next? Do you ride off into the sunset with a perfect sleeper, happily ever after? We certainly hope so! For some of you, it’s possible, but many of you will get your baby sleeping well now, only to hit another speedbump in a few weeks or months. Babies grow and change a lot in the first few years, so be prepared, and have a game plan in place, before the next sleep regression or speedbump emerges. Babies continue to go through teething, start walking, talking!, having play dates, and that can often affect sleep. In a few weeks or months, your 11 or 12 month old may take their first steps, say their first words, throw their first tantrum, and it might affect their sleep. What will you do when your baby starts waking at night, again, starts refusing naps or both? The #1 rule is NOT revert back to old habits as if you had never made progress in the first place. As easy as it is for babies to fall back to old habits, it’s often way too easy for us parents to do so as well. So, don’t let that happen! 🙂

So, is your 11 or 12 month old sleeping? Or, maybe it’s time to learn how to get your toddler sleeping?

The post How To Get My 11 or 12 Month Old To Sleep appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

One of the most common questions we get here at The Baby Sleep Site® is “How do I get my baby to sleep?” Especially when it comes to newborns, who seem to be experts at throwing us curve-balls, just when we think we’ve figured them out! So, today we are answering the big question for new moms – how do I get my 5, 6, or 7 week old to sleep?

Let’s take a look at the 6 steps to help your 5, 6 or 7 week old baby sleep.

Your newborn is AMAZING! There’s no denying that, and your teeny tiny baby that seemed to sleep most of the day, may begin having some longer periods of alertness, be able to grab something when you put it in their hand, start trying to bat at objects close by, and even track them better with her eyes. This is hugely exciting stuff! But this may also mean that sleep may become more bumpy and unpredictable. Who knew that your sweet and adorable little bundle of joy could also leave you so puzzled? We did! 🙂 And, we have the keys to getting your 5, 6 or 7 week old (and YOU) the best sleep possible!

How To Get My 5, 6 or 7 Week Old To Sleep At-a-Glance

1. Develop a consistent sleep routine
2. Review your baby’s schedule
3. Consider gentle sleep coaching/training
4. Create a sleep plan for your family
5. Gather support from your village
6. Prepare for the next sleep speedbump

And, now for a few details…

1. Develop a sleep routine for your 5, 6 or 7 week old

Setting the environment for sleep is crucial and part of cuing your baby it’s time for sleep. Although this may feel very early to you, your amazing newborn is learning every second. So, if you haven’t started yet, there’s no better time to begin practicing a consistent set of steps you do at each sleep period, at night and at nap times. It can be helpful to keep it short and sweet at this age. You might say goodnight to the house, turn down the lights, close curtains, change your baby’s diaper, sing a lullaby, nurse or offer a bottle, cuddle the baby for a few minutes while burping, and then lay your baby down for sleep while saying a key phrase (e.g. “I love you. Time for sleep. Night night.”). As your baby gets older you may want to add a story, for example, but right now it’s best to keep it brief. After all, 6 week old’s have very short awake periods and it’s important to avoid overtiredness.

2. Review your 5, 6 or 7 week old’s schedule

I know what you’re thinking… it’s impossible to have a schedule when every day is so different. And we don’t recommend having a strict schedule with your newborn, but it can be helpful to think of your day in terms of activities and start laying the foundation for more consistency down the line. Now that your baby’s hormones are beginning to normalize, and she is beginning to stay awake during the day more (as opposed to staring lovingly at you in the middle of the night!), it will be easier to start setting a more consistent wake-up time, and first nap, for example. This can also be helpful with making things feel a bit more predictable amidst the “newborn fog” that a lot of parents can experience. What type of schedule you ask? Check out our sample schedules here or make your own custom schedule!

3. Consider gentle sleep training (or coaching) for your 5, 6 or 7 week old

If the previous steps haven’t significantly improved your 5, 6 or 7 week old’s sleep and you’ve downloaded our free e-Book, 15 Baby Sleep Facts New Parents Need to Know, it’s likely your baby may have some sleep associations that need to be resolved with gentle sleep coaching. Ideally, you’d get a professional assessment of your baby’s sleep challenges, but if you feel certain a dependence on parental help could be part of the issue, then you may want to consider gently sleep coaching your baby towards more independent sleep. This essentially involves helping your baby learn to fall asleep with less help from you – at this age it would be a very gradual process and with plenty of reassurance and comfort from you along the way. Not all babies may be ready for this, but many parents are surprised at how much independence their newborn can handle if given the chance. Given your baby’s age and our experience, however, we do feel strongly this should be done using a very hands-on, gentle sleep coaching method which limits crying.

Not sure where to begin? Check out Gentle Sleep Training Explained + 5 Strategies

4. Create a plan for your 5, 6 or 7 week old

If gentle sleep training is something you are considering, it will be important to figure out what to do next. Some of us are planners and others do fine just jumping in. If you are not a planner, you can certainly skip this step, but if you’ve been trying to help your 5, 6 or 7 week old sleep for awhile now, you’ve developed a routine, reviewed the schedule recommendations, and plugging along without a set strategy isn’t working out so well, maybe a plan is just what you’re missing. After all, it’s hard to know how to get to where you’re going without a travel plan. Make the plan as detailed as you want it, but having a step-by-step plan helps you stay on track, committed, and consistent. Remember that things will not go quickly at this age, so it’s important to take it one step at a time, but not lose sight of your overall goals. Not sure where to begin or need help creating your baby’s sleep plan? Consider making your own sleep plan or letting us create a Personalized Sleep Plan® for you and your baby.

5. Get support for your 5, 6 or 7 week old’s parents (you!)

We hear everywhere that “it takes a village” to raise a child, but gone seem to be the days where we have a lot of help nurturing our babies. I don’t know about you, but my mom came out for only one week when my first baby was a newborn, and that was about it. My husband and I were largely on our own. No Aunts to regularly hold the baby while I took a nap or enjoyed a (hopefully hot) meal. So, getting through lack of sleep during this 5, 6 or 7 week old period can be tough without support. We sometimes have to recruit our own village. Consider hiring a sleep consultant or asking your partner, friends, or family members to help you implement your sleep plan. Having a support system in place can make all the difference in the world in reaching your sleep goals!

6. Prepare for your 5, 6 or 7 week old’s next speedbump

Whether you’ve already made some progress getting your 5, 6 or 7 week old to sleep or you’re just starting on your journey to better baby sleep, it’s important to keep in mind what’s coming next. Why? Because babies are growing and changing at an incredible rate! So be prepared and make sure you plan ahead, and have a game plan in place, before the next sleep challenge emerges. Around 3 to 4 months old your baby may begin to experience their first sleep regression. What’s a “sleep regression” you ask? Now is also the time to start thinking about how you’ll help your baby through any potential setbacks (teething, travel, and illness are BIG ones!) – sometimes the key to overcoming or even avoiding setbacks is knowing when they are likely to happen, what is happening when you experience a sleep change, and having a game plan in place for how you’ll get through them!

So, is your 5, 6 or 7 week old sleeping? Or, maybe it’s time to learn how to get your 8, 9, or 10 week old sleeping?

The post How to Get My 5, 6, or 7 Week Old To Sleep appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

Previous: How to Get My 5, 6, or 7 Week Old To Sleep

Can you believe it!? Your little one is now 2 months old and beginning to really take notice of the world! As exciting as it is to see your baby LIGHT UP when you introduce a new toy… have you ever complained your baby “just can’t seem to settle to sleep now that they’re so aware”? For a lot of parents, sleep deprivation really begins to take its toll after the first 8 weeks, whether or not your baby is sleeping “fine” at 5, 6, or 7 weeks old. Around this time, some babies begin waking up even more often at night or needing to be rocked/bounced/walked/fed longer and longer before they can be put down without POPPING wide awake! Not to worry, we’ve been there and we have just the tips to help you navigate this bleary-eyed stage of parenting. 🙂

Let’s take a look at the 6 steps to help your 8, 9 or 10 week old baby sleep.

In those first few weeks when all your baby did was SLEEP you probably wondered, “When will my baby start staying awake longer during the day?” And, now, you may be asking yourself, “When will my baby begin sleeping longer at night?” Whether your baby suddenly cannot nap anywhere other than your arms or wakes up frequently at night, you are not alone! And, we have the keys to getting your 8, 9 or 10 week old (and YOU) the best sleep possible!

How To Get My 8, 9 or 10 Week Old To Sleep At-a-Glance

1. Develop a consistent sleep routine
2. Review your baby’s schedule
3. Consider gentle sleep coaching/training
4. Create a sleep plan for your family
5. Gather support from your village
6. Prepare for the next sleep speedbump

And, now for a few details…

1. Develop a sleep routine for your 8, 9 or 10 week old

Setting the environment for sleep is crucial and part of cuing your baby it’s time for sleep is to have a consistent set of steps you do each sleep period, at night and at nap times. The sleep routine should be short and sweet at this age. For example, dim lights, close curtains, change your baby’s diaper, sing 1-2 lullabies, nurse or offer a bottle, cuddle the baby for a few minutes while burping, and then lay your baby down for sleep while saying a key phrase (e.g. “I love you. Time for sleep. Night night.”). The younger your baby, the shorter the routine should be. After all, 2 month old’s have very short awake periods and if we miss their sleep window, LOOK OUT!

2. Review your 8, 9 or 10 week old’s schedule

Don’t have a schedule yet? Now’s the time to start thinking about how to form a loose sleep schedule for your baby. It’s unrealistic to expect 100% consistency from your baby at this age, but you should be able to predict at least what time your baby will wake for the day (within 30 minutes plus/minus), when the first nap will begin, and perhaps bedtime. Families, depending on their situation, can’t always stick to a set schedule as well as others, but just do your best. What type of schedule you ask? Check out our sample schedules here or make your own custom schedule!

3. Consider gentle sleep training (or coaching) for your 8, 9 or 10 week old

If the previous steps haven’t significantly improved your 8, 9 or 10 week old’s sleep and you’ve downloaded our free e-Book, 5 Ways to Help Your Child Sleep through the Night, it’s likely your baby has sleep associations that need to be resolved with gentle sleep training. Ideally, you’d get a professional assessment of your baby’s sleep challenges, but if you feel certain a dependence on parental help is part of the issue, then you may want to consider gently sleep coaching your baby towards more independent sleep. This essentially involves helping your baby learn to fall asleep with less help from you – over time and with plenty of reassurance and comfort from you along the way. Given your baby’s age and our experience, however, we do feel strongly this should be done using a very hands-on, gentle sleep coaching method that limits crying.

Not sure where to begin? Check out Gentle Sleep Training Explained + 5 Strategies

4. Create a plan for your 8, 9 or 10 week old

If you’re considering gentle sleep training, you need to figure out what to do next. Some of us are planners and others simply “wing it.” If you’re not a planner, you can certainly skip this step, but if you’ve been trying to help your 8, 9, or 10 week old sleep for a while now, you’ve developed a routine, reviewed the schedule recommendations for 2 month olds and plugging along without a set strategy isn’t working out so well, maybe a plan is just what you’re missing. After all, it’s hard to know how to get to where you’re going without a travel plan. Make the plan as detailed as you want it, but having a step-by-step plan helps you stay on track, committed, and consistent. Not sure where to begin or need help creating your baby’s sleep plan? Consider making your own sleep plan or letting us create a Personalized Sleep Plan™ for you and your baby.

5. Get support for your 8, 9 or 10 week old’s parents (you!)

We hear everywhere that “it takes a village” to raise a child, but gone seem to be the days where we have a lot of help nurturing our babies. I don’t know about you, but my mom came out for one week when my first baby was a newborn, but that was about it. My husband and I were largely on our own. No Aunts to regularly hold the baby while I took a nap or enjoyed a (hopefully hot) meal. So, getting through this 8, 9 or 10 week old trouble spot can be tough without support. We sometimes have to recruit our own village. Consider hiring a sleep consultant or asking your partner, friends, or family members to help you implement your sleep plan. Having a support system in place can make all the difference in the world in reaching your sleep goals!

6. Prepare for your 8, 9 or 10 week old’s next speedbump

Whether you’ve already made some progress getting your 8, 9 or 10 week old to sleep or you’re just beginning your research into helping your baby sleep, it’s important to never lose sight of “what’s next.” Why? Because babies are constantly changing! So be prepared and make sure you plan ahead, and have a game plan in place, before the next sleep regression or speedbump emerges. Around 4 months old your baby may experience their first sleep regression. What’s a “sleep regression” you ask? Now’s the time to begin thinking about how you’ll help your baby through any potential setbacks (teething, travel, and illness are BIG ones!) – sometimes the key to overcoming or even avoiding setbacks is understanding when they are likely to happen and having a plan in place for how you’ll get through them!

So, is your 8, 9 or 10 week old sleeping? Or, maybe it’s time to learn how to get your 11, 12, or 13 week old sleeping?

The post How To Get My 8, 9, or 10 Week Old Baby To Sleep appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

Previous: How to Get My 6, 7, or 8 Month Old To Sleep

One of the most common questions we get here at The Baby Sleep Site^® is “How do I get my 9 or 10 month old baby to sleep?” and that’s the question we are answering today!

While some babies can be challenging sleepers from birth, many will go through periods where they sleep well, only to regress. What’s a sleep-deprived parent to do!? Let’s take a look at the 6 steps to help your 9 or 10 month old baby sleep.

As soon as you get your 6, 7 or 8 month old through the growth spurts, separation anxiety phase, and they were sleeping soundly in longer stretches during the night, your 9 or 10 month old may start resisting sleep, waking frequently at night and taking short naps. After you finally thought you got through the 8 month sleep regression, you are probably asking yourself what is going on?! 9 and 10 month olds are going through a rapid period of development and their brain and bodies are fundamentally changing and growing. Your 9 to 10 month old will likely be staying awake longer periods during the day, and exploring their environment like never before – you little cuddle bug has now turned into an insatiable little explorer who is always busy! As if all this wasn’t enough, your 9 to 10 old may be crawling, cruising, standing, and insist on doing it all. day. long. This can make for some challenging bedtimes and naps, and your little one may also wake up more frequently at night, as a result. We call this the 8-9-10 Month Sleep Regression.

How To Get My 9 or 10 Month Old To Sleep At-a-Glance

1. Develop a consistent sleep routine
2. Review your baby’s schedule
3. Consider gentle sleep coaching/training
4. Create a sleep plan for your family
5. Gather support from your village
6. Prepare for the next sleep speedbump

And, now for a few details…

1. Develop or strengthen the sleep routine for your 9 or 10 month old

Setting the environment for sleep is crucial, and part of not just letting your baby know that sleep is coming, but in continuing to set their expectations when it comes to sleep. This means to have a consistent set of steps you do before each sleep period, at night and at nap times. For parents who may not be psyched about strict routines, have no fear! It does NOT have to be a long “event.” For instance, you can shut the curtains or blinds, change your baby’s diaper, read a short book (your baby may be picking their favorites right now!), feed the baby (if appropriate), cuddle the baby or sing a lullaby for a few minutes, and then lay your baby down for sleep while saying a key phrase (e.g. “Sleepy time for baby. I love you. Night night.”). At this age, it becomes extremely important to have a very distinctive end to your routine, too. Something that is not necessarily dependent on you doing something. Turning on a crib aquarium or a musical toy that plays for a few minutes, for example, can be very helpful as they start showing the first signs of independence and try to “delay” going to sleep.

2. Review your 9 or 10 month old’s schedule

For some 9 or 10 month old babies, their sleep schedule is fundamental to helping them sleep well. Some babies are more adaptable or less sensitive and may not need a very regimented schedule, though knowing when you’ll be able to have “me” time is a must for a lot of parents! Babies this age continue to increase their awake time, and sleepy cues become a lot less reliable. Remember your little busy explorer who never quits? They might not even seem tired until they’re in the crib! For this reason, a lot of babies may even do better with a “by the clock” schedule. If you are experiencing sleep issues, I strongly recommend developing or adjusting your baby’s schedule to see what type of impact it may or may not have on your baby’s sleep. That may even be all you have to do! Some families, depending on their situation, may not be able to stick with a precise schedule as well as others, but just do your best. What type of schedule should your 9 or 10 month have? Check out our sample schedules here or make your own custom schedule!

3. Consider sleep training (or coaching) for your 9 or 10 month old

If the previous steps haven’t significantly improved your 9 or 10 month old’s sleep and you’ve downloaded our free e-Book, 5 Ways to Help Your Child Sleep through the Night, it’s likely your baby has sleep associations that need to be resolved with sleep training. Ideally, you’d get a professional assessment of your baby’s sleep challenges, but if you feel certain a dependence on parental help is part of the issue, then you may want to consider sleep coaching your 9 or 10 month old. This essentially involves helping your baby learn (or even re-learn) to fall asleep on their own, without as much help from you. You would like to change some sleep habits, or get back on track, but are not sure how to go about it. If your baby was sleeping well before, but the methods you used are no longer working, you might need to revamp your strategy.

Not sure which sleep coaching method may be best for you and your baby? Be sure to listen to my tele-seminar about sleep training strategies.

4. Create a plan for your 9 or 10 month old

If you’re considering sleep training, it’s important to figure out what to do next. Some of us are planners and others are more go with the flow. If you’re not a planner, it might be ok for you to skip this step, but if you’ve been trying to help your 9 or 10 month old sleep for some time, you’ve developed and strengthened your routine, reviewed their schedule carefully and “going with the flow” without a set strategy isn’t getting you the results you want, maybe a plan is just what you’re missing. After all, it can be hard to reach your destination without a travel plan! Make the plan as detailed as you want it, but having a step-by-step plan helps you stay on track, committed, and consistent. Not sure where to begin or need help creating your baby’s sleep plan? Consider making your own sleep plan or letting us create a Personalized Sleep Plan® for you and your baby.

5. Get support for your 9 or 10 month old’s parents (you!)

Everyone says that “it takes a village” to raise a child, but gone seem to be the days where we have a lot of help nurturing our babies. I don’t know about you, but half of my family lives more than a short drive away, and most close by relatives are busy with their family and work schedules. My husband and I were largely on our own while raising our boys. No Aunts or Grandmas to regularly feed or play with the baby while I rested, caught up with a friend or enjoyed a (hopefully hot) cup of coffee. So, getting through these sleep issues can be tough without support. We sometimes have to recruit our own village. Consider hiring a sleep consultant or asking your partner, friends, or family members to help you implement your sleep plan. Having a support system in place can make all the difference in the world in reaching your sleep goals!

6. Prepare for your 9 or 10 month old’s next speedbump

Now that you learned how to get your 9 or 10 month old to sleep, what happens next? Do you ride off into the sunset with a perfect sleeper, happily ever after? We certainly hope so! For some of you, it’s possible, but many of you will get your baby sleeping well now, only to hit another speedbump in a few weeks or months. Babies grow and change a lot in the first few years, so be prepared, and have a game plan in place, before the next sleep regression or speedbump emerges. Babies continue to go through teething, start walking, talking!, having play dates, and that can often affect sleep. In a few weeks or months, your 9 or 10 month old may take their first steps, say their first words, throw their first tantrum, and it might affect their sleep. What will you do when your baby starts waking at night, again, start missing naps or both? The #1 rule is NOT revert back to old habits as if you had never made progress in the first place. As easy as it is for babies to fall back to old habits, it’s often way too easy for us parents to do so as well. So, don’t let that happen! 🙂

So, is your 9 or 10 month old sleeping? Or, maybe it’s time to learn how to get your 11 or 12 month old sleeping?

The post How To Get My 9 or 10 Month Old Baby To Sleep appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

Previous: How To Get My 8, 9 or 10 Week Old To Sleep

Now that your little one is more alert and active throughout the day, settling to sleep might be more difficult than it was at 8, 9, or 10 weeks old! Often times young babies who previously slept well (or even just “okay”) as newborns suddenly start taking teeny tiny catnaps or waking every couple of hours at night. What’s an exhausted parent to do!?

Let’s take a look at the 6 steps to help your 11, 12 or 13 week old baby sleep.

In those first few weeks when all your baby did was SLEEP you probably wondered, “When will my baby start staying awake longer during the day?” And, now, you may be asking yourself, “When will my baby begin sleeping longer at night?” Whether your baby suddenly cannot nap anywhere other than your arms or wakes up frequently at night, you are not alone! And, we have the keys to getting your 11, 12 or 13 week old (and YOU) the best sleep possible!

How To Get My 11, 12 or 13 Week Old To Sleep At-a-Glance

1. Develop a consistent sleep routine
2. Review your baby’s schedule
3. Consider gentle sleep coaching/training
4. Create a sleep plan for your family
5. Gather support from your village
6. Prepare for the next sleep speedbump

And, now for a few details…

1. Develop a sleep routine for your 11, 12 or 13 week old

Setting the environment for sleep is crucial and part of cuing your baby it’s time for sleep is to have a consistent set of steps you do each sleep period, at night and at nap times. For those parents who aren’t that thrilled about strict routines, have no fear, the sleep routine does NOT have to be long. For instance, you can dim the lights, close the curtains or blinds, change your baby’s diaper, sing your little one’s favorite lullaby, nurse or offer a bottle, cuddle the baby for a few minutes, and then lay your baby down for sleep while saying a key phrase (e.g. “I love you. Time for sleep. Night night.”).

2. Review your 11, 12 or 13 week old’s schedule

For some 11, 12 or 13 week old babies, their sleep schedule is fundamental to helping them sleep well. Some babies are more adaptable or less sensitive to disruptions to their normal routine. But, even if your baby is very adaptable, having a predictable schedule can be very helpful for you, the parent, since it helps you arrange playdates and have some sense of consistency in your day-to-day! Since you may not know (yet) if your baby is slow-to-adapt or more “go with the flow,” I strongly recommend developing a good schedule to see what type of impact it may or may not have on your baby’s sleep. For all you know, that’s all you have to do to get longer naps and better sleep at night! Some families, depending on their situation, can’t stick to a precise schedule as well as others, but just do your best. What type of schedule you ask? Check out our sample schedules here or make your own custom schedule!

3. Consider gentle sleep training (or coaching) for your 11, 12 or 13 week old

If the previous steps haven’t significantly improved your 11, 12 or 13 week old’s sleep and you’ve downloaded our free e-Book, 5 Ways to Help Your Child Sleep through the Night, it’s likely your baby has sleep associations that need to be resolved with gentle sleep training. Ideally, you’d get a professional assessment of your baby’s sleep challenges, but if you feel certain a dependence on parental help is part of the issue, then you may want to consider gently sleep coaching your baby towards more independent sleep. This essentially involves helping your baby learn to fall asleep with less help from you. Given your baby’s age and our experience, however, we do feel strongly this should be done using a very hands-on, gentle sleep coaching method.

Not sure where to begin? Check out Gentle Sleep Training Explained + 5 Strategies

4. Create a plan for your 11, 12 or 13 week old

If you’re considering gentle sleep training, you need to figure out what to do next. Some of us are planners and others simply “wing it.” If you’re not a planner, you can certainly skip this step, but if you’ve been trying to help your 11, 12 or 13 week old sleep for awhile now, you’ve developed a routine, reviewed the schedule and plugging along without a set strategy isn’t working out so well, maybe a plan is just what you’re missing. After all, it’s hard to know how to get to where you’re going without a travel plan. Make the plan as detailed as you want it, but having a step-by-step plan helps you stay on track, committed, and consistent. Not sure where to begin or need help creating your baby’s sleep plan? Consider making your own sleep plan or letting us create a Personalized Sleep Plan™ for you and your baby.

5. Get support for your 11, 12 or 13 week old’s parents (you!)

We hear everywhere that “it takes a village” to raise a child, but gone seem to be the days where we have a lot of help nurturing our babies. I don’t know about you, but my mom came out for one week when my first baby was a newborn, but that was about it. My husband and I were largely on our own. No Aunts to regularly hold the baby while I took a nap or enjoyed a (hopefully hot) meal. So, getting through this 11, 12 or 13 week old trouble spot can be tough without support. We sometimes have to recruit our own village. Consider hiring a sleep consultant or asking your partner, friends, or family members to help you implement your sleep plan. Having a support system in place can make all the difference in the world in reaching your sleep goals!

6. Prepare for your 11, 12 or 13 week old’s next speedbump

Whether you’ve already made some progress getting your 11, 12 or 13 week old to sleep or you’re just beginning your research into helping your baby sleep, it’s important to never lose sight of “what’s next.” Why? Because babies are constantly changing! So be prepared and make sure you plan ahead, and have a game plan in place, before the next sleep regression or speedbump emerges. Around 4 months old your baby may experience their first sleep regression. What’s a “sleep regression” you ask? Now’s the time to begin thinking about how you’ll help your baby through any potential setbacks (teething, travel, and illness are BIG ones!) – sometimes the key to overcoming or even avoiding setbacks is understanding when they are likely to happen and having a plan in place for how you’ll get through them!

So, is your 11, 12 or 13 week old sleeping? Or, maybe it’s time to learn how to get your 14, 15, or 16 week old sleeping?

The post How To Get My 11, 12, or 13 Week Old Baby To Sleep appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

Previous: How To Get My 11, 12 or 13 Week Old To Sleep

Congratulations! You’ve just completed your “4th Trimester” otherwise known as your baby’s first 3 months ex utero and helped your 11, 12, or 13 week old sleep. What does this mean? For many babies it means they begin waking up more at night or have difficulty napping. Uh oh! So, it’s no wonder one of the most common questions we get here at The Baby Sleep Site^® is “How do I get my 14, 15 or 16 week old to sleep?”

While some babies can be challenging sleepers from birth, many will go through periods where they sleep well, only to regress. What’s a sleepy parent to do!? Let’s take a look at the 6 steps to help your 14, 15, or 16 week old baby sleep.

As soon as you get into a nice routine with your new baby, sometimes 3 month olds will do a 180, and sleep quickly unravels. Whether your baby suddenly cannot be put down without waking up or has begun taking teeny tiny catnaps, you are not alone! And, we have the keys to getting your 14, 15 or 16 week old (and YOU) the best sleep possible!

How To Get My 14, 15 or 16 Week Old To Sleep At-a-Glance

1. Develop a consistent sleep routine
2. Review your baby’s schedule
3. Consider gentle sleep coaching/training
4. Create a sleep plan for your family
5. Gather support from your village
6. Prepare for the next sleep speedbump

And, now for a few details…

1. Develop a sleep routine for your 14, 15 or 16 week old

Setting the environment for sleep is crucial and part of cuing your baby it’s time for sleep is to have a consistent set of steps you do each sleep period, at night and at nap times. For those parents who aren’t that thrilled about strict routines, have no fear, the sleep routine does NOT have to be long. For instance, you can shut the curtains or blinds, change your baby’s diaper, sing a lullaby or two, feed the baby (if appropriate), cuddle the baby for a few minutes, and then lay your baby down for sleep while saying a key phrase (e.g. “Sleepy time for baby. I love you. Night night.”).

2. Review your 14, 15 or 16 week old’s schedule

For some 14, 15 or 16 week old babies, their sleep schedule is fundamental to helping them sleep well. Some babies are more adaptable or less sensitive and will not need a very regimented schedule, though for a lot of parents it’s a sanity saver! Since you may not know (yet) which type of baby you have at just 3 months young, I strongly recommend developing a good schedule to see what type of impact it may or may not have on your baby’s sleep. For all you know, that’s all you have to do! Some families, depending on their situation, can’t stick to a precise schedule as well as others, but just do your best. What type of schedule you ask? Check out our sample schedules here or make your own custom schedule!

3. Consider gentle sleep training (or coaching) for your 14, 15 or 16 week old

If the previous steps haven’t significantly improved your 14, 15, or 16 week old’s sleep and you’ve downloaded our free e-Book, 5 Ways to Help Your Child Sleep through the Night, it’s likely your 3 month old has sleep associations that need to be resolved with gentle sleep training. Ideally, you’d get a professional assessment of your baby’s sleep challenges, but if you feel certain a dependence on parental help is part of the issue, then you may want to consider gently sleep coaching your baby towards more independent sleep. This essentially involves helping your baby learn to fall asleep on their own, without as much help from you. Given your baby’s age and our experience, however, we do feel strongly this should be done using a hands-on, gentle sleep coaching method.

Not sure where to begin? Check out my tele-seminar No-Cry and Limited Crying Sleep Coaching Techniques (and Common Pitfalls)

4. Create a plan for your 14, 15 or 16 week old

If you’re considering gentle sleep training, you need to figure out what to do next. Some of us are planners and others simply “wing it.” If you’re not a planner, you can certainly skip this step, but if you’ve been trying to help your 14, 15, or 16 week old sleep for a while now, you’ve developed a routine, reviewed the schedule, and plugging along without a set strategy isn’t working out so well, maybe a plan is just what you’re missing. After all, it’s hard to know how to get to where you’re going without a travel plan. Make the plan as detailed as you want it, but having a step-by-step plan helps you stay on track, committed, and consistent. Not sure where to begin or need help creating your baby’s sleep plan? Consider making your own sleep plan or letting us create a Personalized Sleep Plan™ for you and your baby.

5. Get support for your 14, 15 or 16 week old’s parents (you!)

We hear everywhere that “it takes a village” to raise a child, but gone seem to be the days where we have a lot of help nurturing our babies. I don’t know about you, but my mom came out for one week when my first baby was a newborn, but that was about it. My husband and I were largely on our own. No Aunts to regularly hold the baby while I took a nap or enjoyed a (hopefully hot) meal. So, getting through this 14, 15, or 16 week old trouble spot can be tough without support. We sometimes have to recruit our own village. Consider hiring a sleep consultant or asking your partner, friends, or family members to help you implement your sleep plan. Having a support system in place can make all the difference in the world in reaching your sleep goals!

6. Prepare for your 14, 15 or 16 week old’s next speedbump

Whether you’ve already made some progress getting your 14, 15, or 16 week old to sleep or you’re just beginning your research into helping your baby sleep, it’s important to never lose sight of “what’s next.” Why? Because babies are constantly changing! So be prepared and make sure you plan ahead and have a game plan in place before the next sleep regression or speedbump emerges. Around 4 months old your baby may experience their first sleep regression. What’s a “sleep regression” you ask? Now’s the time to begin thinking about how you’ll help your baby through any potential setbacks (teething, travel, and illness are BIG ones!) – sometimes the key to overcoming or even avoiding setbacks is understanding when they are likely to happen and having a plan in place for how you’ll get through them!

So, is your 14, 15 or 16 week old sleeping? Or, maybe it’s time to learn how to get your 4 month old sleeping?

The post How To Get My 14, 15, or 16 Week Old Baby To Sleep appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

Previous: How To Get My 4 or 5 Month Old To Sleep

One of the most common questions we get here at The Baby Sleep Site^® is “How do I get my 6, 7 (or 8) month old to sleep?” and that’s the question we are answering today!

While some babies can be challenging sleepers from birth, many will go through periods where they sleep well, only to regress. What’s a sleepy parent to do!? Let’s take a look at the 6 steps to help your 6, 7 or 8 month old baby sleep.

As soon as you get your 4 or 5 month old through the dreaded 4 month regression and sleeping peacefully in longer stretches at night, your 6 or 7 month old may start waking frequently again and taking short naps. What’s up with that?! 6 to 8 month olds are going through a rapid period of development and their brain and bodies are fundamentally changing and growing. Your 6 month old will likely go through a growth spurt and start trying some real foods – where did that tiny baby go? And they may also begin experiencing separation anxiety as they develop object permanence. As if all this wasn’t enough, your 7 to 8 month old might start practicing new feats of athleticism, and even be on the move! This can make bedtime and naps more challenging, and your baby may even begin waking more frequently during the night. We call this the 8-9-10 Month Sleep Regression.

How To Get My 6, 7 or 8 Month Old To Sleep At-a-Glance

1. Develop a consistent sleep routine
2. Review your baby’s schedule
3. Consider gentle sleep coaching/training
4. Create a sleep plan for your family
5. Gather support from your village
6. Prepare for the next sleep speedbump

And, now for a few details…

1. Develop or strengthen the sleep routine for your 6, 7 or 8 month old

Setting the environment for sleep is crucial and part of cuing your baby it’s time for sleep is to have a consistent set of steps you do each sleep period, at night and at nap times. For those parents who aren’t that thrilled about strict routines, have no fear, the sleep routine does NOT have to be long. For instance, you can shut the curtains or blinds, change your baby’s diaper, read a short book (even just looking at pictures or practicing flipping pages is great fun at this age!), feed the baby (if appropriate), cuddle the baby for a few minutes, and then lay your baby down for sleep while saying a key phrase (e.g. “Sleepy time for baby. I love you. Night night.”). Around this age is great time to start having a very distinctive end to your routine, too. Something that is not necessarily dependent on you doing something. Turning on a crib aquarium or a musical toy that plays for a few minutes, for example, can be very helpful as they grow and try to “delay” going to sleep.

2. Review your 6, 7 or 8 month old’s schedule

For some 6, 7 or 8 month old babies, their sleep schedule is fundamental to helping them sleep well. Some babies are more adaptable or less sensitive and not need a very regimented schedule, though for a lot of parents it’s a sanity saver! Babies this age are increasing their awake time, and may even be more ready for a “by the clock” schedule. If you are experiencing sleep issues, I strongly recommend developing or adjusting your baby’s schedule to see what type of impact it may or may not have on your baby’s sleep. For all you know, that’s all you have to do! Some families, depending on their situation, can’t stick to a precise schedule as well as others, but just do your best. What type of schedule you ask? Check out our sample schedules here or make your own custom schedule!

3. Consider sleep training (or coaching) for your 6, 7 or 8 month old

If the previous steps haven’t significantly improved your 6, 7 or 8 month old’s sleep and you’ve downloaded our free e-Book, 5 Ways to Help Your Child Sleep through the Night, it’s likely your baby has sleep associations that need to be resolved with sleep training. Ideally, you’d get a professional assessment of your baby’s sleep challenges, but if you feel certain a dependence on parental help is part of the issue, then you may want to consider sleep coaching your 6, 7 or 8 month old. This essentially involves helping your baby learn to fall asleep on their own, without as much help from you. You know you need to change some sleep habits, but are not sure how to go about it.

Not sure which sleep coaching method may be best for you and your baby? Be sure to listen to my tele-seminar about sleep training strategies.

4. Create a plan for your 6, 7 or 8 month old

If you’re considering sleep training, you need to figure out what to do next. Some of us are planners and others simply “wing it.” If you’re not a planner, you can certainly skip this step, but if you’ve been trying to help your 6, 7 or 8 month old sleep for awhile now, you’ve developed and strengthened your routine, reviewed the schedule and plugging along without a set strategy isn’t working out so well, maybe a plan is just what you’re missing. After all, it’s hard to know how to get to where you’re going without a travel plan. Make the plan as detailed as you want it, but having a step-by-step plan helps you stay on track, committed, and consistent. Not sure where to begin or need help dreating your baby’s sleep plan? Consider making your own sleep plan or letting us create a Personalized Sleep Plan® for you and your baby.

5. Get support for your 6, 7 or 8 month old’s parents (you!)

We hear everywhere that “it takes a village” to raise a child, but gone seem to be the days where we have a lot of help nurturing our babies. I don’t know about you, but half of my family is spread across the country, and our close by relatives are busy with their babies and work schedules. My husband and I were largely on our own while raising our boys. No Aunts to regularly hold or play with the baby while I took a nap or enjoyed a (hopefully hot) meal. So, getting through these sleep issues can be tough without support. We sometimes have to recruit our own village. Consider hiring a sleep consultant or asking your partner, friends, or family members to help you implement your sleep plan. Having a support system in place can make all the difference in the world in reaching your sleep goals!

6. Prepare for your 6, 7 or 8 month old’s next speedbump

Now that you learned how to get your 6, 7 or 8 month old to sleep, what happens next? Do you ride off into the sunset with a happy sleeper forever and ever? We certainly hope so! For some of you, yes, but many of you will get your baby sleeping well now, only to hit another speedbump in a few weeks or months. Babies grow and change a lot in the first few years, so be prepared and make sure you plan ahead, and have a game plan in place, before the next sleep regression or speedbump emerges. Babies start teething, crawling, walking, talking!, get a cold, and that can often affect sleep. In a few months, your 6, 7 or 8 month old may take their first steps, say their first words, and it might affect their sleep. What will you do when your baby starts waking at night, again, or won’t nap or both? The #1 rule is NOT revert back to old habits as if you had never made progress in the first place. As easy as it is for babies to fall back to old habits, it’s often way too easy for us parents to do so as well. So, don’t let that happen! 🙂

So, is your 6, 7 or 8 month old sleeping? Or, maybe it’s time to learn how to get your 9 or 10 month old sleeping?

The post How to Get My 6, 7, or 8 Month Old To Sleep appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

One of the most common questions we get here at The Baby Sleep Site^® is “How do I get my 4 (or 5) month old to sleep?” and that’s the question we are answering today!

While some babies can be challenging sleepers from birth, many will go through periods where they sleep well, only to regress. What’s a sleepy parent to do, if you couldn’t get your 14, 15, or 16-week old sleeping!? Let’s take a look at the 6 steps to help your 4 or 5 month old baby sleep.

As soon as you get your 14 or 15 week old napping well and sleeping peacefully in longer stretches at night, your 4 month old may start waking frequently again and taking tiny naps. What’s up with that?! 4 month olds are going through a rapid period of development and their brain is fundamentally changing. We call this the 4 month old sleep regression and once your baby goes through it, they will begin to cycle in and out of sleep cycles more like you and I do. This change in sleep rhythms often presents a lot of sleep problems for parents who are helping their baby to sleep. 4 to 5 months is also a common age to stop swaddling, if you have not done so already.

How To Get My 4 or 5 Month Old To Sleep At-a-Glance

1. Develop a consistent sleep routine
2. Review your baby’s schedule
3. Consider gentle sleep coaching/training
4. Create a sleep plan for your family
5. Gather support from your village
6. Prepare for the next sleep speedbump

And, now for a few details…

1. Develop a sleep routine for your 4 or 5 month old

Setting the environment for sleep is crucial and part of cuing your baby it’s time for sleep is to have a consistent set of steps you do each sleep period, at night and at nap times. For those parents who aren’t that thrilled about strict routines, have no fear, the sleep routine does NOT have to be long. For instance, you can shut the curtains or blinds, change your baby’s diaper, read a short book (yes, we started at 4 months – you can thank us later for your budding genius’ intellect!), feed the baby (if appropriate), cuddle the baby for a few minutes, and then lay your baby down for sleep while saying a key phrase (e.g. “Sleepy time for baby. I love you. Night night.”).

2. Review your 4 or 5 month old’s schedule

For some 4 or 5 month old babies, their sleep schedule is fundamental to helping them sleep well. Some babies are more adaptable or less sensitive and not need a very regimented schedule, though for a lot of parents it’s a sanity saver! Since you may not know (yet) which type of baby you have at just 4 or 5 months young, I strongly recommend developing a good schedule to see what type of impact it may or may not have on your baby’s sleep. For all you know, that’s all you have to do! Some families, depending on their situation, can’t stick to a precise schedule as well as others, but just do your best. What type of schedule you ask? Check out our sample schedules here or make your own custom schedule!

3. Consider gentle sleep training (or coaching) for your 4 or 5 month old

If the previous steps haven’t significantly improved your 4 or 5 month old’s sleep and you’ve downloaded our free e-Book, 5 Ways to Help Your Child Sleep through the Night, it’s likely your 4 or 5 month old has sleep associations that need to be resolved with sleep training. Ideally, you’d get a professional assessment of your baby’s sleep challenges, but if you feel certain a dependence on parental help is part of the issue, then you may want to consider gently sleep coaching your 4 or 5 month old. This essentially involves helping your baby learn to fall asleep on their own, without as much help from you. Given your baby’s age and our experience, however, we do feel strongly this should be done using a hands-on, gentle sleep coaching method.

Want to see how Nadia and Brad sleep trained their 4 month old using a gentle sleep coaching method? Check out their case study here!

4. Create a plan for your 4 or 5 month old

If you’re considering gentle sleep training, you need to figure out what to do next. Some of us are planners and others simply “wing it.” If you’re not a planner, you can certainly skip this step, but if you’ve been trying to help your 4 or 5 month old sleep for awhile now, you’ve developed a routine, reviewed the schedule and plugging along without a set strategy isn’t working out so well, maybe a plan is just what you’re missing. After all, it’s hard to know how to get to where you’re going without a travel plan. Make the plan as detailed as you want it, but having a step-by-step plan helps you stay on track, committed, and consistent. Not sure where to begin or need help dreating your baby’s sleep plan? Consider making your own sleep plan or letting us create a Personalized Sleep Plan® for you and your baby.

5. Get support for your 4 or 5 month old’s parents (you!)

We hear everywhere that “it takes a village” to raise a child, but gone seem to be the days where we have a lot of help nurturing our babies. I don’t know about you, but my mom came out for one week when my first baby was a newborn, but that was about it. 🙁 My husband and I were largely on our own. No Aunts to regularly hold the baby while I took a nap or enjoyed a (hopefully hot) meal. So, getting through this 4 to 5 month old trouble spot can be tough without support. We sometimes have to recruit our own village. Consider hiring a sleep consultant or asking your partner, friends, or family members to help you implement your sleep plan. Having a support system in place can make all the difference in the world in reaching your sleep goals!

6. Prepare for your 4 or 5 month old’s next speedbump

Now that you learned how to get your 4 or 5 month old to sleep, what happens next? Do you ride off into the sunset with a happy sleeper forever and ever? We certainly hope so! For some of you, yes, but many of you will get your baby sleeping well now, only to hit another speedbump in a few weeks or months. Babies grow and change a lot in the first few years, so be prepared and make sure you plan ahead, and have a game plan in place, before the next sleep regression or speedbump emerges. Babies start teething, crawling, walking, get a cold, and that can often affect sleep. In a few months, your 4-5 month old will start getting more mobile, and it might affect their sleep. What will you do when your baby starts waking at night, again, or won’t nap or both? The #1 rule is NOT revert back to old habits as if you had never made progress in the first place. As easy as it is for babies to fall back to old habits, it’s often way too easy for us parents to do so as well. So, don’t let that happen! 🙂

So, is your 4 or 5 month old sleeping? Or, maybe it’s time to learn how to get your 6, 7, or 8 month old sleeping?

Previous (in case you missed it): How To Get My 14, 15 or 16 Week Old To Sleep

The post How To Get My 4 or 5 Month Old To Sleep appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.