@Kristin Some babies are like that and for those babies, we typically stick to the routine and then put them down awake. With enough repetition and consistency, they typically learn to fall asleep from an awake state. It might take several weeks, so while 40 minutes might seem like a lot of time, you may need to give her longer and more days in a row to see progress. And, make sure her room is very dark. Good luck!!

Hi Kristin,
Thank you so much for your comment! What you’re describing sounds really hard and I’m sorry you’re going through this. I would definitely refer you to one of our sleep consultants with a case like this. We have worked with families with similarly difficult schedule difficulties before, and a sleep consultant could look at *everything* – your current schedule, when and how much he’s eating, how he’s falling asleep, what you’ve tried already – and help you figure out what’s going on with a step-by-step plan to get his sleep as solid as possible. He may be a short-sleeper, but it’s relatively rare at this age, so I’d bet there’s a gap somewhere that we can help you address. You can review our consultation packages here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-toddler-sleep-consulting-services/
Please hang in there, and let us know if you have any questions!

Hello Mary,
Thank you for visiting The Baby Sleep Site, and congratulations on your new little one! It sounds like she’s sleeping pretty normally for her age. We do expect babies under 3 months to be pretty sleepy for the most part, and not necessarily staying awake too long. Being kept awake can actually make a baby overtired and lead to choppier night sleep, and the only thing I notice is that her naps seem a little short for her age, which may be affecting her wake time. We have a sample schedule for an 8 week-old that you can check out here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/newborns/newborn-sleep-schedules-by-week/#8week
I hope this helps!

Hi Katie,
Thank you for visiting The Baby Sleep Site! I’m sorry to hear you’re having trouble with your baby refusing that 4th nap. It sounds like she may be going through the 4 to 3 nap transition, which is normal anywhere between 5-8 months-old. For a sensitive baby, any nap transition can be difficult and take a little while to work through. Many parents have success dropping the 4th nap and moving bedtime up earlier, until the baby gets used to the schedule and bedtime can move back to 7ish. I hope this helps – please hang in!

Hi Eric,
Thanks for visiting The Baby Sleep Site! I’m so sorry to hear of the long night wakings you’re experiencing with your 5 month-old. The most common reasons to see these long wakings at this age in a healthy baby are because they’re hungry, or something is way off in the daily schedule. A 5 month-old may be eating 3 times a night, so please see our sample 5 month-old schedule here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/schedules/5-month-old-baby-schedule/
and consider whether he may be hungry at night.

If you continue to have trouble, this is a case I would definitely refer to a sleep consultant. She can look at your whole schedule, your baby’s eating habits, and everything and fix any gaps you have.

I hope this helps! Hang in there, and good luck!

Hi Kara,
Thanks so much for your comment! I’m sorry to hear you’re having some trouble with night weaning. Some 8 month-olds are still eating 1-2 times a night, but talk to your pediatrician – it may be fine to try to wean that earlier feeding. If you decide to do that, you can use any sleep coaching method that seems like a good fit for you and your baby. Many people do use Ferber with good results. I hope this helps, and good luck!

I should add that since I’ve commented his wake-ups have been more consistent – once at 1 am and again around 5am – going back to sleep after both. I feel like this is probably ‘normal’ but I hope eventually I can cut out that first feed.

I know the Urban’s guide from a few years back, it is fantastic. I’m six months pregnant now and going to use it again for sure 🙂

Hi Kelleen,

Thanks for writing! Yes, this sleep regression usually occurs around 18 months, but it can be a little early or late depending on your baby’s development. I hope this helps!