What is a Sleep Regression?

During a sleep regression that lasts an average of 3 to 6 weeks, a baby or toddler who was sleeping fine suddenly starts waking at night, taking short naps, and/or skipping naps for no apparent reason. Typically, these time periods start without warning and leave parents exhausted and confused. The good news is that it means your baby is developing properly and if you handle them properly, they don’t have to last forever. Sleep regressions happen around 4 months old, 6 months old, 8 to 10 months old, 11-12 months, 15 months, 18 months, and 2 years old.

You may also be interested in:

• Sleep Regressions: Ages and Everything You Need to Know
• Sleep Regression or Growth Spurt? Or, Both?

15 Month Sleep Regression: How Is It Different?

Most sleep regressions happen during developmental milestones. However, the 15-month sleep regression isn’t a change in how a baby sleeps like the 4-month sleep regresson. And, although some toddlers start walking around this age, it’s not as much tied to developmental milestones as the 8-10 month sleep regression.

At 15 months old, this regression typically occurs because your toddler is likely changing their schedule. This is especially true if they’ve already been walking for a while. My older son started walking around 11 months old, for example. When a toddler first starts walking, it can be exhausting. But, once they’re up and running (literally!), their schedule often changes.

How to Get Through the 15 Month Sleep Regression

If your toddler is struggling with the 15-month sleep regression, there are a few ways to get through it. Here are my tips:

• Increase Wake Windows – If you’re still using a typical 12-month old schedule, consider increasing your baby’s wake windows to 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Although it might feel like there’s not much different month-to-month, schedules can change quickly. Check out our toddler schedules by month here. Also, keep in mind if your toddler is still taking two naps, nighttime sleep could decrease down to 10 to 10 1/2 hours. But, that doesn’t mean it’s a bad schedule. You might simply need to shift it forward by an hour or so.
• Increase Solid Food – Active toddlers who are also growing at lightning speeds have very fast metabolisms. I know many of us worry about healthy weights for our children but keep in mind that it can feel like your toddler is eating more than you are on a regular basis! Be sure to offer three solid meals plus 2-3 snacks AND 16-20 oz of milk a day. Your toddler will indicate when they are done with their meal by signaling or refusing to eat. Toddlers also tend to graze a lot. You’d be surprised how often we figure out a toddler is hungry at night and that’s why they are waking up!
• Promote Independent Play – Separation anxiety has peaks and valleys throughout childhood so if your toddler is exhibiting uneasiness, be sure to promote independent play throughout the day. If you are only separating from your toddler at night, this can have negative consequences. Try leaving the room during the day for short durations so you can show them you always come back.
• Transition to One Nap – If your toddler is already awake 3 1/2 to 4 hours between naps and waking frequently at night or for a long period of time in the middle of the night, it might be time to transition to one nap altogether. Transitioning from two naps to one nap can be bumpy but within 2-3 weeks, your toddler should be sleeping much better at night.

Can I Do Sleep Training?

What about sleep training? Keep in mind that sleep training is NOT the answer to every sleep problem! There are many reasons babies and toddlers wake up at night. If you do sleep training such as Ferber or Cry It Out, you run the risk of having long periods of crying without success.

However, if your baby or toddler has always been a troubled sleeper, adding sleep training into the above-mentioned tips can help your child sleep through the night.

You May Also Be Interested In…

• Gentle Sleep Training + 5 Strategies
• The Ferber Method Explained: Age, Separation Anxiety, Is It Harmful?, and Example Session
• 11 Cry-It-Out Do’s and Don’ts
• 5 Ways to Help Your Child Sleep Through the Night

The post 15 Month Sleep Regression: Why It Happens and How to Get Through It appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

What Is the 4-Month Sleep Regression?

The 4-month sleep regression marks the time when your baby stops sleeping like a newborn and starts sleeping more like an adult. Newborns spend a lot of time in deep sleep which is why they can sleep through so much in those early days. Once they go through this period of development, they change their sleep cycles which means they are sometimes only in light sleep and will wake more easily. So, the 4-month sleep regression is only the name we give this period of development. Do all babies go through the 4-month sleep regression? Yes, all babies go through this change and there isn’t a way to stop it. It’s actually a good sign your baby is developing appropriately!

You May Be Interested In…

• Sleep Regressions: Ages and Everything You Need To Know to Handle Them
• Sample Scheudles With Feedings (for Breastfeeding and Formula-Feeding Babies)
• Wake Windows By Age Chart: Help Your Baby Sleep Better
• Baby Crying in Sleep – What Does It Mean and How Should You Handle It?

Signs

The most common signs of the 4-month sleep regression usually include one or more of the following:

• Waking a lot at night (even when they used to sleep in long stretches) – waking every 1-2 hours at night is common.
• Taking short naps of 20-30 minutes, sometimes 45 minutes.
• Can’t be put down awake (or even asleep sometimes!) Baby wants to sleep only in your arms or a carrier/sling.
• Irritability and Fussiness (though that can be simply due to sleep deprivation!)
• Needing to be put back to sleep the same way each time (e.g. rocking or feeding back to sleep).

You May Be Interested In…

• How to Handle When Your Baby Only Wants to Sleep in Arms or On Chest
• 5 Reasons a Baby Won’t Nap
• Why Babies Wake Up Screaming or Crying Hysterically

How Long Does 4 Month Sleep Regression Last?

The 4-month sleep regression starts around 3 to 4 months old and lasts around 3-4 weeks at its peak. But since it’s a permanent change to how your baby sleeps, it doesn’t ever “end” in a traditional sense. Some babies will begin (or go back) sleeping fine again. But, others will continue to wake up frequently at night and take short naps. Over the past 10+ years, I’ve gotten phone calls or e-mails from parents of 4-month olds, 6-month olds, 10-month olds, 12-month olds, or 18-month olds with virtually the same exact sleep problems: frequent night-waking and/or short naps.

You May Be Interested In…

• 5 Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night (FREE e-Book)
• Baby Won’t Nap In Crib? 5 Tips to Get Baby to Nap in the Crib
• The 6-Month Sleep Regression Myth

How to Shorten This Regression

The only way to “end” the sleep problems this regression causes is to help your baby sleep better with their new sleep cycles. If you don’t want this regression to last months when it can last just a few weeks, you need to help your baby learn to put sleep cycles together.

Linking sleep cycles sounds simple enough when you’re an adult but for babies, it can be difficult. The most common reasons babies struggle moving into the next sleep cycle is due to hunger and sleep associations. A sleep association is a way in which your baby falls asleep. Because this is how they fall asleep, this is how they expect to fall BACK to sleep. Examples of sleep associations include rocking, feeding, bouncing, sucking on a pacifier, and driving in a car.

So, the key to shortening the 4-month sleep regression is simply to have your baby fall asleep the same way they will need to put themselves back to sleep. We typically do this by teaching babies to self-soothe with gentle sleep training. There are many methods to do sleep training or sleep coaching. The key is to find the one that works best for your baby’s temperament and personality. Please poke around and read through our many blog posts about this topic and more!

You May Be Interested In…

• 4 Month Sleep Regression: Ultimate Guide + 20 Tips to Fix It
• Sleep Training a Baby: 5 Methods Explained
• Baby Temperament Series: Learn More About Your Baby
• Dream Feeds: What Are They, Age to Try Them, and How

The post How Long Does the 4 Month Sleep Regression Last? And, How to Shorten It appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

What Is Baby Insomnia or a Split Night?

Insomnia is usually defined as the inability to sleep when you are actively trying to sleep. This could mean that it’s hard to fall asleep, hard to stay asleep, awake for long periods at night, or wake up too early in the morning.

Baby insomnia is the same but sometimes occurs when there is a mismatch between how much sleep a parent thinks their baby needs and how much sleep their baby actually needs.

When a parent comes to us with a case of baby insomnia, it usually means the baby is awake for long periods in the middle of the night (2+ hours) and can’t go back to sleep. When a baby is taking too long to fall asleep at night or waking up too early, we don’t typically call that “insomnia.” Same for a toddler stalling.

In most cases, if your baby is awake at night but happy and not crying, this is a good indication they have insomnia.

If your baby is crying when they are alone but awake and happy when you’re holding them, that can also be insomnia for a social child. After all, tossing and turning alone isn’t fun for anyone when you can’t sleep!

This is often called a “split night” because your baby might sleep a long stretch at the beginning of the night, wake up for 1-3 hours, then finish their nighttime sleep. They are “splitting” the night into two long fragments.

What About When Baby Falls Asleep In Your Arms But Wakes Up When Put Down?

If your baby is falling asleep in your arms but waking up when you put them in their crib, we would NOT consider that insomnia. If your baby will only sleep in your arms or on your chest, this is usually a case of sleep associations not insomnia.

Why Is Insomnia Bad?

The reason this is an issue is it’s not as restorative for your baby’s sleep, in general, and can cause problems with their schedule. It can also cause your child not to get enough sleep in a 24-hour period. And, just like adults, they can feel tired during the day.

So, why does insomnia happen in babies?

Top 5 Reasons for Baby Insomnia

There are 5 primary reasons for long night-waking in children:

• Developmental Milestones and Sleep Regressions – The most notable reason your baby might wake up for long periods at night is that they are working on a new skill or developmental milestone. When our minds are very busy, we have trouble sleeping (obviously). For adults, it’s often due to something about which we’re stressed or worried. For babies, it might be a new skill they’re learning. During some developmental periods, you’ll also notice a sleep regression, a period of time when your baby starts waking a lot for no apparent reason.
• Scheduling Problems – Besides developmental leaps, a scheduling problem is the most common reason for insomnia. But, it can be complicated how to fix it which I will explain below.
• Medication Side Effects – Although it’s rarer, there are occasionally children on medications that have a side effect of insomnia.
• Allergies and Milk Intolerance – In a small number of cases, milk intolerance is to blame for sleeplessness and other allergies.
• Sensory Processing Disorder – Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) can also cause insomnia in babies and toddlers. This was the case for one of my clients with a 2-year-old at the time. He would wake up for 1 to 3 hours every single night. In the end, a weighted blanket was the only thing that helped. SPD makes it difficult for children to process information from their senses and then respond appropriately. Typically, one or more senses over- or under-react so it isn’t difficult to see how that could impact sleep.

You May Also Be Interested In…

• Wonder Weeks Chart: How They Affect Sleep
• Toddler Waking Too Early
• Food Allergies and Sensitivities: An Overview

What About Teething and Illness?

Teething and illness can both cause discomfort and thus, sleeplessness. However, this is typically short-lived. And, by the time you are wondering if your baby has insomnia, it’s usually over. Therefore, I didn’t include them in the list. Babies get teeth on and off for 2+ years. If they have night-waking related to teething, it’s usually when the tooth is cutting through the gums and then it’s over. That typically takes 3-5 days per tooth. In some cases, they might get two at the same time or back-to-back but even then, it will typically last two weeks or less of sleeplessness (with some nights being better than others.) Insomnia typically lasts several weeks or months.

Ways to Fix Your Baby’s Insomnia

For the purposes of this article, we will be sharing how to fix insomnia when it’s a scheduling problem. For any potential medical or development issues, please see your medical provider.

If your baby has had insomnia for weeks or months, you probably want to fix it. I say “probably” because in some cases, a split night isn’t the worst thing in the world. If your baby is happy and thriving, it may be a phase they go through until they are ready for their next schedule, for example. If it’s keeping you up at night, consider changing your own sleep environment to combat it rather than changing theirs.

However, if your baby seems exhausted during the day and/or is not thriving, you should definitely address the issue. But, how do you fix insomnia?

If it’s due to a sleep regression, you typically need to ride it out. Although there are sleep regressions at various ages, we find that insomnia occurs most during the 8 to 10-month sleep regression and during the 18-month sleep regression in our experience. During other sleep regressions, we notice frequent night-waking but not necessarily long periods of non-sleeping.

When insomnia is due to a scheduling problem, thankfully, there are things you can do to fix it! Unfortunately, it can be one of the most challenging sleep problems to fix. Here are a few tips:

• Too Much Daytime Sleep – This is probably the easiest scheduling problem to solve. If your baby is older than 6 months old and napping longer than 2 1/2 to 3 hours during the day, we typically need to reduce the amount of daytime sleep. Note: You don’t have to reduce it if there isn’t insomnia. This is only if it’s causing an issue at night. When your baby is sleeping too much during the day, they might not be sleepy enough at night to stay asleep. They might fall asleep fine at bedtime (or not), but they simply can’t stay asleep.
• Bedtime Is Too Early – You might know about wake windows so you put the baby to bed at night after their appropriate wake window. Great! Only sometimes this can cause split nights. For example, your baby naps from 2 to 3 PM and can stay awake 3 hours. So, you put them to bed at 6:00 PM. Unfortunately, this can cause split nights because while early bedtimes are good, your baby’s internal clock might be set for “nighttime sleep” from 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM, for example. If their bedtime is too early, they treat bedtime more like a long nap than bedtime. This happens to adults, too. We see this to happen to babies most when they are transitioning from two naps to one nap
• Too Long In Bed Problem – Similar to bedtime being too early, another issue is what Dr. Ferber calls the “Too Long In Bed Problem.” Essentially, you have your baby in bed for more hours than they are capable of sleeping. If this is the case, you need to try to have your baby in bed for just the right amount of hours. The worst thing you can do in a case like this is let your baby “sleep in!” The amount of sleep in a 24-hour period will stay relatively constant. If your baby needs 13 hours of sleep a day, naps for 3 hours, and is in bed for 12 hours, they will likely be awake for two hours in that 12-hour period whether it’s at the beginning, the end (early waking), or in the middle (split nights.) To fix this issue, “squeeze” the sleep together by setting an appropriate schedule with only the number of hours of sleep your baby needs.
• Overtiredness – Overtiredness can be terrible for your baby’s sleep but usually, it causes frequent night-waking, not insomnia. In some cases, though, it can cause insomnia. Our bodies release hormones (cortisol) to fight fatigue and give us a “second wind.” If we go to bed overtired, we might wake up restless and unable to sleep. In my experience, babies who have insomnia due to this reason are fussier at night than for the above reasons. They are quite miserably tired.

Conclusion

As I mentioned, insomnia is one of the most challenging sleep problems we face as parents and as sleep consultants. Although it should feel simple to put your baby to sleep when they’re tired, there is a bit of an art form to it. When we work directly with families, we typically keep a sleep log while fine-tuning the schedule so we can accurately see the primary cause of insomnia. If you try to solve the wrong problem, you can make sleep even worse! Give a few things a try for 2-3 days and then make more adjustments. If you get stuck, feel free to reach out to us!

You May Also Be Interested In…

• How to Manage Your Baby or Toddler’s Nap Transitions
• Baby and Toddler Bedtimes By Age
• Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems by Dr. Richard Ferber

References:
https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/te7831
https://familydoctor.org/condition/sensory-processing-disorder-spd/
Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems by Dr. Richard Ferber

The post Baby Insomnia or Split Night: Why It Happens and How to Fix appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

What is a Sleep Cycle?

It might seem like we adults simply fall asleep and then wake up in the morning. But, in reality, we go through different stages of sleep. In one “sleep cycle,” we go through four stages:

• Stage 1 is Non-REM sleep and some call it “twilight sleep.” If someone disturbs you during this stage, you might not even feel like you fell asleep and it’s quite easy to wake up. We typically only spend a few minutes in this stage.
• Stage 2 is also Non-REM and where we spend about half of our sleep. It is when our body temperature drops, our muscles begin to relax, and our eye movement stops.
• Stage 3 is also Non-REM and deep sleep. Consequently, it is difficult to wake someone up during this stage. We typically spend the most time in deep sleep in the first half of the night.
• Stage 4 is REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep and when most vivid dreams occur. REM sleep is considered “active” sleep when you might see limbs twitching whereas Non-REM sleep is considered “quiet sleep” when we look more peaceful. Even though we are dreaming, our muscles are paralyzed so we don’t act out those dreams. As the night progresses, we spend less time in Stage 3 and more time in Stage 4.

Although all people go through all of these stages of sleep, each night is different for each person. No two nights are the same nor do two people sleep the same. The amount of time you spend in each stage will vary throughout the night and change from night-to-night.

Babies also go through these stages but sleep cycles are different depending on age and are shorter.

How Are Sleep Cycles Different in Babies?

As you know, newborns typically sleep a lot, up to 16-18 hours a day. Newborns go immediately into REM sleep once they fall asleep and spend approximately 50% of their time in REM sleep. Therefore, it is why many newborns can sleep through noise. Since they spend 50% in REM and 50% in Non-REM deep sleep, it is often difficult to wake them. Because newborns are not going through the same four sleep cycles above, they typically sleep better and we get the old adage “sleeping like a baby.”

In reality, it should have been “sleeping like a newborn” because as your newborn grows, they start to sleep more like an adult. Babies begin to go into Non-REM sleep first and they go through the same four stages of sleep. This development begins around 3-4 months old and often leads to the 4 month sleep regression. It is between sleep cycles that a baby will have trouble staying asleep.

Because we are in deep sleep much of the time in the first half of the night, this often leads to babies sleeping through the night for 5-hour stretches fairly early. However, for the remainder of the night, they are cycling through the different stages and that’s where we start to see babies waking frequently at night.

How Long are Sleep Cycles in Babies?

While adult sleep cycles are usually around 90 minutes, babies have shorter sleep cycles. Baby sleep cycles are usually 40-50 minutes and vary by time of day and each night. This is often why babies take short naps. Catnapping is one of the most common complaints among new parents who visit this site.

Since children spend 1-2 hours in deep sleep, if your baby is waking at night, you might find they wake every 1-2 hours all night. This was the case for my son who inspired this website.

Also, we frequently hear from parents that their baby wakes even more frequently as we approach early morning. This is, again, because we spend a lot of time in deep sleep in the first part of the night. Therefore, 4:00 to 6:00 a.m. is often the most challenging for many families. A baby waking too early is one of the most common and difficult sleep problems to solve! Children who wake up after Stage 3 in the early morning are likely waking up crying whereas babies who enter Stage 4 before waking for the day wake up happy and refreshed.

Baby Sleep Cycles By Age Chart

Please Note: This chart has been developed based on research, anecdotal experience as a sleep consultant, and extrapolating that a child’s sleep cycle is around 40 minutes at 3 months old and extends to approximately 90 minutes by 5 years old.

When Do Baby Sleep Cycles Lengthen?

Your child’s sleep cycles will gradually lengthen from 40-50 minutes to 90 minutes by the time they are around 5 years old.

How Many Sleep Cycles Should a Baby Have?

Most babies need 10-12 hours of sleep so that would equal approximately 12-14 sleep cycles each night. At nap time, they typically have 1-3 sleep cycles depending on age and the time of day.

When Do Babies Connect Sleep Cycles for Naps?

At nap time, there are a variety of reasons that babies don’t connect sleep cycles. Between 2-3 months old, most babies take short naps to spread out their daytime sleep over more periods during the day since they can’t stay awake long. As your baby approaches 4 months, 5 months, and 6 months old, they will start to connect sleep cycles for naps and take at least two 1+ hour long naps.

When Baby Wakes After Their First Sleep Cycle

If your baby is waking up after their first sleep cycle, this likely means they have a scheduling problem. Review their sleep schedule for their age to make sure you aren’t keeping them awake too long before their nap or bedtime.

If your baby is waking up happy after a 40-minute nap, this might mean they feel refreshed and they need to be awake longer before their nap.

How to Connect Sleep Cycles

To help your baby connect sleep cycles, you will want to teach your baby to fall asleep on their own first and foremost. Be sure to review all of the most common napping mistakes to help your baby take longer naps.

If your baby is waking at night, be sure to learn ways to help your baby sleep through the night.

References:
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/baby-sleep/baby-sleep-cycle
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/stages-of-sleep
https://raisingchildren.net.au/babies/sleep/understanding-sleep/sleep-2-12-months
Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems by Richard Ferber

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How early is too early?

So, your child is a nearly bird? Shouldn’t that be a good thing? Not really, if your baby wakes up at 4 in the morning. Infants 6 months and younger usually have a very drastic sleep schedule. Most babies are light sleepers and would wake up to the slightest of disturbances. Some kids are also notoriously early risers.

Ideally, you should be sending your kids to bed by eight and have them up and fresh by 7 in the morning. Any time before 6 or 7 in the morning is too early for waking up. Also, sleeping in late can be a problem as it makes them sluggish and cranky all day.

Why does my baby wake up so early?

Babies spend most of their time sleeping, usually about 15 hours a day. 10-11 hours of uninterrupted sleep in the night, followed by 3-4 hours of daytime naps are healthy for infants. There are two main reasons why your kids are not getting enough sleep. Either they are not tired enough to go to bed, or they are overtired.

As parents, you need to pay attention to your child’s activities and daily routine. Look at how they are spending their time. If your child is slightly older, ensure that they get enough physical and mental exercise. For infants, you need to monitor their nap schedule during the day. Here are some other reasons why babies might be rising early:

Teething

Teething is a condition when the baby develops its first set of milk teeth. In this phase, the infant might experience some pain, mild bouts of fever, diarrhea and increased sleep regression. A particularly painful teething process can mess up the sleep schedule. You might need to book an appointment with a pediatrician.

Sleep regressions

Sleep regression is more prevalent than you think. The kid wakes up frequently during the night and compensates for the lost sleep in the day. The condition can lead to morning fatigue, sleeping disorders or other issues. Young babies aged 4-6 months are more susceptible to lapses in their sleep cycle.

Medical reasons

Another probable reason why your child is waking up early might be an illness. Consult a doctor if your child is overweight, has breathing issues, or snores. There might be a chance of sleep apnea that can get dangerous if left untreated for long.

Effective sleep strategies

Many mothers have to get back to their jobs after the baby is born. It can get very exhausting to balance personal and professional commitments. Check out these tips, curated for working mothers wanting to restart their careers after maternity leave.

Keep the sun away

Usually, we tend to associate darkness with sleep and resting. This holds for children as well. Close the curtains, shut those blinds and keep the room dark and cozy. Even the slightest of light can disturb your young one’s sleep. Also, let them snuggle in or laze around in bed for an hour before you begin your day. Most children are not entirely awake, but in the zone between sleep and wakefulness in the early hours.

Keep it quiet

The bedroom should be soft, comfortable and cozy. Dispel all the possible distractions from the room to create a sleep-friendly space. This means shutting down the alarm, removing the television and keeping your phones on silent. Refrain from creating a ruckus in the bedroom. Also, if your child is older, consider giving them their separate room. This would inculcate a sense of independence. Reduce their dependence on the pacifier as they grow.

Regulate the bedtime

Over fatigue can mess up the bedtime. Kids wake up early because they haven’t had a restful sleep at night. Ensure that they are not overly exhausted when they hit the bed. Ideally, the best time for your child to sleep is in the first half of the night. This is when the body can soak up on the REM sleep. Push their bedtime to an hour or so if need be.

Also, monitor the bedtime routine of your baby. Is the diaper clean and fresh? Has the baby been fed? Sometimes, giving the child a warm bath before bed might also work. Invest in products that would keep the baby warm and comfortable. Bassinets, cribs, baby monitor, plush onesies, pacifiers are some fantastic products to help babies sleep better.

Have a nap schedule

The younger your child is, the more sleep they need. Schedule ample daytime naps as well, so that they are not overtired. 3-4 hours of nap time is more than enough for the baby. The rest of the time should be devoted to playing, interaction with the family, feeding, cleaning and other activities. Also, maintain a gentle waking up routine. Don’t try to rush your kid through the morning. Keep the wee hours of the morning passive and uneventful.

The bottom line

Give your baby some time; they will eventually adjust their biological clock. Some children are naturally early risers and might feel comfortable waking up quickly. Don’t pressurize them a lot to alter their sleep cycle. If your child is a morning person, encourage them to exercise, or meditate. This would only give them the much-needed boost to kick start their day.

Author Bio:
Mary Jones is the co-founder & editor-in-chief at TopMyGrades, which focuses on Content Marketing Strategy for clients from the Education industry in the US, Canada & UK. Mary has conducted a series of webinars for AssignmentEssayHelp as  assignment expert. She has extensive content editing experience and has worked with MSNBC, NewsCred & Scripted. She has also authored blogs on Lifehack.org, Wn.com, Medium.com, Minds.com and many more digital publications.

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In fact, a survey published on Parents Magazine reveals that half of all parents with infants six months or younger only get around three hours a day of uninterrupted rest at most. This presents a number of challenges for new parents, as they try to attain an adequate amount of sleep for both their children and themselves. Although sacrificing sleep for the sake of your child is an admirable act, parents shouldn’t take this basic life necessity for granted. Sleep deprivation can have dangerous effects on your physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing, and you can’t expect to be the best possible parent for your children when you aren’t the best version of yourself.

This is why it’s important to remember that putting your precious little one to sleep shouldn’t feel like a chore, as it is a special opportunity for you to develop a closer bond with them during their first few months. In this regard, Emily DeJeu points out that we can take our cue from Nordic mothers, who turned the task of getting their baby to sleep into a fun activity by taking their babies outside. With the proper climate, first-time parents should consider practicing this sleeping strategy for their newborns as it has several benefits for the entire family.

Longer Sleeping Hours

Spending time outdoors can serve as a possible solution to your sleep problems. A Finnish study found that children who took outdoor naps in their strollers slept significantly longer compared to those who dozed off inside. When newborns nap outside, they help their parents clear their minds and restore their strength. The researchers concluded that this sleeping practice works, as it teaches infants to sleep independently. This, in turn, lightens the heavy load that new parents carry and allows them some extra hours to recharge.

However, safety is a key responsibility for parents. If you do choose to follow this advice, it’s important you find a stroller or pushchair that is comfortable and safe for them to nap in. More importantly, the American Academy of Pediatrics considers bassinet-style prams with a firm sleep surface as the most suitable for nap times, as it allows babies to sleep on their back. This is why, the pushchairs featured on iCandy can be easily adjusted from an upright position to support your baby’s sleep, wherever you may be. When choosing a stroller for your child, look for models that are lightweight and compact enough so that you can travel with them to and from the house, while also being sturdy enough to ensure a smooth ride for your baby.

Regulated Sleeping Cycles

With millions of children now exposed to technology throughout the day, it has become a parental duty to remind our children of the unparalleled beauty of the great outdoors. Furthermore, babies can help manage their circadian rhythm when they are exposed to sunshine, according to Dr. Yvonne Harrison. Harrison and her team of researchers from John Moores University found that infants who receive a healthy dose of vitamin D during the day, tend to experience a good night’s rest.

With this in mind, another safety precaution parents must consider is to be wary of how much sun their babies receive when they take a nap outdoors. Due to babies having ultra-sensitive skin, they require an equally gentle SPF formula. Look for sunscreen that only carries physical blockers like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. A great example of this is Active Badger Baby Sunscreen Cream SPF 30, as it contains chamomile extracts that will help make your precious one’s nap time even more peaceful.

The post Why Spending Time Outdoors Can Improve Babies’ Sleep appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

First, before you learn how to handle your baby crying in their sleep, let’s explore some reasons for crying. Here are the top 5 reasons babies cry in their sleep, in no particular order:

Why Do Babies Cry In Their Sleep?

• Hunger – The most obvious reason a baby cries in their sleep is due to a feeding time. Some babies do not wake up completely in order to signal to their parent to feed them. They may appear half asleep but eat eagerly. With babies waking from hunger, they will usually go immediately back to sleep even if they are put down in their crib or bed.
• Sleep Cycles – After the 4-month sleep regression your baby needs to transition between sleep cycles. The first ~5 hours (or so) are usually the deepest sleep. But, then your baby needs to cycle from deep sleep into light sleep and then back again on and off throughout the night. When babies do this, they often fuss or cry between sleep cycles for a few minutes (usually 5 or less, but sometimes 10 minutes). This is the equivalent of an adult talking in their sleep. If your baby returns to sleep quickly and without issue, there’s nothing to be concerned about. In general, we see this occur 1-3 times a night. If it’s occurring more frequently, there may be another reason or you need to review your baby’s schedule.
• Fever or Teething – If your baby is uncomfortable for some reason such as from a fever or teething, your baby may wake periodically and fuss or cry in their sleep. If your baby is teething, review our 3 proven tips to help with teething. And, if your baby has a fever, talk to your doctor about appropriate care for a fever. In most cases, your baby will feel better within a few days to a week in either case. If it has lasted longer, your baby may be crying in sleep for another reason.
• Needs More Sleep – If your baby wakes up crying, it’s very likely your baby needs more sleep than he or she has gotten during that sleep period. Yes, sometimes your baby wakes up for the day hungry enough to cry. But, most babies who wake up for the day crying have not finished their final sleep cycle. In this case, you may be getting your baby up prematurely. Similarly, at nap time, your baby may need a longer nap.
• Pacifier and Other Sleep Associations – The most common reason for babies crying in their sleep is due to sleep associations. This is particularly when they don’t go back to sleep without your help. This might mean they need you to replace the pacifier, rock them back to sleep, bounce them on a yoga ball, etc. They typically look like they are sleeping with their eyes closed, but are fussing or crying for you to “do” something. If your baby is waking up every 1-3 hours at night beyond the newborn days, this is the most likely reason. To change sleep associations (they aren’t all bad), you would likely do some baby sleep training.

How should you handle your baby crying in sleep?

First, unless your baby needs attention in some way, you would simply leave them be and let them go right back to sleep. This is especially true if they are only crying for a few minutes. If these short bouts of crying are disrupting your sleep too much, you may want to ditch your baby monitor.

If your baby needs attention to the crying, then you would clearly give your baby attention. For example, a dirty diaper should be changed though wet diapers tend not to be changed past 3-4 months old.

Take care that if your baby is crying due to a sleep association (see above), then coming up with a strategy for sleep training would be helpful to decrease the wake-ups. This will maximize both your baby’s sleep as well as your own.

If your baby seems to be eating at night excessively, you may want to consider when it’s time to night-wean.

Can babies have bad dreams?

Can babies have bad dreams? No one knows for sure, but the theory is that babies can definitely have a nightmare by age one and probably sooner. Since bad dreams and nightmares occur during REM and active sleep, it is possible that even newborns can have bad dreams. How complex they are would be difficult to figure out, of course!

Does your baby cry during sleep? What is your experience? Share in the comments below!

The post Baby Crying in Sleep – What Does It Mean and How Should You Handle It? appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

In my experience of over 10 years as a sleep consultant, there isn’t really a 6-month sleep regression so much as some other growth and development going on that may or may not impact your baby’s sleep. In this article, I will explore what’s happening so you can maximize your baby’s sleep.

6 Month Old Sleep Needs

Your 6-month old baby likely needs 11-12 hours of sleep at night and 2-3 hours of sleep during the day. Some babies will sleep more during the day and less at night. And, generally speaking, some babies may need more or less than the average.

Some 6-month olds still need feedings at night, so the nighttime sleep is not always uninterrupted. If you are feeding your baby formula, most likely your baby can be night-weaned completely unless your baby has reflux or another medical condition. If you are breastfeeding, your baby is more likely to need at least one feeding at night for a bit longer. All babies are different, of course, and be sure to talk to your baby’s pediatrician about the right time to night-wean.

If your baby was taking great naps and now has suddenly started taking short naps, you likely need to consider a schedule change. This is not really a sleep regression. During a true sleep regression, sleep will be poor for 3 to 6 weeks, on average. I have worked with thousands of families over the past 10+ years and there simply isn’t a standard time period where sleep is bad. If your 6 month old isn’t sleeping well, it’s something you can address immediately.

Babies go through several nap transitions and schedule changes during the first year to 18 months. If your baby has never taken great naps, you likely need to address the short nap problem another way. If your baby is waking a lot at night, you likely need to address sleeping through the night.

Need help with a schedule? Check out our sample 6-month-old schedule here.

A 6 Month Old’s Growth and Development

One very important thing to keep in mind about your 6-month-old is the rapid period of growth and development. Your baby is learning a lot of new things. Some babies will be rolling, some will start to scoot or crawl while still others may be learning to sit independently (with support). The huge thing about becoming more mobile is that it burns calories.

When a family comes to me about a baby who was sleeping all night without feedings suddenly needing a feeding, it’s usually due to a sharp increase in caloric needs. Imagine running (or even walking) on a treadmill all day. You are going to burn a LOT more calories and likely be hungrier throughout the day. If your metabolism stays high, you will need to increase how much you’re eating every day. Similarly, your baby will need to eat more, too. This likely means bigger milk feedings and this is a common age for babies to start solids.

Generally speaking, if your baby is sleeping well besides a new or returned night feeding, this is not a sleep regression but more about needing to eat more. This is an easy sleep problem to fix, usually, or you can simply add another nighttime feeding, temporarily, until your milk supply adjusts, your baby’s tummy gets bigger so she can eat a bigger bottle, or she’s eating a more significant amount of solid food. This will improve with time no matter what if this is the issue.

Thinking about sleep training? Check out our 5 Things to Know About Sleep Training Your 6 Month Old.

Conclusion

In the end, there is NOT a 6-month sleep regression, in my experience, and the next sleep regression you have to worry about is the 8 month sleep regression. I have worked with thousands of families and can tell you that there are common reasons babies wake at night, take short naps, and get fussy (like from teething), but there is not a typical 3-6-week period sleep regression at this age compared to actual sleep regressions. This simply doesn’t fit the description. That said, there are some babies who occasionally start the 8-month sleep regression early, but it’s generally more around 7 1/2 months old, not 6 months.

Looking for more? Read about the actual baby sleep regressions here.

How is your 6-month-old sleeping? Share below!

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When your baby is not sleeping, one of the most difficult things to face is whether or not your baby is in pain or if something else is wrong. There are so many things that could go wrong and many parents aren’t sure whether they should start sleep training or not.

Could it be an ear infection and how does that impact your baby’s sleep?

Symptoms of a Baby Ear Infection

Unfortunately, babies are unable to say “Mommy/Daddy, my ear hurts.” So how can you know if your baby is in pain with an ear infection? Here are the primary signs to look for (in no particular order):

• Ear Tugging or batting at the ears for younger babies
• Waking a lot or having trouble sleeping (that’s out of the ordinary!)
• Fussier than normal
• Fever over 100 degrees (though not all babies get one!)

Symptoms alone aren’t enough to diagnose an ear infection yourself, of course. These symptoms can be caused by other things, too, such as illness or teething. Babies can be so confusing!

Impact on a Baby’s Sleep

Ear infections can be very disruptive to your baby’s sleep at the height of pain, though it may take you a few days to figure it out. After all, when we are in pain, it’s difficult for any of us to sleep! Unfortunately, some symptoms of ear infections in babies are also symptoms of other problems. For example, tugging at ears can often also be an overtired sign. And your young baby’s terrible coordination can sometimes account for what looks like “batting” at the ears, as well.

In addition, your baby being fussier than normal is one of the ear infection symptoms. But, being overtired, too warm, belly issues or teething can also cause babies to be fussier. The difference with ear infections is that the fussiness is almost non-stop. If your baby is simply overtired, he or she may be happy at least for an hour after each nap or several hours a day. Not so much with an ear infection. A pain reliever can allow temporary relief for both teething and ear infection pain, but of course, that doesn’t help you identify which it is at the moment!

The biggest impact baby ear infections have on sleep is waking up a lot at night, taking super short naps, struggling to fall asleep and stay asleep, and waking too early in the morning. Basically, your baby is miserable and so are you! While waking every 1-3 hours at night is commonly caused by sleep associations, when your baby has an ear infection, we often see even shorter sleep durations, if you can believe that. Your baby may take a 15-20-minute nap or wake every 20-30 minutes all night long. In other words, sleep is even more disrupted than usual and it may feel even more that nothing works to keep your baby asleep. Many parents we’ve worked with have often reported their babies will only sleep while being held or on their chests – we know this from personal experience, too.

Ear Infection Treatments

Some ear infections clear up on their own, but some do not and require antibiotics. You may want to incline your baby’s bed or crib to help keep the pressure pain at bay and help with drainage if you suspect lying flat is an issue. Some parents give over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or Tylenol to manage the pain or homeopathic earache drops. Just check in with your baby’s physician to be sure this is okay for your little one first.

If it’s been several days, the pain seems to be getting worse, or you see pus or fluid draining from the ear, your best course of action is to have your baby’s doctor or healthcare provider look in the ears and discuss options with you. Although rare, untreated ear infections can cause more severe complications such as hearing loss. For some babies who get recurring ear infections, it may be suggested to get ear tubes inserted.

The #1 Thing to Consider With Ear Infections

I have seen it many times in my 10+ years working with families. A baby or toddler is diagnosed with an ear infection, is given medication, and parents administer the medication as instructed. The ear infection will go away, right? Wrong! Well, yes, most of the time, everything clears up perfectly as expected. However, for some babies and young children, we have heard time and again that the ear infection did NOT go away and sleep is still horrible. If your child is still not feeling like his- or herself even during the day playing, be sure to visit the healthcare provider again and make sure the infection cleared up. I’ve heard from some families needing to give a different medication or multiple doses.

What to do if there isn’t an ear infection and sleep is still terrible

If your baby has been cleared of the infection and the doctor hasn’t given you any indication your baby is likely in pain from fluid in the ear or another medical reason, then your sleep issue is likely due to another reason. You might be interested in The Top 15 Reasons Your Baby Wakes at Night to help you troubleshoot.

How did you know your baby had an ear infection and what did sleep look like? Let us know below!

Sources: https://www.unitypoint.org/blankchildrens/article.aspx?id=51d97eda-93ea-433d-b210-b688784fc9e2

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When you are planning your baby’s nursery, odds are you spend lots of time thinking through your specific design plans: color schemes, coordinating furniture, accents and finishing touches, etc. But here’s something you might not consider: how will the colors you select for your nursery impact your baby’s mood and (most importantly, for our purposes) your baby’s sleep?

An important question indeed! Keep reading to learn more about how the colors you choose for your baby’s nursery might impact sleep.

How Color Will Impact Your Baby’s Sleep

Does color have an impact on your baby’s sleep and mood? In a word, yes! There is a whole field devoted to studying how color affects our perceptions, our moods, and our mental states; it’s called color psychology. It’s important, then, to think through your color choices before you start decorating the room in which your baby will be spending most of her time (especially if the baby will grow into toddlerhood and beyond in that room).

Worst Colors For Your Baby’s Nursery

Red/Orange: Red tends to raise a room’s energy level. Intense reds especially tend to feel exciting and vibrant. Red rooms tend to stimulate conversation and energize groups of people. Research demonstrates that the color red can actually raise blood pressure and speed up breathing and heart rate. For this reason, red is generally considered too stimulating for bedrooms – and since you no doubt want your baby to SLEEP in his room, and not have a little middle-of-the-night party, it’s best if you avoid strong use of the color red in the nursery. The same rules apply for orange.

Yellow: Yellow is a bit trickier to pin down. On one hand, yellow tends to be a happier color that reminds us of days spent outside in the sunshine. Yellow is usually associated with morning or midday, so it makes a great color for kitchens. Pale yellows, like whites, can also make a room feel larger, so small rooms (like bathrooms or hallways) often look great when painted yellow. However, most designers agree that yellow is not a good “main” color. Believe it or not, research indicates that people are more likely to lose their temper in a yellow interior. Babies also seem to cry more in yellow rooms. So it would seem that, in large quantities, yellow makes people feel anxious and upset. For this reason, it’s best if you avoid painting your baby’s entire nursery yellow, and instead stick to using yellow as an accent color.

Blue/Purple: Blue has a tendency to lower blood pressure and to slow breathing and heart rates. For this reason, blue is considered calming, serene, and relaxing. No wonder, then, that it’s often recommended for bedrooms! Just be aware that pale, pastel blues tend to look chilly and cold on the walls of rooms that receive little natural light. “Warmer” blues, such as periwinkle, tend to work better in these settings. Be aware, too, that while softer shades of blue are relaxing and look great as main room colors, dark blues tend to feel sad.

Purple is much the same; while dark purples may be too intense to use on all the walls of a room, pale purples (like lilac) evoke the same feelings of rest and relaxation but help you avoid the chilly, cold feel that pale blues can create.

Green: We have a winner! Green is widely considered to be the most restful color on the spectrum. Because it combines the cheerful “sunniness” of yellow and the calming effect of blue, green is suited for use in almost any room. Green evokes peaceful feelings of relaxation while maintaining a feeling of warmth and coziness. Because green has been shown to relieve stress and promote feelings of peace, it’s a great choice for your baby’s nursery.

Don’t worry; we haven’t forgotten about those popular neutrals! Black makes a great accent color but is probably not a good choice for main schemes. White has become incredibly popular lately as a main color, but while it can feel bright and airy, it may not be the perfect choice for a child’s room (think spit-up and sticky fingerprints!) But closer to the middle of the neutral spectrum, shades of tan and gray make great colors for a baby’s nursery. Just strive to pick warmer neutrals, again to avoid that chilly, cold feeling you tend to get in rooms that rely on artificial light.

Your turn: what color is your baby’s nursery? Do you think that room color affects your baby’s mood and sleep?

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