Blog
Sleep is the cornerstone of our well-being, especially for children whose growing bodies and minds depend on it for optimal development. As parents, we often hear about the significance of sleep, yet understanding the specific needs of our children at different stages of their lives can be the key to ensuring they thrive. In this comprehensive guide, we'll delve into the importance of sleep for children and explore the recommended amount of sleep they need from birth into their teenage years. Birth to 12 Months: During the first year of life, sleep is not just vital; it's foundational. Infants spend a significant portion of their time sleeping, with newborns needing around 14-17 hours of sleep per day. As they grow, the total sleep hours gradually decrease, but the importance remains unchanged. Sleep is crucial for their physical growth, cognitive development, and emotional well-being. Establishing healthy sleep habits early on can lay the groundwork for a lifetime of restful sleep. 1 to 3 Years Old: Toddlers are bundles of energy, constantly exploring the world around them. Despite their boundless enthusiasm, they still require ample sleep to support their rapid development. Children aged 1 to 3 years typically need about 12-14 hours of sleep per day, including naps. Consistent bedtime routines and a conducive sleep environment can help toddlers settle into a restful night's sleep, setting the stage for their busy days ahead. 4 to 6 Years Old: As children transition into preschoolers and embark on new adventures, their sleep needs evolve yet again. Preschool-aged children typically require 10-12 hours of sleep per night. Quality sleep at this stage is essential for consolidating learning, enhancing memory, and regulating emotions. Encouraging a consistent sleep schedule and minimizing screen time before bedtime can promote healthier sleep habits in young children. 7 to 12 Years Old: As children enter the school-age years, the demands of academics, extracurricular activities, and social interactions can sometimes encroach on their sleep. However, prioritizing sleep remains crucial for their overall well-being. School-aged children generally need 9-11 hours of sleep each night. Adequate sleep supports cognitive function, academic performance, and physical health. By fostering a sleep-friendly environment and promoting a regular bedtime routine, parents can help their children meet their sleep needs even amidst busy schedules. Teenage Years: The teenage years mark a period of significant change, both physically and emotionally. Amidst academic pressures, social activities, and technological distractions, teenagers often find themselves grappling with sleep deprivation. Yet, prioritizing sleep during adolescence is more critical than ever. Teenagers typically require 8-10 hours of sleep per night, yet many fall short of this recommendation. Sleep plays a vital role in adolescent development, impacting mood regulation, cognitive function, and physical health. Establishing healthy sleep habits, such as limiting caffeine intake and creating a sleep-conducive environment, can empower teenagers to prioritize rest and reap the benefits of adequate sleep. Sleep is not a luxury; it's a necessity, especially for children whose growing bodies and minds depend on it for optimal development. From birth through the teenage years, the importance of sleep remains constant, evolving alongside the child's changing needs. By understanding the recommended amount of sleep for each stage of childhood and implementing strategies to support healthy sleep habits, parents can empower their children to thrive and reach their full potential. If you find that your children are falling short of the recommended hours of sleep or struggling with sleep-related challenges, don't hesitate to take action. A personalized approach to addressing sleep issues can make a world of difference for your family. I invite you to book a discovery call with me at One2Sleep Consulting. Together, we can explore your family's unique sleep needs and develop a tailored plan to promote restful sleep and overall well-being for your children. Let's embark on this journey toward better sleep together. Your family's good night's sleep starts here.
You are sitting peacefully watching a movie when you hear your little one scream. It’s the middle of the night and you are convinced they are having a nightmare. But when you go check, your baby is unconsolable. It is as if they are not recognizing your presence. So was it a night mare or something else? In most cases, when sleep is disturbed, our babes are most likely having a nightmare. But sometimes, it turns out to be a night terror instead. So what’s the difference between the two and how can we help our little ones get through each one. What is a nightmare? A nightmare is a bad dream that can cause the person experiencing it fright or distress. Children generally start having nightmares between the ages of 2 and 3 years but some start as early as 2 years old. Nightmares generally happen in the REM stages of sleep or in other words in the later part of the night. A child having a nightmare can wake up and remember the content of the dream and even feel distressed as a result. What triggers a nightmare? Nightmares can be triggered by a number of things. It can be something that they are worried about, something they heard a story about or even something they watched on TV. That is why I always ask parents to do a quick audit of who their little one is spending time with and what they are watching. Something that an older cousin or sibling said in passing can really stay with the little ones. How can I help my child after a nightmare? Immediately after the episode (or in the middle of the night) soothe and comfort your baby and help them go back to sleep — however that may look like for your family. Once the initial shock/fear has passed, spend time the next day talking to your little one about the dream. Was it scary? how did it make them feel? Make sure you validate those feelings as they are very real to them but also put them in context: dreams are works of our imaginary and we can retell the narrative differently. Is there a way to turn the monster into something funny? Can the bad story in the dream have a happy ending? Help them focus on their ability to imagine good things instead of dwelling on the scary aspect of the dream. What is a night terror? Similar to a nightmare, a Night terror is a parasomnia that can disturb our kiddo’s sleep. This one happens in the deep NREM portion of sleep which means earlier in the night. A child experiencing a night terror may sleep walk or scream but may not recognize your efforts to soothe them or calm them down. The next day, your little one will have absolutely no recollection of the episode. What triggers night terrors? Night terrors can be hereditary so if someone in your family has experience with them, it might explain why your little one is having them. But night terrors can also be caused by overtiredness so offering more sleep can help reduce their frequency. How can I help my child through or after a night terror? In these cases, it is best to accompany your baby in their terror and keep them safe, without waking them. The episode will ride out and they will be out of it in a few minutes. Chatting about it the next day is probably not going to help as this is not something that they will be able to recall. Has your child experienced night terrors? I would love to hear more.
Every day, you can’t wait till your child naps because your to-do list keeps growing. Should you shower, eat, sleep, wash the dishes, finish that episode or make those calls while your baby sleeps? You contemplate these options while you know full well that your baby’s nap will barely be 30 mins long. But every day, you still hope that today is the day that nap will be longer so you can get some stuff done. Does that scenario sound familiar? Short naps or, as they are often referred to, catnaps are a common phenomenon in the world of motherhood. A newborn may often take a short nap because developmentally, they are still unable to extend or consolidate their naps. Unless of course they are sleeping in mommy’s arm, then that nap can last forever… and so will your immobility while they sleep because god forbid we wake them from that sweet slumber. Good news coming your way though, you CAN help your baby take longer naps. and when i say baby, i mean 5+ months old… How, you ask? By doing the following! Darken the room The release of melatonin is not as abundant during the day as it is at night because daytime environment is not as conducive to sleep as that of nighttime Make their room dark as a cave to help them release melatonin which will help them drift off to sleep. Timing is everything Simply timing the nap right can make all the difference in how long that nap will be. We want them to have built enough sleep pressure to be sleepy. But not too much that they are overtired. An overtired baby will have a hard time staying asleep due to an imbalance in their sleep-related horomones. but an undertired baby may be sleepy enough to fall asleep but may not have enough sleep drive to stay asleep for long. so pay attention to timing. How does that work: For babes on 2 naps, make sure their naps fall around 9 and 1… these tend to be biologically drowsy periods for baby. For younger babes, follow age appropriate wake windows and sleep cues. The pre-nap routine Help baby wind down and transition to sleep mode by doing a short 10 minute pre nap routine. You can change diapers and put on jammies switch off light and turn on white noise. this will help them anticipate that sleep is coming and be ready for it Predictability Babies need to be able to connect sleep cycles in order to sleep longer. So if baby fell asleep in your arms, they will need to call out to you to use your arms to fall back to sleep for another cycle. Help your baby reduce the time they spend awake between cycles by putting them in their crib awake. The more they know how to fall asleep in the crib independently, the more they will know what to do as they move from one sleep cycle to the next. Crib rule Let baby know that they CAN go back to sleep by implementing the crib rule. Basically the idea is to designate a certain amount of time that constitute a nap. for example, “every day we nap from 9-10 am so baby will stay in nap mode, ie in the crib in a dark quiet and cool room, until nap time is over.” This can teach baby that just because they experience a slight arousal doesn’t mean that nap time is over. and that as long as they are in their room and in their crib, they can go back to sleep. This one takes a little bit of practice but as baby grows older, they learn to remain sleeping until they have had their fill of sleep. My 1-1 sleep packages all follow these steps to help extend naps so if you want assistance doing so, schedule a free discovery call today.
The only constant about baby sleep is that there is no constant. Am I right? Just when you feel like you have a rhythm, you figured out what your baby needs and you can rely on somewhat of a schedule, BAM! things change. In comes a nap transition and with it comes changing schedules, an adjustment period, some over tiredness and maybe even some early morning wakes. This blog post is one of four in a series of posts delving into the world of nap transitions. To read more about the 2-1 transition, you can click here . Naps – you either love them or hate them. For some parents, their child’s nap is a time for them to get things done, like cleaning, working, or catching some sleep for themselves! For others, nap time is an inconvenience…it requires you to stop what you’re doing, head home, and ensure your child gets their needed sleep. I definitely was not in the category that viewed naps as an inconvenience. In fact, when my son dropped his naps, I cried. Real tears. But I understand that for some families, the 1-0 nap transition is an exciting time, as you no longer have to stop in the middle of the day to get your little one down for a nap. And I also understand that, for other families, they don’t have a say when their child transitions away from naps, as their daycare may mandate naps end by a certain age. Regardless of your stance, the 1-0 nap transition is one that I would caution anyone to rush toward. Children still need sleep in the day, and dropping naps too soon could wreak havoc on overnight sleep, their behavior, or their ability to focus. But when your child is showing you signs that they’re ready, here are some tips to help make this transition an easy one. The Signs If you think your child is ready to drop all of their naps, I first encourage you to wait. It’s not uncommon for toddlers to protest naps – I mean, who wants to stop playing in the middle of the day to sleep?! (Besides parents, sometimes, of course.) Nap protests aren’t always a sign that your child is ready to drop all of their naps permanently, and doing so could backfire. So before diving in head first and saying goodbye to naptime, really tune in to your child and their sleep habits to determine if they’re ready. While all children will be ready to drop their naps at their own time, here are a few signs your child may be ready: Your baby is in the vicinity of 3 years of age. I encourage parents to hold on to the nap as long as possible – even after 3 years old! – but I have seen some children ready to drop their nap at 2.5 years of age. The nap is interfering with bedtime. Maybe your child wakes from their nap later in the day, which pushes bedtime later into the evening. Or maybe your child simply isn’t tired when bedtime rolls around, and they take hours to fall asleep. In some cases, like with my son, you may notice long periods of wakefulness in the middle of the night. Your child may not be crying or fussing, just content in their crib, but awake for hours. Your child resists their naptime. This isn’t always a reliable sign, though, as it’s not uncommon for toddlers to want to play and stay awake. You’ll want to look at how their nap is interfering with their bedtime and behavior, and take it from there. When you have identified that your child is in fact ready to drop all naps and they’re not just in a little strike or regression, then it’s time to make changes to their schedule. The Transition The transition from 1 to 0 naps isn’t one that needs to be rushed. In fact, it could take weeks and weeks to nail this transition. For some kiddos, staying awake all day is a hard task. And even if they don’t need the nap, they may end up falling asleep at 5 p.m. because they’re exhausted by that time. Or, you’ll find your little one sleeping on the couch after falling asleep at 4 p.m. while watching TV. So instead of dropping the nap cold turkey, I would suggest to first shorten the nap by 15 minutes every few days. Then evaluate: How does that impact bedtime? Does it get better? If so, great! That may be all that your child needs right now. If cutting the nap by 15 minutes doesn’t improve bedtime, we’ll cut it by another 15 minutes in a few days. And then we’ll evaluate again. By the time you reach a 45-minute nap, you can start to look at other solutions. Maybe today your child naps, but tomorrow they don’t. On the days they don’t nap, you can bring bedtime up earlier to make sure your child is able to survive the day with no daytime sleep. This method worked for my son when he was having long wakes each night. A word of caution: When you make the nap optional, it can make it more difficult to navigate the days when nap isn’t optional. Having a plan of action and communicating with your child what the expectations are can help. Secrets of the No-Nap Schedule When you finally bid farewell to your child’s naps, I recommend still creating an hour of quiet time in the day. Having a period of down time can help your child make it through the day and it also helps prevent overstimulation. For quiet time, you want to offer activities that aren’t too taxing. I like to make a box that’s reserved only for quiet time – you can place books, puzzles, or other quiet activities inside that your little one does only during that time period each day. Some kiddos will fall asleep during quiet time, and that’s okay. Let them take a short nap, then wake them up and go on with the rest of the day. For more tips on implementing quiet time successfully, check out this blog ! If the thought of making this transition alone is overwhelming, I invite you to schedule a 20-minute Discovery Call with me. During our call, we can chat about your child’s current sleep situation, what’s causing the overwhelm, and how I can support you through the process. Making changes in your child’s routine and sleep habits is never easy. But together, we can ensure everyone in your house is getting the sleep they need to be the most confident, well-rested version of themselves possible. I can’t wait to chat more with you!
It's a well-known fact that babies go through many sleep regressions throughout their first few years of life…and the 4-month sleep regression often takes parents by storm. For a lot of parents, this sleep regression catches them off guard, and they’re left wondering what happened to their once sweet sleeper. Regardless of whether you were prepared for the 4-month sleep regression or not, all babies will go through this. And how it impacts their sleep depends entirely on each baby. When I had my second son, the 4-month sleep regression hit us hard. He went from sleeping long stretches at a time to having trouble simply falling asleep. What once worked for us to get him to sleep well no longer did, and it was a difficult experience. If your child is already a good sleeper, a regression can be just as hard as it is for those who don’t have good sleepers – sleep regressions don’t discriminate! But the main question I receive from many parents (when they’re up multiple times throughout the night) is, “How do we survive this?!” What’s going on during the 4-month sleep regression? When babies are born, their circadian rhythms are immature – instead of their sleep cycles being governed by the natural link to the 24-hour clock, a baby’s sleep is split up into sleep and awake periods. Additionally, their sleep cycles look different than an adult’s. As a newborn, sleep cycles are split in half – deep sleep and active sleep. When those sleep cycles mature around the 16-week mark, they begin to look more like our sleep cycles with various REM and NREM stages which will mean that they will spend more time in light sleep. So instead of moving from deep sleep to active sleep , babies will cycle through more stages, and often will wake during one of those transitions. What can make this sleep regression more challenging is that many babies will wake more overnight, and in an attempt to do whatever it takes to get their babies back to sleep, parents will resort to whatever works – rocking their baby to sleep, feeding them to sleep, or constantly replacing their pacifier. And if these things happen without much disturbance to the child’s or parent’s sleep, that’s perfectly fine. But in many cases, habits form and children become used to getting fed multiple times throughout the night or having mom or dad rock them back to sleep. Soon enough, parents will find that their baby now wants to be rocked, fed, or what have you, at the onset of sleep as well. And when the 4-month regression passes, those habits stay, resulting in more night wakes or assistance needed to fall asleep. So what’s an exhausted parent to do? Understand what’s happening developmentally. The most important thing to remember is that this is a natural part of your child’s development – it’s normal and temporary. Your child is growing and their brains and bodies are developing! When you understand this fact, it can help you get through the exhaustion that comes along with the regression. Also, instead of focusing on band aid solutions or products that promise to solve all of your child’s sleep struggles, try this: Continue to follow safe sleep recommendations. Now isn’t the time to add items to your child’s crib in the hopes that they’ll sleep better. In fact, doing so could pose a safety hazard. Transition to a sleep sack! Around this age, we want to move away from the swaddle, and transitioning to a sleep sack can help ensure they stay warm while sleeping and serve as a great sleep association. Whenever you’re working on improving your child’s sleep, focus on the root issue and make a plan to help them. If you need help with this, schedule a call with me – that’s what I’m here for! Since circadian rhythms are strongly affected by the natural 24-hour clock, if you have not done so already, it is time to start following a schedule that respects that relationship. This means that you can wake your baby up in the morning between 6-7 a.m., ensure they nap according to appropriate wake windows, and offer an early bedtime. It’s also a great time to create a consistent and conducive sleep space for your little one. Be mindful of how much your child is eating. If your child is suddenly waking more throughout the night and feeding, it’s important to take a look at how much they’re eating throughout the day and how well they’re feeding. Since your baby is becoming more aware around this age, it’s not uncommon for babies to become more distracted…especially when they’re eating! Consult with your pediatrician if you have any questions about how much your child should be eating each day. If you feel that your child isn’t getting full feeds during the day, the answer might not be to feed more at night. Instead, look for ways to ensure your baby isn’t just snacking when they nurse or bottle feed. If your baby is falling asleep while feeding, for instance, you can try to tickle their toes, undress them, or stroke their face. If they’re simply a distracted eater, you can try feeding them in a quiet space where there’s less noise and activity. Start gently and slowly encouraging independent sleep. You don't have to change your baby's sleep routine right away, but you can begin gently and slowly encouraging independent sleep. If you've been putting your baby down for naps and nighttime sleep the same way every day, try to put them down in their crib while awake – even just once a day! It might not work the first (or second or third) time you do it, but slowly, they’ll get used to falling asleep while they’re in their crib, and it will help them become more comfortable and confident drifting off to sleep in this way. By changing these small things – eliminating rocking or feeding to sleep – you'll help make sure that no matter how many times your bundle of joy wakes up during the turbulent months ahead, eventually they will learn that they can put themselves back to sleep throughout the night. If your baby has hit a rough patch in terms of sleeping, don't worry! This stage will pass and your little one will settle into a routine again soon enough. In the meantime, remember that the 4-month sleep regression is temporary and you will get through it. If you feel like the 4-month sleep regression put a hiccup in your child’s sleep and they never recovered, let’s make a plan of action together! Reach out to me today to help your child get back on track!
There are many products on the market that claim they will help solve your child’s sleepless habits. Honestly, many of those products don’t get to the root of the issue and only serve as a temporary fix. Really, when it comes to solving your child’s sleep struggles, it comes down to finding the right approach for your family and staying consistent with your expectations. Through the years, I’ve come across many products that claim to help with sleep, and I’m happy to share one today that actually can help while reminding your toddler of your expectations. It’s an extremely underrated tool that many families might not know about: a toddler clock. Maybe you have heard about this device, but you don’t understand what the benefits are. Or maybe you have one, but you’re not using it to its full potential. In any case, this blog is for you. We’ll be going through the what, when, and how of using a toddler clock so that you can help your little one get the sleep they need. What are toddler clocks? Toddler clocks are similar to alarm clocks, but instead of ringing, they simply change colors (or have open/closed eyes) to indicate time. For many young children, telling time is not yet a mastered skill, even with a digital clock. So telling your toddler to stay in bed until 7 a.m. can have very little meaning to them. Further, because it’s normal for children to wake throughout the night, if they don’t know what time it is, they may fully wake up or go into their parents’ room, thinking it’s time to get up for the day. However, when a clock changes colors, or a character on the clock has open or closed eyes, your child can understand the concept of waking up or staying in bed. When I’ve worked with families, I’ve seen toddler clocks fix issues like early morning wakes and also helping children feel more comfortable staying in their bed until it was time to wake up, so this device can be a great tool to introduce to your toddler! When should I introduce a toddler clock to my child? There are two great times to introduce a toddler clock to your child’s routine. When there is a problem you want to solve. Before a problem even arises. Obviously, if there’s an issue with your child’s sleep habits, like early morning wakes, bringing in a toddler clock can help them understand that the time they’re getting up isn’t time yet. But these devices can also be used preventatively, even before you transition your child from their crib to their own bed. In fact, introducing it early can help it become part of their bedtime process. If possible, I’d recommend bringing in a toddler clock before you get to any issues, because it can help prevent situations from arising. Additionally, it can serve as a cue – when it’s time to begin the bedtime routine, you can set the clock to change colors, alerting your child that it’s time to end their playtime and wind down. How do I use a toddler clock to its fullest potential? Once you know that introducing a toddler clock to your little one is something that would benefit your family, it’s time to teach your toddler how it works. And sometimes, this can take time. Here’s my recommended steps for using a toddler clock to its fullest potential: Take time to learn the ins and outs of the clock. Read the manual, watch videos online, or read blog posts that go into detail about the clock. The last thing we’d want is to get your child excited about something that they can’t use right away. Give your toddler ownership of the clock. You can wrap the clock or gift it to your child, but this is a time to get excited about this new item. Make it a big deal. Further, there are so many toddler clocks on the market, so if your child is obsessed with a certain character or item (like a traffic light), see if you can find one related to their interests. This will help engage your child and entice them to “buy in.” Show your child how their new clock works! This will depend on the clock that you use, but sit down with them and explain each feature. If the clock changes colors, you can explain that when it’s time to sleep, the light will be red, and when it’s time to wake, the light will turn green. Of course, you can show them what each color looks like so that they fully understand. Feel free to get creative with your teachings and make up sayings or songs like, “When the light’s red, it’s time to stay in bed.” Give your child time to learn and recall the rules. It won’t be perfect right away, and that’s okay. A few other tips I’ve learned along the years of using toddler clocks: If possible, introduce the clock to your child when they’re still in their crib. That way, when they move to their bed, the clock will serve as a constant for them and prevent them from getting out of bed when it isn’t time. If the clock is introduced because of a problem, like early morning wakes, set the clock to turn on at the time your child is waking (i.e. 5 a.m.). This way, when they wake up and see that it’s “time,” they will get excited and feel as though they’re doing something right. After they’ve bought into the clock, you can add 10-15 minutes every few days until the clock is set to the ideal wake time. Waiting 10-15 minutes is much more manageable than waiting 2 hours, so take it slow if needed. Again, any time you introduce something new to your child regarding expectations, it’s a good idea to head into the process with a patient mindset. It’s going to take time for your child to understand their new clock and for them to uphold the rules you’ve set. Stay consistent and find ways to celebrate your child when they meet those expectations, and soon, you’ll have a toddler who is excited to use their clock each day. If your toddler is struggling with sleep and you don’t feel a toddler clock is the right fix, reach out to me . Together, we can make a personalized plan for your family to get sleep back on track!
For many sleep issues that parents come to me with, there seems to be a common solution: An early bedtime. While an early bedtime isn’t the answer to everything (many factors impact sleep and taking a deeper look into what’s going on can be very telling), this simple change in schedule can fix quite a bit. I know that for many cultures around the world, an early bedtime isn’t something that’s easily accepted, as it’s common for children to go to bed later in the evening. In fact, I’ve worked with families who came to me with an 11 p.m. or 1 a.m. bedtime for their child. So I understand that as you read this, you may pushback on this idea. However, I encourage you to keep an open mind and a willingness to try something new. Who knows…an earlier bedtime for your child may just be the answer you need. Here are five things that an early bedtime can fix! Early bedtimes can fix night wakes If your little one is waking multiple times throughout the night (and it’s not just because they are hungry ), it could be because they are overly tired. I know reading that statement may not compute – shouldn’t overly tired children just sleep straight through the night?! In an ideal world, yes! But that’s not how our bodies work. When children are tired – maybe they have been skipping their naps, taking short naps, taking a long time to fall asleep at night, staying up late – cortisol, a stress hormone, can interfere with their melatonin production, causing multiple night wakes. I also want to note that another common cause of multiple night wakes is your child looking for a sleep association. For instance, if your child is used to being rocked or nursed to sleep, when they move through their sleep cycles, they’ll wake up and look for that association in order to fall back to sleep. If that’s the position you find yourself in, together we can make a plan of action to help your little one learn to fall asleep on their own, so that they can put themselves back to sleep if they wake overnight. But if your child is falling asleep independently and they’re still waking multiple times a night, an earlier bedtime may be the fix! Early bedtimes can fix early morning wakes If your child is waking you up early each morning ready to start their day, taking a look at what time they go to bed is the first step. Before we go on, let’s define what an early morning wake is. Your child wakes up before 6 a.m. and won’t go back to sleep Your child is getting less than 11-12 hours of overnight sleep If both of these points apply to your child, then you’ve likely found yourself in an early morning wake situation. Children need to sleep a certain amount of hours each night, and if they’re waking up early, it’s likely because their circadian rhythm is “set” to that wake time. By putting them to bed earlier, we’re allowing them to clock more hours each night, giving them the rest they need. I know many parents worry that if they put their child to bed early, then they’ll just wake up early. But surprisingly, that’s not always the case. In fact, many parents find that when they put their child to sleep earlier, they end up sleeping longer, or at the very least, getting the appropriate amount of sleep for their age. Early bedtimes can fix bedtime pushbacks If bedtime in your house involves… Your child having a hard time falling asleep each night Crying, protesting, or asking for a million things before settling into bed …then you may want to consider an earlier bedtime. Bedtime pushbacks may look differently based on the age of your child, but if bedtime brings dread to everyone in your house because it takes such a long time, I encourage you to evaluate the bed time. Pushback or even just trouble falling asleep at bedtime comes back to your child’s circadian rhythm. When your child stays awake longer than their internal clock, they will get a second wind of energy that pushes them to stay awake – even though their bodies may be ready to sleep. Because of this extra energy, your child’s body thinks it needs to stay awake, and even though it may be late, their bodies just won’t be able to do what it needs to do to fall asleep. But when you get ahead of this second wind of energy, you can get your little one to bed at just the right time. Early bedtimes can fix rowdy periods leading up to bedtime The other thing that second wind of energy can bring is tantrums. Or super excited children, whose last thought is bedtime. If the moment you announce it’s time to get ready for bed your child begins to run around, laugh, jump on furniture, or throw the biggest tantrum you’ve seen, it’s not because they need to “get that energy out.” This is a common sign that we’ve missed their ideal bedtime (according to their circadian rhythm) and may want to pull bedtime a little earlier. Of course, if you experience tantrums and running around regardless of the bed time, you may want to evaluate your bedtime routines to really ensure they are setting your child up for a great night’s rest. Early bedtimes can fix parent-to-parent quality time As much as you love your child, having time to yourself or to spend with a significant other is important. But when your child goes to bed at 11 p.m. each night, you likely will find that you aren’t left with much time for bonding. Not only will an earlier bedtime allow you to sit with your partner and watch a movie or play a game, but it also opens the door for fun date nights. While you’re away, you won’t have to worry about whether the babysitter is handling things okay – you’ll know your children are tucked away in bed safely, and you can sit back and enjoy your evening out. I know that an earlier bedtime won’t work for every family. But if you have the option to move your child’s bedtime earlier, I highly recommend you try it and see what happens. Give it a week and then report back to me! You can find me over on Instagram !
The only constant about baby sleep is that there is no constant. Am I right? Just when you feel like you have a rhythm, you figured out what your baby needs and you can rely on somewhat of a schedule, BAM! things change. In comes a nap transition and with it comes changing schedules, an adjustment period, some over tiredness and maybe even some early morning wakes. This blog post is one of four in a series of posts delving into the world of nap transitions. To read more about the 3-2 transition, you can click here . Right when you feel as though you’ve fallen in the grove with your child’s naps – you know when they’re going to happen and how long they’re going to last – the next nap transition pops around the corner to disrupt things again. While all of the nap transitions can bring unique challenges, the 2 to 1 nap transition is often rough because we’re nearly doubling our child’s awake windows. For some children, this transition is forced upon them, like if they’re starting daycare and will be on one nap, and for others, they gradually transition into a 1-nap schedule. If your child’s daycare requires them to be on a 1-nap schedule, head over to this blog for a few tips on managing your child’s sleep. But if you’re in the other category and you think your little one is ready for 1 nap, read on for the signs and tips to make this transition as seamless as possible. The Signs If you think your child is ready to drop down on the number of naps they’re taking, I first encourage you to wait. Typically, parents drop to one nap because their child was fighting one of their two naps. But in the 12-month vicinity, it’s not uncommon to see a nap strike. This isn’t a sign that your child is ready to drop to one nap permanently, and if you keep offering the second nap, it usually will return. So before you make any changes to your child’s schedule, I first encourage you to give it two weeks of offering your child both naps, adjusting the timing if needed. For example, if your child has been skipping their first nap, you can consider offering it to them at a little later time and then capping their nap. While all children will be ready to drop to one nap at their own time, here are a few signs your child may be ready: Your baby is between 15-18 months old Your child consistently skips one of their naps, and after waiting two weeks, it doesn’t return In some cases, night wakes will become more frequent due to your little one getting too much daytime sleep When you have identified that your child is in fact ready for 1 nap and they’re not just in a little strike or regression, then it’s time to make changes to their schedule. The Transition Depending on your child, you may notice that they’ve been skipping one of their naps. If your child is skipping their first nap, I find that’s usually the easiest to handle. You can make the second nap slightly earlier for a few days and then bring bedtime earlier also. If it’s the second nap that’s skipped, the task can be a little more difficult. Around 11 a.m., offer your child their first nap. This can be hard for some children, as they aren’t used to staying awake that long. Get creative in keeping them awake and engaged: play outdoors, introduce a new activity or have an impromptu snack party! It goes without saying that bedtime will have to be earlier as well since the nap is earlier than usual. Then, after 3-4 days, you can move that nap time 15-30 minutes later. After a few days, you can move it another 15-30 minutes later until you reach your target nap time. Once you get to around 12:30/1 p.m., you can leave it there, depending on what time your little one wakes up for the day. In some cases, you may need to do a bigger morning block or a bigger evening block, but you can make that determination based on your child’s needs and capacity. Secrets of the 1-Nap Schedule Making this transition takes a while, and it’s important to remember to keep the bedtime earlier during this adjustment period. I’ve also noticed that early morning wakes can creep up during this transition, so if you find that happening with your little one, here’s a tip for you: Wait until the “okay to wake” time. If your child wakes up at 5 a.m. but their “okay to wake” time is 6 a.m., wait until 6 a.m. to get them out of bed to start the day. If you go in at 5 a.m. and get started with the day, your child may adapt to that schedule and begin waking early consistently. If the thought of making this transition alone is overwhelming, I invite you to schedule a 20-minute Discovery Call with me. During our call, we can chat about your child’s current sleep situation, what’s causing the overwhelm, and how I can support you through the process. Making changes in your child’s routine and sleep habits is never easy. But together, we can ensure everyone in your house is getting the sleep they need to be the most confident, well-rested version of themselves possible. I can’t wait to chat more with you!
From the moment you shared the good news that you were expecting a baby, you likely received a lot of advice, like, “Oh, get ready! You’re never going to sleep again!” While it’s true that being a parent can bring some exhaustion, especially in the early months, sleep is a need for everyone in your household. So taking the steps to improve your child’s sleep can bring benefits to everyone…including your little one. During the 4th trimester, your baby needs a lot of assistance from you when it comes to their sleep. And because we’re often in survival mode, when we find something that works, we just keep doing it. If you rock your baby and realize they fall asleep, then when you’re trying to get them back to sleep, you’re going to try rocking again. Or if you notice your baby falls asleep while at the breast, when you’re exhausted and your baby needs to go to sleep, you’re going to try putting them on the breast again. Babies are all about habits and routines, so these methods of falling asleep quickly become a habit – your child doesn’t know anything else. And while those methods of getting your little one to sleep may work for you, many families reach a point where they no longer work. Maybe your baby has grown quite a bit and rocking them to sleep is hurting your back. Or maybe your child needs to nurse every time they wake overnight, and you’ve reached the end of your rope. When that happens – when what was once working is no longer sustainable – you may begin to wonder how else you can get your baby to fall asleep. And that’s what sleep training is – it’s showing your baby how to sleep in other ways. What is Sleep Training? When you’re ready to change your baby’s sleep habits, it’s not like having a conversation with a 10 year old. You can’t say, “Okay, little one. I know you’re used to falling asleep while I rock you every night, but moving forward, you’re going to fall asleep in your crib. Got it?” With young children, in order to see change, we have to show them with our actions what we want them to do. If, for instance, your child is used to falling asleep at the breast, you’ll want to show them how to fall asleep in a new way. Maybe you decide that you’ll hold your baby until they fall asleep instead. As simple as that may seem to us, that’s a big change for your child, and it will take them time to adjust to this new way of sleeping. But sleep training is more than just a technique that you choose – it’s about ensuring all of the pieces are in place for your child to sleep well. Before we go on, I think it’s also important to clarify what sleep training isn’t. Sleep training is a choice – it’s not for every family. And while the goal is to change the sleep habits of your child, we’re not doing so because we’re annoyed that the baby is waking up, so we’re just going to let them cry. The truth is, if nobody is getting the sleep they need, the entire family can suffer. Mom may not feel like she’s the mom she wants to be. Both parents may not perform as well at work. And the baby, of course, also needs sleep to thrive. The goal of sleep training is to shift the sleep habits so that they’re more conducive to sleep and the well-being of the entire family. Factors to Consider Before Sleep Training Before suddenly changing the way your child falls asleep, there are a few other factors to work on. First, you want to make sure the environment is set up to help them as much as possible. You want to ensure it’s a safe space , but also that it’s conducive to sleep – we want the room dark, cool, and with white noise. You also want to look at your child’s schedule . Often, we wait for our babies to tell us they’re ready for sleep, but we can proactively do that and ensure they’re getting the sleep they need each day. Establishing a solid bedtime routine which prepares your child for bed and alerts them that sleep is coming is another step to lay a foundation for great sleep. When you do all of these things in connection with changing how your child is falling to sleep, then we know their body and mind are ready for sleep, making the change in their habits an easier process. Once you get all of these pieces in place, you may wonder, “But how do I actually help my child learn a new way of sleeping?” What are the Different Approaches to Sleep Training? After establishing the foundation for sleep, you can then move to helping your child learn a new habit of falling asleep. There’s a wide range of options that you can choose from, and I like to think of it as a spectrum. On one end of the spectrum, there are methods that require less parental involvement, like the extinction. With this approach, you’re giving your baby a new task and asking them to learn to adjust to that. Your support is to give them the space they need to master that new skill. In the middle of the spectrum, there’s more parental involvement, where you’re doing check-ins. These checks can look different from family to family – maybe you’re walking in to check on your baby, or maybe you say one sentence to reassure your child that they’re okay. For others, they will go in to pat or pick up their little one. And on the other end of the spectrum are methods that require more parental involvement, like staying in the room or gradually working your way to making your baby more independent. The choice in your method isn’t necessarily what’s best for you, but what’s best for your child. In some cases, you may want to stay in the room and offer as much support to your child as possible, but it ends up being too much stimulation for your baby. When I work 1:1 with families, I help the family pick their method by offering advice and strategies. But ultimately, the choice is each family’s. And truthfully, the method itself doesn’t matter as much as doing the work to prepare the space, following your child’s schedule, and staying consistent with your approach. As long as you’re taking positive steps toward your goal, any change, regardless of how gradual it is, can get you there. It’s important to know that giving your child the chance to practice this new skill is vital. Your child won’t learn it overnight – nothing is learned overnight! Every sleep period is a good opportunity to practice. If you’re ready to make changes in your child’s sleep habits but want a guide through the process, I invite you to schedule a call with me today. Together, we’ll talk through your goals and your child’s temperament to find a method that works great for your family!
Get Your Free One 2 Sleep Guide
Sign up for a free sleep guide that will help you set up a healthy sleep foundation for your child.
Disclaimer
The information on this website is not intended nor is implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your healthcare provider with regards to the health and welfare of your baby, toddler or child.