Sleep Training: Finding A Plan That Fits

Hey Courtney,
This is very normal at this age. The night time becomes organized after 8 weeks old. Expect a predictable 4-5-6 hours of solid sleep that starts in the early evening 7-8 pm start time. Good news the day time sleep becomes organized at 4 months of age. you can expect 3 naps per day at predictable times to emerge around then.

Thank You!

Hey Shannon, the 4 th trimester is a time of on the go naps. As the brain advances, around 16 weeks, you will want all naps to be in a dark, quiet, non-motion, consistent place - like the crib. White noise machine and black out curtains can give your family more rest. It is the top choice to prevent sleep issues in babies. Feel free to start the curtains and the white noise now, you may get more rest.

Hi Kimberly,
A 14 month old is waking up out of habit, not for nutrition. How to change the habit? Be consistent in how you respond. 1. Decide crib vs cosleeping. It is confusing to reward the crying with your family bed. (Also, the AAP recommends crib use to reduce the chance for SIDS), 2. Pick a soothing method to teach your baby how to soothe themselves back to sleep. 3. Remove any parent driven sleep associations 4. Place him in bed, at the beginning of the night, quiet yet awake . He chooses to fall asleep. It can feel like a trick when he wakes up and he isn't in your arms every 3-4 hours, when he transitions through a sleep cycle and he has a partial arousal. He becomes fully awake bc he is surprised you are not there still holding him. I will send another message from my laptop with soothing methods to select from .

http://www.weebeedreaming.com/my-blog/sleep-coaching-methods

Hi Kiana,
It is likely that she is overtired. How long has she been awake, prior to the nap/bedtime?

Also, some kids just let out steam,as part of their relaxation process/self soothing.

Maybe she should be on some type of schedule. How often should she take
naps throughout the day? She's just so nosey she didn't want to miss
anything lol

Usually 3 naps per day at this age. 7 am wake up. 9 am nap, 12 nap and around 3:30 pm nap. Early bedtime of 6 pm - 7 am.

http://www.mybabysleepguide.com/2013/02/average-sleep-charts-by-age.html?m=1. This is a great guide for the ever changing needs of a baby/toddler.

Holly,
Tell me about your bedtime routine and give me a 24 hour schedule. Likely, she is too sleepy when being put down or a parent driven sleep association is ready to be reduced/eliminated.

http://www.weebeedreaming.com/my-blog/sleep-coaching-methods

http://www.mybabysleepguide.com/2013/02/average-sleep-charts-by-age.html?m=1

Hi Ashley,
As they get older, it is better to fall asleep from a quiet yet awake st

State. If they fall asleep in arms, then wake up somewhere else.....it feels like a trick. It is startling to them. Insert - Whaaa whaaa. Where is mom and dad?!?!

Consistency is key! My recommendation is to work on your system before age 18 months (oppositional phase begins -- No!). I would pick a soothing method from the first blog - no checks, timed checks, or chair method. Pick a sleeping surface and be consistent with the surface...don't reward crying with the family bed (AAP recommends the crib to reduce SIDS). And, lay your baby down in a quiet, yet awake state.