Sleep Myth Monday: “Sleep training has long term damaging effects on your baby.” This myth has been disproven time and time again. Let’s get real, sleep training can be stressful and there WILL BE CRYING, but you can be responsive and not leave your baby to cry alone. Sleep training is safe and effective. Studies measuring baby’s cortisol (stress hormone) have proved that when babies cried during sleep training, their stress levels decreased as they learn to fall asleep independently. Sleep training will not ruin your child’s attachment with you. It will actually strengthen it because your baby will be better rested and so will you! Your baby will be happier and you’ll be a more patient momma! In fact, sleep trained babies continue to sleep well into toddlerhood and their school aged years. If you’re struggling with your little one‘s sleep and you’re looking for a solution you probably have these concerns: 👉🏼 You don’t want your baby to Cry It Out alone 👉🏼 You’re afraid it will hurt your attachment to your child 👉🏼 You’re nervous your partner or spouse won’t be on board (either with spending the $ or with getting outside support) 👉🏼 It costs money and there’s no guarantee it will work 👉🏼 You’ve already tried all the things and nothing has worked so why would this? Here’s the truth, even my past clients have had these same concerns before starting! But👇🏼 🌟 Not all sleep training is CIO! That’s not the approach that I use with families. 🌟 Most moms share with me that Dad isn’t on board right away and it’s important you’re both ready to make changes. Sometimes Mom is the one most affected by lack of sleep and once Dad sees that he’s on board. 🌟 Yes it’s an investment. You’re investing in better sleep for your child and the whole family. It’s a customized approach tailored to your child. 🌟 It’s safe and effective and IT WORKS! If you’re ready to make changes and see the plan through you will see success and amazing results after the first week! 🌟 Did you resonate with this? Are you thinking about sleep training but are full of anxiety? Comment below which one of these concerns you resonate with the most! 👇🏼 Let’s chat!

🌟3 to 2 Nap Transition Signs They’re Ready ✨Your baby was a super star napper, but nap lengths are getting shorter. ✨Your baby takes longer to fall asleep or has been able to stay awake longer between naps. ✨There’s not enough time in the day to fit nap 3 in without bedtime getting pushed back super late. ✨Some days your baby ends up fighting the 3rd nap and earlier bedtime is easier than squeezing that 3rd nap in. How to Make the Switch ✨This transition usually happens between 6-8 months. Baby should be showing these signs consistently for at least 2 weeks. ✨Full adjustment can take between 2-4 weeks and your baby may seem tired at their usual time. ✨Avoid car naps and stroller rides before the first nap of the day. A catnap before bedtime may be needed at the beginning. ✨Be prepared to move bedtime earlier during the transition. 1️⃣Start by moving the first 2 naps later by 30 minutes allowing your baby to sleep as long as they want. This will help remove the third nap. 2️⃣The goal is that each nap is 1.5 hours. Plan on moving bedtime earlier during this transition depending on how long your baby sleeps for these 2 naps. 3️⃣If the nap is under an hour, give your baby time to fall back to sleep, don’t just call the nap over. 4️⃣If your baby is an early riser, you may need to push Nap 1 back later (9:00 AM at the earliest). If this is an hour difference do this gradually (30 minutes every 3 days). 5️⃣If baby is having a tough time lengthening naps, you can still offer a short catnap before bedtime and then adjust accordingly. Avoid overtiredness! ✨In general, awake windows lengthen to 2.5-3.5 hours and your baby follows more of a set schedule. Final Tips ✨Your baby may experience some difficulties during this transition, which is normal, the schedule should regulate after 2 weeks ✨Once you decide to make the switch, don’t go back to always offering nap 3, earlier bedtime is the better option ✨Bedtime needs to be earlier to help with this nap transition, 6:30/7:00 pm is the time I recommend, can be pushed back once the transition is complete and naps lengthen Did this post help? Questions? Like, Comment, Share & Save this post!

How can you HELP your baby get longer stretches of sleep? Here’s where to start: Make sure your baby has the optimal sleep environment: a dark, cool room with white noise. Then make sure you’re following age appropriate awake windows. How do you know if the awake windows are the right length? 3 Signs your baby needs more awake time: 👉🏼Naps are consistently less than an hour long and your baby wakes up crying and is super fussy all day 👉🏼Your baby takes 15+ minutes to fall asleep at naptime or bedtime- if there may or may not be crying 👉🏼Your baby is taking more naps then recommended for their age because they’re all short Most importantly: Lay your baby down AWAKE‼️ But why? Laying your baby down AWAKE (not drowsy) is the key to independent sleep! If your child is laid down drowsy or asleep this will cause wakings later in the night. When your child comes to light sleep they wake up needing help getting back to sleep. Laying them down awake helps them learn how to fall back asleep on their own. The number one thing I advise clients to follow to achieve independent sleep is to lay their baby down AWAKE!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ DO NOT: Let your baby get drowsy during the night feeding. This is the biggest cause of night wakings. Keep all of the lights on during the feeding and make sure your baby goes down awake, NOT drowsy. If you’re thinking, but HOW do I do this? What if my baby cries? You’re not alone. Most parents don’t try to put their little one down awake, everything they’re doing is geared towards getting baby to fall asleep. So now you’re thinking, where do I even start? 😩 That’s why I’ve put together a step by step guide to help you get started on your sleep training journey. This guide has EVERYTHING you need to get your child sleeping independently, from BEGINNING to END. I’m not gatekeeping anything! Grab my Sleep Training Guide to help you start SLEEPING AGAIN 👇🏼 Comment “GUIDE” and I’ll send you a link!

Struggling with False starts at Bedtime? 😫 Don’t panic, I’ve got you covered. Yep, false starts are the worst. A false start is when your child wakes up shortly after falling asleep at bedtime. This can happen 40-60 minutes after you lay them down, usually one full sleep cycle.⠀ You then have to repeat the process that got them to sleep the first time- rocking, feeding, bouncing or replacing the pacifier. Sometimes it can even take longer to get them back down then it did initially at bedtime. False starts can be caused by: 1️⃣ too much awake time from last nap to bedtime (overtiredness) 2️⃣ not enough awake time or too much daytime sleep (naps) 3️⃣ drowsiness during the bedtime routine or too much assistance to sleep 4️⃣ built up sleep debt⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ How do you know what’s causing them? 👉🏻 Look at the big picture, how are naps during the day? 👉🏻 Does your child seem overtired (super fussy and clingy)? 👉🏻 Are they an independent sleeper? 👉🏻 Do you have the right bedtime? Too early? Too late? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Tips to resolve false starts: 1️⃣ Make sure you’re following age appropriate awake windows 2️⃣ Cap naps or transition to 1 less nap if needed 3️⃣ Early bedtime if poor nap day 4️⃣ Lay your child down awake for bedtime and naptime Struggling with figuring things out? Let’s chat, book a free call with me! Comment FREE CALL and I’ll send you a link! Bonus tip: Download my FREE Awake Window Guide! Comment Awake Windows and I’ll send you the link!

Q&A Monday! ❄️ ⛄️ 😴 Questions about traveling? Bedtime battles? Night wakings? Early morning wakings? Chronic short napper? Struggling with a sleep regression or transition? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Wish you could ask a sleep expert for advice? It’s your lucky day! Ask away! 👇🏻Like this post then head to my stories and enter your question there. Please share some details along with your child’s age. I will tag you in my response. Some questions may need more details or may be too complicated to answer. If you’re looking for more support, book a free sleep solution call with me and we can talk about what’s going on with your child’s sleep and how I can best support you. Comment FREE CALL below and I’ll send you a link! 👇🏻