Baby Sleep Consultant | Baby Sleep Training | Newborn sleep – Sleep Baby Sleep

Newborn Sleep

2016-09-09T11:03:00.000-04:00

There’s nothing more joyous and exciting than bringing home a new baby...Until sleep deprivation kicks in! Newborn sleep is complicated and erratic, but if we understand why newborns sleep so crazy, we can also understand how to help them sleep better. I will go over some things you may have already heard about, like day/night confusion. But I will also discuss some things you may not know about. Like why is it that the moment you bring your newborn home that’s when all of the sleep troubles begin!? Here are my best newborn sleep tips!

So let’s take things back to the womb! Think about the environment your baby was sleeping while in the womb. Things were snug, warm, contained, noisy, the list goes on. That cute little bassinet you are expecting your baby to sleep in, is NOTHING like what your newborn is use to. Recreating this environment (safely of course) will help your baby transition to the outside world.

Get some good white noise, womb sounds and heart beat work great since they are familiar.
Get a proper fitting swaddle, to help with that snug and contained feeling.
Put a warm water bottle to warm up the bassinet before you put your baby down. Of course take it out, before you put your baby in, safety is first!

Now that we have the sleep environment down, let’s talk about what happens after birth. Before your baby was born she had an endless supply of nutrition delivered via placenta with no effort on your baby’s part to obtain what she needs. The food came in, and your baby was happy! Now your newborn has to feed around the clock. During the first couple of days, your baby still has the nutrition that was given to her in the womb, once this starts wearing out, that’s where the real fun begins. Which is ironically about the same time you will be going home from the hospital. So here you are excited with a new bundle of joy, that’s screaming her head off because she’s constantly hungry and still has to master this whole eating thing. Sure sucking is a natural reflex, but let’s be serious sucking on a nipple, whether yours or an artificial one is not quite something your baby is use to. So your newborn will have to learn. Also, let’s talk about the fact that your newborn’s stomach is about the size of walnut when you take her home. Meaning she can barely hold an ounce of milk. But don’t worry, your baby's tummy will grow very quickly, and by the end of month, her stomach will be the size of large egg!

Now let’s talk about really happens with your baby’s sleep. First of all your newborn has no melatonin (the hormone that helps her sleep). This doesn’t get produced until about 3 months of age. Small amounts will start to develop over the next several weeks, so you should start to see your baby’s sleep improve. But without this, your baby has no concept of when she should be going to sleep. Also, her days and nights are completely mixed up. She was soothed to sleep by your movement during the day, and was up at night while you were sleeping. Now that she’s out here in the real world, that’s exactly what she wants to do.

To help your newborn with this, make noise, keep the tv on, and keep the room well lit during the day. At night, you will want to do the exact opposite. Quiet things down, dim the lights, and start a simple bedtime routine to cue your baby into sleep.

Now let’s piece it all together. Your newborn is used to sleeping snugly, has never had to work for her nutrition, and is use to sleeping during the day and partying at night. Her sleep is erratic, has no pattern, and revolves around the need to eat. All of this spells for a recipe for sleep disaster! Because of this parents will do whatever it takes out of desperation to get their newborn to sleep. They rock, swing and bounce all day. Often overfeed hoping to get some extra Zzz’s and sacrifice themselves as a human pacifier. They even let their baby sleep while holding them, often dozing off themselves EEK! I get it, desperate times call for desperate measures, I have been there myself. But when does it stop? Often it doesn’t. Most of my clients that come to me have been doing these exact behaviours for the last several months, sometimes years, until they reach a breaking point and contact me to help. But it doesn’t have to be this way. There are many ways to start instilling good sleep habits right from day one. I’m not saying you should never hold, rock, or feed your baby to sleep. That’s the best part of having a newborn. The cuddles are amazing! But doing this all day everyday for every sleep time is sure to set your baby up for dependency on these things to sleep. What this means is your baby will expect these “props” not only at bedtime or naptime, but everytime he/she has trouble getting from one sleep cycle to the next. And since your newborn has many sleep cycles (double that of an adult), that’s when he/she starts waking frequently.

Don't continue bad sleep habits. Helping your baby transition to the outside world is perfectly fine, and at times you may have to do whatever it takes so the both of you can get some sleep. But make sure these habits have an end point.

How can I help my newborn sleep?
Luckily you can help your baby start sleeping well and start instilling good sleep habits from the very beginning. I would be glad to help with this by creating a sleep plan specifically tailored for your newborn, and guide you through the entire process. The earlier you start instilling good sleep habits, the easier and faster your baby will learn to sleep well. And there will be no sleep troubles or need for any “sleep training” down the line. Please take a look at my sleep packages HERE. I would be glad to help your newborn sleep well!

Baby Sleep Consultant

2016-06-01T21:13:00.000-04:00

Hi there! I hope you are enjoying the Sleep, Baby, Sleep site! If you have already looked through the site, and are still having trouble getting your baby to sleep, then perhaps an individual email consultation would be best. Having a baby sleep consultant guide you and answer all of your questions, will ensure that your baby is getting the sleep that he/she needs. The consultations and sleep plans are always completely personalized for your baby's unique situation. I believe that there's no "one size fits all" advice, when it comes to helping a baby sleep. That is why I became a sleep consultant and offer personal consultations. When my baby wasn't sleeping, despite the massive amount of information on the web, there was nowhere I could turn that would provide guidance based on my baby's specific situation. As a baby sleep consultant I take into consideration your baby's age, sleep history, temperament, and individual circumstances. In other words, I get to know you and your baby before I give you any advice.

I love helping sleepless parents, sleep topics are my passion. To read more about me and how I started this site, you can read my candid Biography Here . You can also see what others are saying about how I have helped their little ones sleep. You might find some stories similar to yours. Here are some recent Success Stories.

Here's what Sleep, Baby, Sleep can help you work on:

Frequent night wakings. After I collect your baby's sleep history, I will determine why your baby is waking frequently and we can begin working on fixing those wakings right away.

Eliminating props. If your baby needs to be rocked, nursed, or bounced to sleep, and wakes several times a night expecting the same, I will create a step by step sleep plan of how to teach your baby to fall asleep on his/her own so that he/she is not reliant on you to sleep well.

Night weaning. I will help you determine which feedings your baby still needs at night (if any), and work on which ones he/she is using for comfort. I would never ask you to eliminate all night time feedings, unless your baby was ready. We will work closely together to determine this, so that you are responding to his/her wakings appropriately. Not responding appropriately to the middle of the night wakings is the #1 reason sleep training fails for most parents. All sleep plans also come with a hunger vs comfort chart that you can use as a guide.

Sleep schedules. Making sure your baby is following an age appropriate sleep schedule is an important component of helping your baby sleep well. We will discuss how much sleep your baby should be getting, how many naps and how long, and how long your baby should be awake in between sleep times. Most importantly we will work together to make sure your baby's sleep is distributed appropriately and that he/she is meeting his/her daily sleep requirements.

Nap troubles. Babies that have bad sleep habits, often nap poorly and only for about 30-40 minutes. They need to be rocked, fed, or even need a car ride or stroller just to nap. I will show you how you can improve your baby's nap length and quality.

Pacifier dependency. Does your baby need a pacifier to sleep? Are up all night replacing it? My techniques will help decrease your baby's dependency on the pacifier so that he/she doesn't wake and cry when it falls out. There are so many benefits to pacifiers, getting rid of it is not the only option. Unless that is what you would like to do, then we can work on saying bye bye to the binky for good!

Early morning wakings. When a baby starts waking very early, these wakings can be persistent and difficult to resolve. I will help you work on re-setting your baby's internal clock so that he or she can start waking at a more reasonable time.

Sleep Regressions. Sleep regressions are very complex and many times parents offer extra comfort, feedings, and revert to old sleep habits just to get through the regression. I will help your baby get back on track while considering the developmental milestones your baby is going through at the time. There is no reason to put off teaching your baby good sleep habits because of a sleep regression. You just have to figure it into the sleep training plan.

And much more! Every baby is different, and has a unique sleep story. I can't wait to hear all about your baby and help him/ her finally start getting the sleep that a growing baby needs.

How does a consultation work?

Upon payment of your chosen package, you will receive a welcome email from me with an assessment form. You can tell me all about your baby and his/her sleep problems, and I will email you back the same day. I will discuss with you the reasons I think your baby is not sleeping and outline a step by step plan, so that you and your family can start enjoying some more Zzz's right away. In addition to your plan you will receive charts that will help guide you now and in the future, when your baby's sleep requirements change. You will also receive information about future scenarios such as regressions, illness, travel, and teething, so that you know exactly how to handle these situations when they come up.

I am a baby and toddler sleep consultant, so I primarily work with children ages newborn to 4 years old. Below are my sleep packages. Keep in mind that for the individual email packages, I don't charge for emails you send to me. I also never charge for clarifications. If I need to ask more questions so I can strategize a plan, that clarification email does not count towards your package. Neither do emails where I high five you, for a job well done! The prices are listed in USD, but I work with clients all over the world so any currency can be used for payment. Paypal will automatically convert it.

The 2 Week Bundle Package. This package is a good fit for all ages, newborn to toddlers. I will create a customized sleep plan based on your baby's unique situation, and I will work with you closely to implement the plan and to ensure that you are successful. We will discuss each night in detail, and I will walk you through the entire process. We will also have the opportunity to change the strategy if it's not working, or if variables come up. In addition to our daily check-in, you can email or text me me as often as you need to within your subscription, and ask me questions as they come up. If you have a question or are not sure what to do at nap or bedtime, I will only be an email or text away to walk you through it. I work long hours, so don't worry communication is never an issue, not even with my international clients. We can start right away, or you can choose a start date if there is a week that is more convenient for you. Parents typically purchase this package to eliminate bad sleep habits and to teach their baby to fall asleep on their own, so that baby can start sleeping through the night. And so the parents can start enjoying some more sleep too! This two week bundle package includes:

Complete assessment and identification of your child's sleep needs and troubles.

Personalized, step by step sleep plan.

Unlimited emails for two weeks for a fully personalized consultation.

2 phone calls per week for two weeks.

Unlimited text messaging support. Yes, even on weekends and holidays!

2 follow up email consultations that do not expire so you can use them at anytime for on-going support.

Your 2 week subscription begins on the day you receive the customized sleep plan, or your chosen start date.

The Unlimited 3 Week Package.
This package is a great option for parents that want a slow, gradual, and gentle process, and don't mind waiting to achieve results. Perhaps you want to work on crib transition before working on sleep training. Or maybe you want to slowly end co-sleeping, and start getting your baby to sleep in his/her own sleep space. Some of these situations require a slow and gentle approach if you would like to minimize tears. If you want to gradually work on multiple areas of your child's sleep, or just want to take things slowly, this package is a great option. The Unlimited 3 week Package includes:

Complete assessment and identification of your child's sleep needs and troubles.

Personalized, step by step sleep plan.

Unlimited emails for three weeks for a fully personalized consultation. I will be an email away to answer all of your questions.

Your 3 week subscription begins on the day you receive the customized sleep plan, or your chosen start date.

The Unlimited 2 Week Package. As with the other packages you will receive a personalized sleep plan that is created based on your baby's age, temperament, sleep history and other important factors, that I will collect from you on an assessment form, and that we will discuss together. With this package you will have two weeks of unlimited email support and guidance through the process of helping your baby to sleep well. You also have the option to add-on follow up emails with this package for future use. The follow up emails never expire. The Unlimited 2 Week Package includes:

Complete assessment and identification of your child's sleep needs and troubles.

Personalized, step by step sleep plan.

Unlimited emails for Two weeks for a fully personalized consultation. I will be an email away to answer all of your questions.

Your 2 week subscription begins on the day you receive the customized sleep plan, or your chosen date.

The Unlimited 7 Day Package. This is a 7 day unlimited email package. You will receive a personalized sleep plan specific for your baby, and 7 days of unlimited email support. You also have the option to add-on follow up emails with this package.

Complete assessment and identification of your child's sleep needs and troubles.

Personalized, step by step sleep plan.

Unlimited emails for One week for a fully personalized consultation. I will be an email away to answer all of your questions.

Your 7 day subscription begins on the day you receive the customized sleep plan, or your chosen date.

The 3 Email Package. This package includes a customized sleep plan, created specifically for your baby. In addition to the sleep plan you will get two additional follow-up emails for questions, support, or to fine tune your sleep plan. You can use your 3 email subscription at any time, there is no expiration date.

The Chat Package. This is a basic chat session package and is appropriate for parents that don't require that much help, but still have a few issues they are struggling with. Maybe your baby has already been sleeping through the night, but now something has changed. Perhaps you have done a lot of research, but just don't know how to piece it all together. All of your questions will be answered in this 45 minute online chat session. Upon payment you will be given a link to a chat room, where you can get all of your questions answered by yours truly. After the chat a transcript of our conversation will be emailed to you so that you can have for reference. Email me for the date and time you have in mind, and we can get started. If you need help right away, I am usually available the same day.

My Guarantee
I am so confident I can help you, that your purchase is backed by a 30 day 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at any point within the 30 days you are not satisfied with the results of my consultation services, you can request a refund. You will get a full refund of your consultation, no questions asked. It's that simple! I also have a 98% success rate so you can purchase with confidence.

Not sure if purchasing a consultation package or hiring a baby sleep consultant would be a good fit for your family?
Email me so we can decide together.

Sleep Consultant Certification Program

2015-10-17T13:53:00.000-04:00

How do I become a Certified Sleep Consultant?

Have you thought about becoming a baby sleep consultant but have no idea where to get such training? I know, the information about sleep consultant certification and training is very limited and difficult to find. Currently there are only a handful of sleep consultant certification programs available.

Through the years of sleep consulting, I have been asked by several of my clients to train them in what I do. This is an amazing career, so I can definitely understand the interest. I get to help sleepless parents all over the world, while still being home with my two little girls, not missing a single thing.

As a sleep consultant you have the amazing job of giving sleep-deprived parents the gift of sleep. Not only is it rewarding, but it enables you to meet and work with wonderful parents and their families. I've found a great deal of joy in helping people all over the world, and I believe you can too. So, if you are passionate about sleep topics and parenting, then you would be a great sleep consultant. The only thing I ask for is a willingness to work hard. In turn, I will do my very best to make sure you understand every concept and will share all of my secrets and tricks of the trade.

Course Outline:
The Sleep, Baby, Sleep consultant training program is taught by Violet Giannone, who is a Licensed and Registered Nurse, Pediatric Sleep Consultant, Regional Representative for the International Association of Child Sleep Consultants, and Owner and Founder of Sleep, Baby, Sleep, a very successful pediatric sleep consulting company. The program is approved by the International Institute for Complementary Therapists. You will be learning about infant and toddler sleep, sleep troubles, client coaching, putting together sleep plans, and anything else that you need to start and run a successful business. Through this program you will learn how to be a successful sleep consultant, how to get clients, and how to market yourself and your business.

Course Content:
Infant and toddler sleep topics as they relate to sleep consulting.
This content will be divided into age groups. We will discuss the most important aspects of infant and toddler sleep as it relates to sleep consulting. Sleep topics are vast, so we will be focusing in on the information that you need to consult.

The science of sleep.
The science of sleep is very intricate and detailed. This section will teach you all about sleep cycles and stages, how sleep works, and how the science of sleep actually affects how well a baby rests.

Common infant and toddler sleep problems.
You will learn about a variety of sleep problems and learn how to help clients. Bedtime struggles, frequent night wakings, early morning wakings, pacifier and sleep prop dependency, sleep regressions, short naps, how to handle crying, and so much more.

Sleep training methods and techniques.
We will discuss different types of sleep training methods and techniques. What works, what doesn't. You will learn about gentle sleep methods and how to handle tears. I will discuss in detail how I have helped so many clients through the years.

Bumps in the road.
This content will discuss common road blocks and bumps you may come across and how to handle them. Some of which include teething, separation anxiety, illness, growth spurts, and regressions in relation to developmental milestones.

How to create sleep plans.
You will learn how to create a successful sleep plan. We will discuss the different sleep plan components, how to put them together, and how to create templates to be prepared ahead of time.

When to refer out.
Sometimes sleep training may not be appropriate, or you may not feel comfortable consulting with a client. You will learn how to handle these situations and when to refer your client to another professional.

Business Aspects.
This content will cover business cards, banners, ads, book keeping, insurance, liability, how to create client intake assessment forms, how to start your website, and anything else that you need help with.

. . . And SO much more!

Requirements:
Successful completion of the course will be demonstrated by completing required reading and tests, working through case studies, watching required videos, and engaging in discussions in the discussion board. The course is designed to be taken at your own pace, so there will be no rush to get everything done at once. I know many of you are busy at home with your little ones, this course was created to provide flexibility.

There will be a final exam at the end that will require you to put together all of the information that you have learned throughout the course and create a sleep plan based on one of my current clients. You will also be required to come up with responses to their questions. Don't worry, you will have plenty of time to prepare.

Certificate of Completion:
A certificate of completion will be issued once all of the requirements are submitted and passed. If you are having trouble passing a requirement, we will work through it together to make sure that you are successful. You will be able to print your certificate as soon as it is issued. You will also be given a Sleep, Baby, Sleep certified logo for business use on your website and marketing material to show your sleep consultant training and certification.

Mentoring and Support:
Outside of the wealth of information I will be giving you, I'll be available to you every step of the way to guide and support you. I will make sure you are confident and ready to go out and be a great sleep consultant. I will work with you on your first clients for six months, or until you are ready to do it on your own. I will also help you set up your website, help you with sleep plan templates, and anything else that you may need.

Members Only Support Group
You will also have access to a members only online social support group. This group is comprised of individuals at various levels of education. From sleep consultant students to consultants who have been in the business for over 10 years. Parenting educators, nurses, teachers, postpartum doulas, infant specialists also comprise this unique group. All of which you will be a part of, and will have the ability to learn from. We discuss client scenarios, discuss marketing strategies, talk about the latest sleep research, offer each other resources, share documents, and so much more! This very active and unique group is invaluable. You will have a support group from the moment you sign up for this course.

Investment:
$1,750 or 3 monthly payments of $625.
Payment deferment and other payment options available.

The Sleep, Baby, Sleep program was created to be affordable and attainable. The cost is lower than other sleep consultant certification programs because several of my clients over the years have had a true passion for helping sleepless parents and their babies, and I don’t want the price of tuition for sleep consultant training to hold them back from becoming amazing sleep consultants. I have been given this amazing opportunity, and I believe it should be attainable for everyone who has a true passion for this field.

You will not be charged a yearly membership/certification fee. Most other programs charge any where from $250-$1000 annually. Tuition is all you will every pay for the Sleep, Baby, Sleep course. You will have continued access to the course and material, even after graduation to stay up date and continue your education. You will also have access to the members only community social group at no additional charge.

If you are interested in the Sleep Consultant Certification program please fill out the short application and I will be in contact with you so that we can discuss your journey into sleep consulting in detail.

Time Change: Baby Sleep Tips

2015-10-15T10:23:00.000-04:00

The end of daylight savings time is just around the corner! that means we gain an hour of sleep, but for your baby this can mean another monkey wrench thrown into his/her sleep schedule. If you have an early riser this may mean your baby will wake even earlier! Your baby's internal sleep clock helps put her to sleep at a certain hour, and helps wake her up at pretty much the same time each morning. So it may be a little difficult to put your baby to sleep at the usual bedtime without some struggles, and she will most likely wake early in the morning with the new time change. To help make time change an easy transition for your baby, follow these 3 simple tips.

Prepare for the time change, ahead of time. You will have to change your baby's entire daytime schedule, not just bedtime. So for the 6 days prior to daylight savings, shift your baby's schedule by 10 minutes each day until you reach the full hour. This will give your baby a chance to adjust, without a drastic change in his/her sleep schedule. A young baby, or a baby that doesn't adjust well to change, will not be able to handle an hour time change easily. Prepare your baby slowly and ahead of time. If you haven't had enough time to prepare ahead of time, no worries, you can even do this post time change.
Get some good blackout blinds. The end of daylight savings time means more light sneaking in during the early morning hours of the morning. Light suppresses melatonin, the hormone that helps your baby sleep. Making the room nice and dark will help tremendously and will help your baby sleep in later. Blackout EZ Window Covers are amazing for this!
Give your baby a week to adjust. As I mentioned your baby's internal clock is set to get her ready for bed at a certain hour. With the end of daylight savings time, you will be putting your baby down an hour later than she usually goes down. The new 7pm bedtime, will actually be 8pm according to your baby's internal clock. Meaning your baby will most likely be a little overtired leading to some bedtime struggles. In the morning her internal clock will most likely wake her at her usual time, which is actually an hour earlier with the time change. It will take about a week for your baby's internal clock to be reset to the new schedule. So be patient, and have your coffee ready in the morning! Some early wakings are inevitable.

The end of daylight savings time can be stressful, especially if your baby is already an early riser. Making sure you prepare ahead of time by gradually shifting your baby's sleep schedule, and getting good blackout blinds will help the transition go more smoothly. Make sure you give it about a week and your baby should start waking at a decent time. Don't start any new bad habits, just to get your baby to sleep longer. I know it can be tempting to get a few more Zzz's, but eliminating bad habits is much harder than just dealing with a few early mornings!

Teething Baby and Sleep

2015-09-14T22:04:00.001-04:00

Teething baby and sleep....If I had a penny, just a penny, for every time a parent tells me that teething is causing their baby's sleep troubles, I would be one rich lady!! And when I ask how long the teething has been causing these sleep troubles, parents usually tell me weeks, months, heck ever since baby was born. GEEZ....Really? No! There's no way teething is causing your baby to fight bedtime and be up all night for weeks and months on end. The fact of the matter is that teething is not even painful for many babies. Some babies find it annoying, no more than an itch. While sure, others do feel some discomfort. But the discomfort is usually only the 3-4 days before the tooth erupts and maybe the 2-3 days after it pokes through. Not weeks, definitely not months! The emergence of a tooth simply does not take that long! In fact, there are studies that prove the short duration of teething symptoms. And there's science behind the fact that teething is not this excruciating and a painful experience, maybe a discomfort at most. Although most of you moms I speak to you about your teething baby and sleep sound VERY convincing, I hate to break it you, but your 18 month old baby has NOT been teething since 3 months old! And the real reason he has been a fussy, cranky and tired terror is because his sleep habits are poor.

Let's explore this some more. So why on earth would a baby that appears to be teething, be so miserable and constantly up all night, if she's not in fact teething? Well, chances are this baby has poor sleep habits. He/she is most likely using props to sleep, waking up and depending on mommy to put her back to sleep. This baby is not getting the sleep her growing body needs. So in turn is fussy, cranky, and doesn't enjoy doing what a well rested child would enjoy doing like playing, exploring, and practicing milestones. Not only that, this baby probably has multiple meltdowns over the smallest of things, and anything out of the norm LIKE TEETHING will completely set this baby off. A tired and not well rested baby will not be able to handle something like teething very well, just like an adult that is exhausted and a curveball is thrown their way. If you are well rested, happy and getting the sleep you need you will feel like you can handle anything. If you are tired and run down, something like a backache or headache will now feel 10 times worse than it really is. This is EXACTLY what happens with a teething baby. If your baby is getting the sleep she needs, chances are the teeth coming through won't even bother her. But because she's tired, the teething feels worse than it is. She continues to wake during the night because of her poor sleep habits, and even after the teeth have poked through you are still blaming the teeth, or next ones which may not even come for weeks! So I can see how it's possible to believe that your baby has been teething for the last few months and not sleeping well because of it. But the real reason your baby isn't sleeping is not because of the teeth, but because of the bad sleep habits.

It's very easy to blame teeth every time your baby is cranky, fussy, up all night, or just being a jerk for no apparent reason! But chances are if your baby was getting the sleep he/she needs you would see a totally different baby. And even if she was teething, you probably wouldn't even know when that new tooth would pop through.

So what do you do? Teach your baby good sleep habits! Help her learn independent sleep skills so she is not so reliant on you and able to sleep through the night without your help. Once you fix her sleep habits, she will be able to breeze through things like teething and illness, and you will feel silly you ever blamed those darn teeth for so long!

I know teething and sleep can be worrisome. If you need help teaching your baby good sleep habits and independent sleep, please take a look at my consultation packages. I would be glad to help!

Best Bedtime Books for Babies and Toddlers

2015-08-01T15:30:00.000-04:00

Reading is my favorite part of our bedtime routine. Not only is it fun, but educational. And it's never too early to start. I have been reading to my girls since they were born. Heck, even before that! My husband use to read to my belly!

Reading is a fun way to spice up the bedtime routine, and it gives your baby something to look forward too. Also, if you are stuck and don't have much of a routine, a couple books are all you need.

Here's a simple and easy bedtime routine
  Wash up.
  Pajamas and diaper change.
  2-3 books.
  Some cuddles, then straight to bed.

And Voila! You've got yourself a fun and easy bedtime routine.

Not sure which books to read or which ones are age appropriate? I have come up with my list of top baby and toddler books based on age and development.

0-3 Months
At this age your baby is fascinated by your voice and enjoys rhythmic sounds. Lullabies and nursery rhymes work best to calm a baby at this age. She may not understand the words, but she loves listening to you.

Your baby's eyesight is not that great during the first few months. Your baby will only be able to focus and see objects clearly that are more than 8-10 inches away. Which just so happens to be the distance of your face.

Your baby will also only see black and white and some shades of grey. By 3 months of age, your baby should see her first color, red. Here are some great books to start at this age:

Look, Look! By Peter Linenthal. This is a sturdy board book, full of black and white pages, with some red wording. Perfect for your baby's developing vision. Your baby will be fascinated by this book's colors and patterns. Babies often look hypnotized when they look at this book because it is exactly what their vision is drawn to at this young age.

Baby's My First ABC Cloth Book This is another great black and white book. It's soft and washable if your baby starts to play and chew on on it. It also squeaks and rattles to help stimulate your baby's hearing development.

4-6 Months
At this age your baby should be able to follow objects with her eyesight. Her color vision is also similar to that of an adult, so she can see all colors of the rainbow. Her hand eye coordination is developed, so she will start to grab the books and bring them to her mouth. Thick or vinyl books that withstand chewing will work best at this age. Many parents think that a baby is not interested in books because all baby wants to do is chew on them. The very opposite is true. Chewing on books, just like chewing on everything else is your baby's way of showing interest and exploring her world through taste. Through the first year, your baby will explore through her senses. Chewing on everything including books during bedtime routine, is just one of her ways of exploring.

Cloth and vinyl books like the ones found here, are great for this age since your baby will be putting everything in her mouth.

6-18 Months
By 6 months your baby should be less interested in chewing her books and will become more interested in looking at them and following along.

Around 8-9 months, your baby should be able to help turn the pages. It's a great time to start some of the favorite classics like Goodnight Moon, and Brown Bear that will stick with your little one until she is much older.

By 12-18 months your child will love following along, pointing to objects, repeating some words. Singing songs, and lullabies is also fun at this age as your child starts to participate. Ask your baby "what's that?" Or "where is the bunny?" You will start to see how engaged a baby this age can be in books. It's quite fascinating.

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. This is a perfect book for the end of the day. The little bunny says good night to everything in his room and to the moon. This has been a beloved book by many generations.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? This book is amazing, from the colors to the rhythmic storyline, children of all ages adore this book. This one is a must!

I Love You Through and Through. I absolutely LOVE this book and the love I get to show my little ones when I read this to them. "I love your sad side, your mad side, your silly side" and so much more! This book is so incredibly sweet and your little one will feel so loved before bed.

Where's Baby's Books by Karen Katz, are by far the best books to engage your child in a game of "where's that/peek a boo?". Karen Katz makes a variety of these books. Your child can open the flap and find a belly button, toes, nose, and so much more. This one comes in box set for only $10, and they are all amazing. Definitely one of my favorites.

First 100 Words by Roger Priddy. This is a great educational book. It helps your baby with associating words and meaning. You can also ask your baby to point to things, and help her learn her first words.

18-36 Months
This is a really fun age for books, and you can use it as a learning tool. You can practice ABC's 123's, Animals, Colors, and Sounds.

At this age your child may also exhibit some fears. Many children this age also start preschool, so there are some great books that help with the anxiety of school. At some point between 2-3yrs old you will be switching your baby from a crib to a toddler bed. Getting some new books to ease the fears and to get your child ready for this big change will help.

Bright Baby Colors, ABC, and Numbers. This is an amazing book for learning colors, numbers, shapes, opposites and the alphabet. You and your child will really enjoy this one.

Llama Llama Red Pajama By Anna Dewdney is a great book for children that are afraid of going to bed without mommy. It's rhythmic, fun, and helps with those nighttime fears because it explains that mommy is always near by.

The Monster at the End of This Book. This is a hilarious book about "Monsters" that will surely ease your child's fears. I would say it's appropriate starting at age 2yrs all the way up to 8yrs old.

Llama Llama Misses Mama is by far my favorite book for separation anxiety such as during the first few weeks of school. This book is sweet, simple, and easy for a young child to understand.

The Kissing Hand by Ruth E. Harper is another great book for children missing mommy at school. Chester the raccoon doesn't want to go to school and is afraid. So mommy raccoon comes up with a neat way to make chester feel better by kissing his hand.

Big Enough for a Bed (Sesame Street) is great book for toddler bed transition. Elmo is too big for his crib, but is uneasy about sleeping in a big bed. With a little help from his lovey, he starts loving his new bed.

A bed of Your Own by Mij Kelley. Suzy Sue has trouble falling asleep in her bed because the animals are crowding her. This funny and rhyming book will give your child a good laugh and will ease her tension about going to bed.

So there you go! My favorite bedtime books for babies and toddlers. What are some of your favorites? I would love to hear about some others, please comment below.

Teaching Baby to Self Soothe

2015-06-01T14:07:00.000-04:00

Imagine putting your baby down to sleep awake and she just dozes off, completely on her own. You don't have to do any work. Just lay her down, and walk out of the room as your baby self soothes. She doesn't cry, whine, or get upset, just peacefully falls asleep. You would probably tell me that I'm nuts, and that this is impossible, right? I don't blame you. I didn't think teaching baby to self soothe was possible either. When I had my first baby I just nursed and rocked her into deep sleep every single night…for hours on end! I didn't even have a clue what baby self soothing was. Now both of my girls fall asleep by self soothing. I helped them learn to fall asleep on their own, and this is exactly what they do every night. No crying, no fighting. The best part of teaching my baby to self soothe, is that she is able to fall back asleep on her own in the middle of the night, when she wakes from a sleep cycle. Meaning no unnecessary nighttime wakings.

Teaching baby to self soothe, or fall asleep on their own is an amazing accomplishment, that will solve most, if not all of your baby's sleep troubles. However, it is probably the hardest part of sleep training. One of the most common questions I get as a sleep consultant is "How do I teach my baby to self soothe?". This question can be tricky to answer because there are many different components to teaching your baby to sleep well. Age appropriate sleep schedules, knowing how to respond to wakings, which wakings are due to hunger vs comfort etc. You also have to be very consistent, pick a method that you are comfortable with, and have a really good step by step plan to follow so you are not confusing your baby. For those reasons, I have made sleep consultation packages available, in which I create a customized sleep plan for your baby based on your baby's individual situation and background. I also provide you with support to make sure that you are successful. View Sleep Packages Here-->

Teaching a baby to fall asleep on their own, is such a great feeling. Especially when you are finally able to lay your baby down without a struggle. You get to enjoy a happy bedtime routine together, give your baby kisses and cuddles, and she drifts off to sleep without a peep. I don't think there's any better feeling when you're a parent that has been struggling with getting your baby to fall asleep and stay asleep. So here are some of my best tips for helping your baby fall asleep on his or her own.

Solid bedtime routine. Make sure you have a consistent bedtime routine for your baby. Same routine, same time each night. This is very important, and I can't stress it enough. You can't expect a baby to cooperate when her sleep schedule is all over the place, or the routine is always different. A consistent routine gives your baby predicability. When your baby knows what to expect, she is more likely to accept it.

Move feeding or nursing. If you are feeding or nursing your baby to sleep, you are going to want to break that sleep association. So what you do is move the feeding to the beginning of your bedtime routine. This way your baby has the opportunity to fall asleep on her own and not in your arms. If your routine was jammies-book-feed. It should now be feed-jammies-book.

Put your baby down, "drowsy but awake". I know you have probably heard this a million times, but this is really a biggie. Laying your baby down awake is not easy and you will have to follow that up with some sleep training methods. Making sure your baby is drowsy but awake before you lay her down, is very important.

Pick a sleep training method and stick to it. It's always a good idea to have a plan to stick to and a method that you are comfortable with. This way you are not trying one thing, then another, and completely confusing your baby. Inconsistency can lead to many, many, tears. Being consistent and following through with your plan is the only way to be successful.

Buy a good sleep training program or guide. If you have tried different methods, and nothing is working, it may be a good idea to buy a program or guide to help you. Some parents need a step by step guide, and there is nothing wrong with that. Getting help from someone that knows what they are doing and is able to provide you with that step by step plan, is invaluable when it comes to teaching your baby to sleep well. If you would like more individual help based on your baby's unique situation, I offer Personalized Sleep Plans and support. Teaching a baby to self soothe and fall asleep on his or her own is one of my specialties!

Stay with your baby. Some babies feel more at ease knowing Mommy or Daddy is right by their side. Since your baby needs to learn the skills to self soothe and fall sleep on her own, she may fall asleep easier, if you are by her side. Don't worry, once your baby gets better at falling asleep on her own, you won't have to stay with her at all. You will be able to lay her down after bedtime routine, and she will smile and drift off to sleep.

Don't give up! Many times parents see how difficult and overwhelming the first couple nights can be. They give up, and don't get to see that it gets easier. Each night is just a little bit better than the previous. As you progress, it gets better and better. By the end of the week your baby will most likely be falling asleep on her own in under 5 minutes. Even if it takes 2 weeks, that's a great accomplishment. Don't give up! Here are some stories from parents like yourself, that didn't think it was possible either, and now the entire family is sleeping well.

Remember that you don't have to stop nursing, rocking, or cuddling when teaching baby to self soothe. In fact I encourage an abundance of that. You can incorporate nursing, rocking, or anything else your baby enjoys into your bedtime routine.

If you need more advice, or a step by step plan of how to teach your baby to self soothe and fall asleep on his or her own, please take a look at my Baby Sleep Consultation Packages-->

When Do Babies Sleep Through the Night?

2015-05-04T11:30:00.000-04:00

Image courtesy of Michal Marcol / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

When a baby is waking up several times a night, every parent wants to know, when do babies sleep through the night? If you have researched and googled this topic already, then you have most likely noticed that every source gives you a different answer. So let's clear this up. After all, I bet your dying to know when this exhaustion will end, and when your baby will start sleeping through the night.

First, let's define sleeping through the night.

The "medical" definition of sleeping through the night is 5 hours. Now I know some of you would be happy with a measly 5 hours, but most of you want to know when your baby will sleep ALL night, right? Say 10-12hrs?

When Do Babies Start Sleeping Through the Night?

Most experts such as Jodi Mindell, The National Sleep Foundation, American Academy of Pediatrics, to name a few, say that a baby is capable of sleeping an 8-12 hour stretch between the ages of 3-6 months. As a baby sleep consultant with years of experience. I would have to agree.

Some babies take a bit longer than 6 months, but usually only wake and need one feeding. For example, if your 7 month old baby is sleeping for a 10 hour stretch, then wakes for a feeding and goes right back to sleep, then this may be normal for her age. Chances are, that is the longest she can make it without needing a feed. As she gets older the stretch of sleep will extend, until she no longer needs it. To make sure that this doesn't become a habitual waking, always remember to put your baby down awake after a feeding. It is very easy for a baby to start waking at a certain hour to be nursed back to sleep as a habit. Especially during the morning hours, when sleep is the lightest. So if your baby truly needs a feeding, always make sure she is put down awake when she's done.

Another point worth mentioning is that just because most babies are capable of sleeping through the night at this age, doesn't mean they do sleep through the night. Many babies have bad sleep habits. They rely on sleep props or associations to fall asleep. They need mommy to put them to sleep and this prevents them from sleeping through the night. If these sleep troubles are not addressed, then your baby may continue waking several times a night. Parents like to think that their baby's sleep troubles are just a phase and their baby will eventually outgrow this phase. A recent study shows that sleep troubles in infancy continue until 3 years of age. A similar study shows up to 5 years. Chances are your baby is not going to outgrow her sleep troubles anytime soon.

So somewhere between the age of 3-6 months, a baby is capable of sleeping through the night. Even if your baby is a little bit older and still waking for that one feeding, that is perfectly normal. But waking several times a night at that age definitely needs to be investigated further. Because by waiting and hoping that things will improve on their own, you will see that things usually only get worse.

Sleep Training and Sleeping Through the Night

2015-04-15T23:00:00.000-04:00

Can Sleep Training help my baby sleep through the night?

Many parents get confused about the sleep training process, and wonder how they could possibly get their baby, who wakes every 2 hours, to sleep through the night. They hear "sleep training" and they run, because they think that this means that the only way their baby will sleep is by closing the door and leaving the baby to cry it out, until he/she falls asleep from exhaustion. So I wanted to clear up some common misconceptions and explain how "sleep training", can help your baby sleep through the night.

What is sleep training?

First, let's define "sleep training". Baby sleep training should not be used interchangeably with the cry it out technique. It is not the same thing. There are different sleep training techniques, and CIO is just one of them. Sleep training is the process of helping your baby get to sleep, and stay asleep by teaching good sleep habits. This can be done by using any method that you feel most comfortable with.

How can sleep training help my baby sleep through the night?

Now let's talk about how sleep training can help your baby sleep through the night. Learning to sleep is a process, and for most babies it's not something that just happens naturally, especially not at night. During this process your baby learns a bedtime ritual, starts to associate different things with going to sleep, and learns different soothing techniques to help him/her sleep through the night. It's not much different from an adult. Before you go to bed each night, I'm sure you have a ritual. Whether you watch your favorite show, read a book, or take a warm bath, these things help you wind down for the night. Then you get in bed with your favorite pillow, blanket, or pajamas, and these things are sleep associations and help you associate with going to sleep. During the night, when you wake I'm sure you can use your sleep association to help you get back to sleep. That can be snuggling your pillow, or turning into a certain position. Even the comfort of your cozy pajamas can help you get right back to sleep. Now imagine that all of those sleep associations were something that would require someone else to come in and help you with. This is exactly where sleep troubles begin for your baby. If her sleep association is something that you have to provide (nursing, feeding, rocking, movement etc) then your baby will continue waking and crying for you to come in and help her get back to sleep. Your baby needs to learn how to associate sleep with something that does not rely on you. Once a baby learn this, she can go back to sleep completely on her own in the middle of the night without needing your help at all. Makes sense right?

We never think about these things and that the journey of sleep is an actual process. Because we have been doing it for so long, it's just second nature to us. But the fact that sleep is a learned process is evident when your baby starts having trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. If a baby hasn't learned the right rituals and associations, or the process of sleep is dependent on you, then your baby will continue to wake and cry for your assistance.

Will my baby sleep well if I don't sleep train?

Another misconception is that a baby will just "grow out of this". I have heard this a million times. In my experience, a baby will not just grow out of the habits she has learned to fall asleep. How can she? If your baby has learned that she needs certain "props" to fall asleep, then how can she just one day forget about those props and rituals? She can't. A new process has to be learned. And that's where sleep training comes in. Remember sleep training is a process of helping your baby to get to sleep and stay asleep, by teaching good sleep habits. Teaching your baby to fall asleep on her own, without any props is a great sleep habit to teach. Thinking a baby will just "grow out of it" is a huge misconception. As a matter of fact studies have been conducted to prove that a baby will not just grow out of her sleep troubles. One study shows that babies that have trouble with sleep will continue to do so until the age of 3 yrs. A more recent study has shown that the sleep troubles continue up until the age of 5 yrs.

What can I do?

Helping your baby learn to fall asleep and stay asleep independently, is the best thing you can do for him/her. Not to mention the extra Zzz's you will benefit from. Sleep training can involve ridding of any other bad sleep habits, but relying on you or a feeding is the most common, so I talk about that a lot in this article.

Sleep training is not easy and can seem daunting to parents. Many parents give up because they don't know how to respond to the wakings. They don't know when to feed, when not to feed. How to stop the crying, and how to help their baby get back to sleep in the middle of the night. It gets confusing, exhausting, and parents just give up and deal with the wakings. The problem is, 3-5 years is a long time to deal with the wakings…

If your confused about sleep training, I can help you with the entire process. Having a step by step sleep plan and a baby sleep consultant guide you and answer all of your questions, will ensure that you are successful!

How to Put a Baby to Sleep

2015-03-12T14:49:00.001-04:00

Want to know the best way to put a baby to sleep? With so much conflicting information on the web, something so simple like laying a baby down to sleep, can turn into a fiasco. So I thought I would put together some of my best tips. Let's talk about how to put a baby to sleep considering safety, comfort, and of course ways to help your baby sleep through the night!

How to Put a Baby to Sleep

Swaddled. If your baby is young and not yet rolling, swaddling really helps keep that startle reflex under control. It also helps your baby feel warm and snug, kind of like she did in your belly. Some babies won't accept being swaddled at first, but give it a few tries before you call it quits. Also try some different types of swaddles and sacks. Not all are created the same.

On His/Her Back. This is also important for babies that are young and not yet rolling. The SIDS campaign teaches the importance of safe sleep by recommending that you always place your baby on his or her back to sleep. Once your baby is able to roll by herself, she can sleep in any position she can get herself in, but until then, your baby should be put to sleep on her back.

Awake. When clients ask me about how to put a baby to sleep, awake is the very first word that comes to mind. A baby that falls asleep by nursing, rocking, bouncing etc will expect that during the night and will wake frequently. The best way to put your baby to sleep, is by putting her down awake. This is just as important when your baby wakes during the night.

In the Dark. Sounds pretty self explanatory right? Not really, many parents still use night lights, and projectors that light up the ceiling hoping that this will help put a baby to sleep. Studies show that even the slightest amount of light can suppress melatonin, the hormone that helps your baby sleep. The room should be dark with no night lights, and anything that illuminates should be covered up. I even have the fire detector light covered with a piece of black tape!

With Noise. It's no surprise that babies are drawn to strange noises like the vacuum, blow dryer, fan and other crazy things. These noises mimic the sound your baby heard while in your belly. Take advantage of this soothing and familiar sound and play some of these noises while your baby sleeps. If you don't have a sound machine, there are many great smart phone and tablet apps.

With Love. Kisses, cuddles, and snuggling is the best part of our bedtime routine. A baby that has enough opportunity to spend time bonding with mommy or daddy will feel safe and secure to fall asleep on her own at bedtime and will sleep soundly through the night. Many times separation anxiety can be "cured" with a little extra loving!

Now that you know how to put a baby to sleep, you can spend less time stressing and googling this topic, and more time enjoying your little one! Still having trouble getting your little one to sleep? Here's How an Email Consultation May Help!

No Cry Sleep Solution

2015-03-10T10:21:00.000-04:00

Does it work?
I get this question often from parents that are looking for an alternative to the old cry it out technique. The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley has gained some popularity because of the gentle sleep training methods Pantley teaches in her book. But do these methods work? Well, the only way to find out is to read 250 pages and try these techniques on your baby. But who really has the time for that while caring for a baby? In effort to save you some time, I will outline the gist of this book and explain why it may or may not work.

The main focus of the no cry sleep solution is to teach your baby to fall asleep on his or her own, which is great. However, to achieve this, the book tells you to gently remove from your baby's routine whatever it is that your baby is dependent on. Pantley mainly focuses on the sucking to sleep association so this can be nursing, pacifier, or bottle. She basically says that you should give your baby the breast, bottle, or pacifier and gently slip it out as your baby is falling asleep. On the first night, your baby can be totally asleep before you take it out. As the nights go on, your baby should be more and more awake when you take it out, until your baby is falling asleep without the sleep association.

Pros: If your baby is really young (1-2 months), this may work because your baby hasn't yet become really dependent on these props.
Cons: In the end your baby is still most likely going to cry, so you are just prolonging the inevitable and will still have to follow up with some other methods.

In theory, the no cry sleep solution seems like a good plan, but in my experience as a sleep consultant most babies that have these strong sleep associations are really dependent on nursing, feeding, pacifier, or rocking to sleep. And when removing these sleep props, most babies will still end up crying just as much, if not more, because you are just prolonging the process. The best thing to do is to help eliminate these sleep props by helping your baby learn to fall asleep on her own, and addressing any crying immediately so there doesn't have to be many tears in the process. Weaning or gradually taking these sleep props away rarely works, at least not without many tears in the process. So how gentle is it, if your baby is still going to end up crying? After basically spending a week "teasing" your baby and slipping his sleep prop away from him, you are still going to have to use some other sleep training methods.

Hope this helps answer your questions about the no cry sleep solution. Every baby is different and responds differently to sleep training. If you are looking for sleep training help, based on your baby's unique situation here are some options.

Daylight Savings Baby Sleep Tips

2015-03-06T13:12:00.000-05:00

Spring Forward: 3 Simple Daylight Savings Baby Sleep Tips

With daylight savings time just around the corner, that means we lose an hour of sleep, but for your baby this can mean another monkey wrench thrown into his/her sleep schedule. If you have an early riser you may be getting excited about your baby waking an hour later. But it may not be that simple. Your baby's internal sleep clock helps put her to sleep at a certain hour, and helps wake her up at pretty much the same time each morning. So it may be a little difficult to put your baby to sleep at the usual bedtime, and have her wake an hour later in the morning. Also, if your baby needs to have a set bedtime and wake up time for daycare, you will certainly need to prepare since she will most likely have a difficult time going to bed at her usual time. To help make daylight savings time an easy transition for your baby, follow these 3 simple tips.

This article contains affiliate links, but don't worry I only recommend products that I absolutely love!

Prepare for daylight savings time, ahead of time. You will have to change your baby's entire daytime schedule, not just bedtime. So for the 6 days prior to daylight savings, shift your baby's schedule by 10 minutes each day until you reach the full hour. This will give your baby a chance to adjust, without a drastic change in his/her sleep schedule. A young baby, or a baby that doesn't adjust well to change, will not be able to handle an hour time change easily. Prepare your baby slowly and ahead of time. If you haven't had enough time to prepare ahead of time, no worries, you can even do this post time change.

Get ready to deal with some bedtime troubles. As I mentioned your baby's internal clock is set to get her ready for bed at a certain hour. With daylight savings time, you will be putting your baby down an hour earlier than she usually goes down. The new 7pm bedtime, will actually be 6pm prior to the time change. Meaning your baby will most likely have a hard time falling asleep that early. It will take about a week for your baby's internal clock to be reset to the new schedule. Helping your baby settle for the night by dimming the lights and creating a calm and quiet environment before bed will be important.

Get some good blackout blinds. Daylight savings time means the sun will still be out during the evening hours. If your baby is use to falling asleep in the dark, it may be really difficult for him/her to fall asleep with even the slightest light coming in. Also, light suppresses melatonin, the hormone that helps your baby sleep, making the room nice and dark will help tremendously. This is particularly important if your baby has to be up early in the morning for daycare. Making sure the room is dark so that your baby can fall asleep and get a proper amount of night sleep is every important. Here are my absolute favorite blinds. They don't permit any light, and are a perfect solution for daylight savings time, early bedtimes, and even nap troubles.

Daylight savings time is not as stressful in the spring, as it is in the fall when you have to change your clocks back an hour. Nonetheless, some babies still have a bit of a hard time. Making sure you prepare ahead of time, gradually shift your baby's sleep schedule, and get really good black out blinds will help the transition go more smoothly.

How to Get Baby to Sleep Through the Night

2015-03-01T19:35:00.000-05:00

So if you have been following my blog, you know that my first baby was a horrible sleeper, totally my fault! I had no idea how to get a baby to sleep through the night. And I surely didn't know that I was doing things that were actually hindering the process. I was a new mom, I didn't know what I was doing. I had no clue that little things like nursing or rocking my baby to sleep would be the reason she would be up all hours of the night for months to come. Babies should really come with manuals!

I have done a ton of research and vow never to make the same mistakes again. So when I had my second baby, I did things right from the begining. She started sleeping through the night at 6 weeks! Yes, I know…. that's nuts! I never imagined it would be possible. Friends would say things like, "you're lucky, you have an easy baby". Little did they know, it has NOTHING to do with luck. The reason a baby wakes up unnecessarily all night has EVERYTHING to do with how mommy or daddy puts that baby to sleep, and how they respond in the middle of the night to the wakings. So I am about to reveal to you, the secrets of how to get a baby to sleep through the night.

Bedtime Routine

This is the easy part. Start with a solid, and consistent bedtime routine, at a decent hour (no later than 8:30pm). This will help teach your baby predictability. The more your baby knows what's coming, the more likely he/she will accept it. You can start by something simple like washing up and reading a book. It doesn't have to be anything complex. As long as it is the same routine, every night, at the same time. Eventually your baby will get use to this routine and know it's time to go to bed as soon as you start the routine.

Create a good sleeping environment

This may include things such as: room darkening shades, swaddling if your baby is young, comfortable jammies, proper room temperature. Anything you can do to make your baby as comfortable as can be, to promote a restful nights sleep. Take a look at my recommended sleep items to help you get started.

Teach your baby to self settle

Take my advice, unless you want to be up all night replacing that pacifier, comfort nursing, or rocking your baby back to sleep, allow your baby to self settle and fall asleep on his or her own. It's the best thing you can do for your baby's sleep. And imagine how many extra Zzzz's you can catch, if you don't have to keep running back in the room to put your baby back to sleep. Not sure how to teach your baby to self settle? Read more about how to get baby to sleep through the night.

Make sure your baby is not hungry.

So here's the thing with hunger, babies can usually sleep through the night when they are developmentally ready to take in enough calories during the day, so that they don't need to wake at night to eat. If your baby's stomach is not yet mature enough to do this, you can fill her up all you want, and she still won't sleep through the night. A newborn's stomach is small and needs to grow enough to be able to hold a substantial amount to make it through the night. With that being said, you want to make sure you are always giving your baby enough breastmilk or formula, so when that developmental milestone is reached, your baby will be able to sleep through the night, and not wake hungry a few hours later. Experts say this happens anywhere between 3-6 months of age.

Another scenario is that if your baby has many bad sleep habits and sleep associations, you can also fill her up all you want, and she still won't sleep through the night. My first baby had so many sleep associations, I tried everything to get her to sleep through. I gave her more breastmilk, I put cereal in her bottle (horrible, I know), I tried increasing solids when she reached that age, and nothing worked! She just had to learn the skills to fall asleep on her own to be able to sleep through the night. Babies have many sleep-wake cycles and if they don't know how to put themselves back to sleep after a cycle, they are going to need you to do it. Whether by rocking, nursing, or any other sleep association. It is important to allow your baby to self settle, so that when her stomach reaches maturity, she can sleep through the night without needing your help to put her back to sleep.

Don't put off fixing bad habits

If you have been putting off making any changes in your baby's sleep routine, for fear of what you might have to deal with, then remember that it's most likely only going get harder as your baby gets older. Also, keep in mind that a tired baby is a cranky baby, so you are not doing your baby any favors by putting things off. When your baby is overtired this makes skills like rolling, crawling, standing much harder to accomplish. Can you imagine putting a baby that is not well rested down on a mat to do tummy time and practice rolling...yeah right! Babies need to get their daily sleep requirements in, otherwise reaching developmental milestones is going to be extremely difficult for them. Not to mention what the fragmented sleep does to you as a parent. Your nerves get frayed, you're on edge, you're anxious about what the next night is going to be like. Trust me, I know! I have been through months of exhaustion and lack of sleep. When I finally learned how to get my baby to sleep through the night, I was astonished to find out that there are so many things I was doing wrong. I quickly learned how to fix things, and now I have two wonderful sleepers.

Violet is a Registered Nurse and Baby Sleep Consultant specializing in helping babies and toddlers sleep. Believing there is no "one size fits all" advice for helping a baby sleep, she offers personal sleep plans and consultations that take into consideration your baby's age, sleep history, temperament, and individual circumstances.

Wondering how to get baby to sleep through the night? Violet can help!
Take a look at the available consultation packages and options!

Baby Sleep Training: The Basics

2015-03-01T13:00:00.000-05:00

So you decided that enough is enough! You need your sleep and sanity back! And the only way to do that is by creating some structure in your baby's sleep routine. Well baby sleep training will do just that. You don't have to think of sleep training as some harsh means of getting your baby to sleep. And you certainly don't have to hear your baby cry all night. In fact, there doesn't have to be much crying at all. There are many things you can do to help your baby get to sleep, and stay asleep.

Here are my 5 best baby sleep training tips:

The best place to start is a solid, and consistent bedtime routine, at a decent hour. This will help teach your baby predictability. The more your baby knows what's coming, the more likely she will accept it. You can start with something simple like a bath and reading a book. It doesn't have to be anything complex. As long as it is the same routine, every night, at the same time. Eventually your baby will get use to this routine and know it's time to go to bed.

Create a good sleep environment. This may include things such as: room darkening shades, swaddling (if your baby is young), comfortable jammies, proper room temperature. Anything that helps make your baby as comfortable as can be, to promote a restful night's sleep.

The next thing is a biggie. I always teach parents to put their baby down to sleep "drowsy but awake". This may be a little difficult, but it is essential to getting your baby sleeping through the night. Your baby has to learn the skills to fall asleep independently, so that she may do the same when she wakes in the middle of the night. A baby that falls asleep by rocking or nursing, will expect the same thing when she wakes at night. Since babies have many short sleep cycles, they wake a lot. So I'm pretty sure you don't want to keep running in your baby's room to rock or nurse her back to sleep all night. Maybe an occasional wake up, sure. But if you are up all night, helping your baby get back to sleep, then neither of you are getting any good sleep. It's important to put your baby down to sleep awake.

The next important step is to find a baby sleep training method or program that works for you and your family. Sleep training is not easy, and neither is teaching a baby to fall asleep on her own. It's going to take some work and sometimes you are going to need help and guidance, there's nothing wrong with that! There are many different programs and guides available to choose from, I know because I have read them all! Some involve letting your baby cry, others involve little or no tears. To make a decision on which one is best for you and your baby, ask yourself these questions? Are you comfortable with letting your child cry it out? Or would you be more comfortable with going in to comfort your baby? Think about how you want to approach sleep training, because if you want quick results with the least amount of disruption to everyone's sleep, it's best that you stay consistent. Trial and error only prolongs the process. Have a set plan, and just go for it. And I can certainly help with this! If you would like individual help based on your baby's unique sleep situation I offer personal help. View package options here.

The last, and most important piece of advice I can offer, is to be consistent and don't give up! Whichever program or method you choose, no matter how hard it gets, and how badly you want to give up, stick to it! If your baby takes and hour to fall asleep the first night and 50 minutes the next, that's progress. Take every day at a time, don't look too far ahead and hope your baby is going to be sleeping through the night within a couple nights. Sleep training takes time, patience, and commitment. And think about what your poor baby is going through, this isn't easy for her either. Your baby wants to be able to just fall asleep and stay asleep just as much as you want her to. It's a process, you have to go through together. If your lucky, you can sleep train your baby in less than a week, but for most, it's going to take a bit longer. It's not easy, but I promise you the uninterrupted and blissful night's sleep, makes it all worth it in the end. Good luck, happy sleep training!

For more help and information on baby sleep training and how to get your baby to sleep well, please take a look at my Personal Consultation Packages. I would be glad to help your little one sleep through the night!

Are you having trouble getting your baby to sleep?
Violet Giannone of Sleep, Baby, Sleep is a Registered Nurse and Baby Sleep Consultant who offers personal consultations to guide you and answer all your baby sleep questions in order to ensure that your little one is getting the sleep that a growing baby needs. Believing there is no "one size fits all" advice for helping a baby sleep, she offers personal sleep plans and consultations that take into consideration your baby's age, sleep history, temperament, and individual circumstances. If you are ready to start baby sleep training, Violet can help! View Options Here -->

How to Get Baby to Sleep in Crib

2015-01-20T13:12:00.000-05:00

Wondering how to get your baby to sleep in the crib? Crib transition can be a little nerve wrecking. Not only will your baby be now sleeping in his or her own room, but will be expected to sleep in a big, open, and let's be truthful, not so comfy space. You may have already tried laying your baby down, but I bet your baby cries when put in crib. Well, what if I told you there are tricks to getting your baby to sleep and transition to the crib? Here are some of my best crib transition tips and tricks. They also work great if your baby won't sleep unless held.

Top 10 Crib Transition Tips

Receiving Blanket Rolls

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This is a pretty neat trick I learned from the hospital nursery. This is what they do right after a baby is born to help them feel secure. It's most appropriate for really young babies, that just need help sleeping somewhere other than on top of mommy during the first few weeks of life. This is a great trick to use when baby won't sleep unless held. What you basically do is take a receiving blanket, and roll it up the long way, and place one on each side of your baby. This helps your baby feel like she's being held, and helps her feel nice and snug. The roll should be placed along side of your baby, armpit level down. You obviously don't want it anywhere near your baby's face and if you are worried about SIDS, then use the rolls during the day and remove them when you are ready to go to sleep. This also not appropriate for babies that are very mobile.

Crib Elevation

This is another trick I learned from the hospital nursery. All of their bassinets are slightly elevated and this really helps a baby sleep better. Think about it, our baby didn't sleep flat in the womb, so there's no way she's going to sleep flat in her crib or bassinet. To help with this you can slightly elevate her bassinet, crib, or co-sleeper. This trick can be used for young babies, or even older babies that are going to be sleeping in the crib for the first time. Sometimes that slight elevation, makes all the difference. You can buy a Dex Baby Crib Wedge, or use books under the crib legs to give a more "natural" elevation. With the arms reach co-sleeper you can simply take off one set of legs.

Warm water bottle

This is a great way to get baby to sleep in the crib. Fill up a water bottle with warm water and put it in your baby's crib where she will be sleeping. Then slip it out right before you lay your baby down. This will make the crib warm and cozy for her and will help her settle a little bit better than laying down on cold sheets.

Sleep Sack

Sleep sacks are a huge help during crib transition. They help take away that feeling of being in a big open space, which is usually the reason a baby "hates" his crib. The more snug or narrow sleep sacks are better for younger babies, because they feel more secure and give that feeling of being held. The Carter's sleep sack pictured on the right is great for that. The Halo, is usually too loose in the legs. Save your Halo for when your baby gets better at sleeping in the crib. For the initial crib transition, try something more snug and along the lines of the Carter's Sleep Sack. The cozy material helps with soothing too.

"Lovey"

A lovey also known as a security item is all that your baby may need to transition to the crib. Having that lovey or buddy to cuddle with, is very important to help your baby feel secure and to help him create a good sleep association. A "lovey" can be anything, a small blanket, or receiving blanket square, mommy's t-shirt, a bib (some babies love the tag), the list is endless. It's basically anything that your baby finds comfort in. Since lovies should not be left in your baby's crib for safety reasons another great option is the LovieSack. It's a sleep sack with a lovey attached. Genius right? Take a look at the Bitta Kidda Company that makes them here--> http://www.bittakidda.com

White Noise Machine

White noise can be a huge life saver. I don't know what it is, but the distracting noise can really calm a baby. Get a machine with noises that your baby enjoys. Some of the most common are vacuum, hair dryer, womb sounds, running water, or gentle shushing.

Practice Time In The Crib

It's important to give your baby some practice time in her crib during the day. I typically don't recommend toys or mobiles in the crib at bedtime because they usually overstimulate and keep a baby awake. But during the early crib transition phase, mobiles are usually a great distraction and you can always take them down before bedtime. Practice crib time should be done when your baby is happy and awake, like after a good feeding. Lay your baby down and just let her explore. The more practice she gets in her crib the better she will feel about being in there, and you never know when she may surprise you and actually fall asleep in there.

The "Right" Crib Sheets

Believe it or not some babies can be really picky about their crib sheets. And did you know that some crib sheets actually encourage self soothing? I have watched so many babies use the texture of the crib sheet to help get themselves to sleep completely on their own. The American Baby Company Velour Sheets are amazing. The texture is so smooth, soft, and your baby's hand will literally glide across. They should make these for adults!

The "Right" Temperature.
The right temperature is also very important. If your baby is waking up with cold feet and hands, that may be waking her up during the night or very early in the morning when the temperature drops. Since everyone's thermostat can be very different, I don't recommend setting it at a certain temperature. 74 degrees in one person's home may be cold, while it's sweating hot in someone else's. So the rule of thumb is that you put one extra layer of clothing on your baby, than what you are wearing. So if you are warm and cozy in long sleeve pj's and a blanket, then put your baby in a long sleeve onsie, long sleeve pj, and a wearable blanket and that should keep your baby nice and warm through the night.

Teach Your Baby to Self Settle

This is a biggie. If you have tried all of these tricks and your baby is still not sleeping and crying every time her head hits the crib, then chances are she just needs to figure out how to fall asleep on her own. Take a look at what Sleep Expert Jodi Mindell says about crib transition and self soothing.

Jodi Mindell

Pediatric Sleep Expert

Parents with a poor sleeper often report that their baby hates the crib. But it's often unclear whether an infant actually hates his crib or simply doesn't want to go to sleep on his own. For some babies, being put to bed in a crib means a change in how they fall asleep. For example, if a baby usually falls asleep while being rocked or nursed, being put down in a crib means he can't be rocked or fed. That's the source of the upset.

Before making a drastic change in bedtime, work with your baby on making the crib a fun place. Throughout the day — not at sleep times — put some of his favorite toys in the crib. Make a game out of reaching in and getting them out. Then step it up to putting him down in the crib to get the toy. Eventually your baby will think of the crib as a fun place to be. You should also work on developing good sleep habits for your baby. Be sure that he's able to soothe himself to sleep on his own and that he doesn't need anything else to fall asleep, such as being held or nursed.

Get a Customized Sleep Plan
We can work on crib transition, teaching your baby to self settle, and finally getting your baby to sleep through the night. View Sleep Plans Here-->

So there you have it, my top 10 crib transition tips! Now that you know how to get your baby to sleep in the crib, you can start enjoying this big occasion. Getting your baby to sleep in the crib for the first time is a big milestone, and it should be an exciting one. Use these tips if you are having trouble, and your baby will accept the crib in no time.

Swaddle Transition and The Zipadee-Zip Sleepsack Giveaway

2015-01-18T14:09:00.001-05:00

The Zipadee-Zip is great for transitioning a baby off the swaddle but it also helps a baby self soothe and sleep soundly through the night. It's different from all the sleeveless wearable blankets or sacks out there. There’s a reason people call it the new and improved wearable blanket. The star-shaped pointed sleeves and star-fish design is Patent Pending because it inspires sounder sleep than any other wearable blankets on the market. The slight resistance in the wing-span allows a baby to move around freely while still providing the enclosed, cozy sensation babies enjoy so much in the swaddle and the womb. The ‘Moro’ or startle reflex is what prevents a baby from sleeping soundly and jolts a baby awake suddenly. The reason babies are startled is because they wake up and can’t feel their edges like they were able to in the womb. The Zipadee-Zip provides those ‘edges’ or that womb like environment while still providing them the freedom to roll around and use their arms and hands safely. This is why the Zipadee-Zip will work when all other products parents have tried to transition their babies typically fail.

Although most parents purchase the Zipadee-Zips for the transition off of the swaddle, many love the Zipadee-Zip for other reasons: The Zipadee-Zip is easy to put on, it keeps a baby’s hands warm at night, and the enclosed feel gives babies the security they need to learn to self-soothe and fall asleep on their own and it can be easily buckled into a car seat or stroller. It also keeps germs away from from those little hands in grocery stores and doctors offices.

Stephanie, the creator of the Zipadee-Zip has generously offered to give away a Zippy to one of my lucky readers. All you have to do is enter through Rafflecopter below. It's really easy to use. All you have to do is login, so that I know how to contact you once you win. Then just simply complete one or more of the tasks, depending on how many entries you want to submit. Yes you can enter multiple entries! Winner will be chosen on Feb 3, 2015 Good luck everyone!

If you are having trouble getting your baby to sleep through the night, please take a look at my consultation packages. I would be glad to help!

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Baby and Toddler Sleep Consultant

2015-01-01T20:19:00.000-05:00

Violet Giannone
Registered Nurse. Mom. Baby Sleep Consultant. Self-Proclaimed Sleep Guru.

In 2011, when my daughter Brianna was born, I was overjoyed with the idea of being a new mom. She was perfect in every way. Things quickly took a turn when she wasn't sleeping at all at night. She was literally up all night wanting to be held, rocked, or nursed back to sleep. This went on for almost a year, and I hadn't slept more than a 2 hour stretch since she was born. I thought I was going insane! I was constantly anxious about bedtime, and dreaded the night time hours. I became exhausted, frustrated, and was at my wits end. I knew I had to do something. I started doing tons and tons of research in the realm of pediatric sleep. I studied every single sleep training method, and read every sleep book and program out there. I relied on my nursing knowledge of sleep cycles, disturbances, and how sleep works. I also made many phone calls to our amazing pediatrician. With all of this expertise, I then tried different sleep techniques. At one point I spent weeks studying and journaling Brianna's sleep habits, as if I was back in nursing school. I tried different methods and tweaked things until Ta-Da! She was sleeping through the night. With my second baby, I had all this knowledge, and have learned so many tricks. Getting her to sleep was a breeze.

Since then I have helped so many families through the information on my blog, as well as on an individual basis. Sleep topics became my passion. I love sharing all that I have learned with parents that are struggling with the same problems. I know first hand how important sleep is, to be able to function, and take care of your day to day responsibilities. As a Nurse, I hold people's lives in my hands. I can't afford to lose an ounce of sleep. Getting a good night's rest is extremely important to me to be able to function as nurse, mom, and wife. So I started this site to help other parents experiencing the same issues. When I first launched the site, I slowly saw the numbers start to climb. I was ecstatic that I could help so many sleepless parents. I now have over 100,000 parents visit my site each month! That is so amazing to me, I never dreamed that was possible.

As far as my credentials, I am a Registered Nurse, I have been in the medical profession for over 15 years. I am professional member of The National Sleep Foundation, Regional Representative for the International Association of Child Sleep Consultants, and member of the International Institute for Complementary Therapists. I have also written articles for parenting websites such as Moms Magazine and What to Expect When You're Expecting, and have been featured in various publications (see below).

Please feel free to look through my site. I hope you find it helpful!

If you have already looked through my site and are still having trouble getting your baby to sleep, please take a look at my Baby Sleep Consulting Packages. Every baby is unique and has his or her own personality and temperament. What works for one baby, may not work for another. That is why, besides the wealth of information on my site, I also offer personal sleep consultations. As a baby and toddler sleep consultant, I explore every aspect of your baby's sleep troubles and work hard on getting him or her sleeping better. I would be more than happy to help you and your family sleep through the night. Here's how I have helped other parents.

Qualifications:

In The Press:

Best in Baby Biz & Kids Magazine offers all the top baby and kids inventions, tips, and trends for modern parents. The magazine's mission is to share with modern moms / dads; baby and kids retailers; and the media the best inventions in the baby and kids business world with tips, trends, and advice from real moms and experts, and to build a community where modern parents can connect, have a voice, and be inspired. Here is Sleep, Baby, Sleep's feature in Best in Baby Biz Read more..

Central Penn Parent is a magazine for parents in Central Pennsylvania. In print and online, they offer news, entertainment and advice on everything from potty training to family finance—with a local spin. Violet's article about potty training has been featured in the February 2015 issue of Central Penn Parent.

It all started with a baby and a book. Heidi Murkoff conceived the idea for What to Expect® When You’re Expecting during her first pregnancy, when she couldn’t find answers to her questions or reassurance for her worries in the books she turned to for much-needed advice. Dubbed the “pregnancy bible,” the iconic New York Times bestseller is now in its all-new fourth edition, with over 18 million copies in print. In 2005, Heidi expanded the What to Expect® (WTE) brand online with WhatToExpect.com. Filled with the latest in pregnancy and parenting information and news – presented with What to Expects trademark warmth, humor, and empathy — the site is also home to a close-knit community of more than 13 million moms worldwide. See Violet Giannone's Feature on WhatToExpect.com Read More...

Moms Magazine is a community of parenting experts and moms providing advice and sharing real-life experiences to help you along the journey of parenthood. See Sleep, Baby, Sleep's feature in Moms Magazine Read More…

Violet Giannone is quoted as a leading pediatric sleep consultant in an article featuring tips on how to get a baby to sleep at bedtime, nap time and while traveling. Read More...

Nadine Bubeck is a wife, host, blogger, and author. She has been an anchor, reporter, and producer at television stations in Phoenix, Arizona; San Diego, California; Yuma, Arizona; and San Francisco, California. She is the Spokesmom for MomsMagazine.com and host of the website’s Moms TV. Nadine also has an online mommy show (All Things Mama), runs a lifestyle website, and is a keynote speaker. Nadine’s book, Expecting Perfect: My Bumpy Journey to Mommyhood, is Nadine’s completely candid pregnancy journal. Read Nadine Bubeck's Review of Sleep, Baby, Sleep...

Shawna and Mandy are two moms from Connecticut scouting fun things to do with kids. They are the owners and authors of OutandAboutMom.com. Read their Review of Sleep, Baby, Sleep...

BellyBallot is the fun and interactive new way parents name their baby. Old baby name books and research websites are inadequate to fit the social needs of today's mom and dad. BellyBallot was created to make the process more fun for everyone. Thousands of parents are now creating their BellyBallots every month, and including loved ones from all over the globe on this special occasion. View Belly Ballot's review of Sleep, Baby, Sleep

Macaroni Kid publishes weekly, hyper-local e-newsletters and websites featuring events, activities, products and places for moms, kids and families. They host local events and parties and connect with their communities via their rich and extensive social media channels. On top of 500+ local editions, Macaroni Kid publishes seven national editions focused on special interest content. Violet was featured on MacaroniKid.com for her daylight savings time tips. View here..

Baby Wakes Up Too Early

2014-12-17T19:27:00.000-05:00

Does your baby wake up too early? Like 4 or 5am too early? I know the feeling, I have been there. Sometimes you feel like there's nothing you can do to make your baby sleep longer. You have tried an early bedtime, a late bedtime, heck I bet you have even experimented with bedtimes anywhere from 5 -10pm and yet your baby still wakes up too early. There are many, many different reasons why your baby wakes up so early. So let's explore some possibilities.

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First, let's define waking up "too early". A baby has to have less than 10.5hrs of overnight sleep for the waking to be considered an early one. Sometimes parents tell me that their baby wakes up too early, and when I ask what time that baby goes too bed, they say 6pm. Well duh! If your baby goes to bed at 6pm and wakes up at 5am, that's 11 hours of overnight sleep. That my dear, is not "too early". It may be too early for you to get up, but your baby has had enough of night time sleep. My definition of waking too early is anything less than 10.5hrs of night-time sleep. On average a baby sleeps about 11-13hrs at night. The bare minimum for a baby to be well rested, is 10.5hrs.

I already know what you are going to say next. "But I put my baby down later, and she still wakes up at 5am". Ok, so there may be reasons for that. The first possibiltiy is that perhaps your baby is part of that small percentage of babies that are "true larks" or early birds. Meaning no matter what you do, your baby still wakes up very early. Only about 10% of children fall into this category. Here are some clues that your baby may be a "true lark":

Your baby wakes up early in the morning, no matter what time you put her down at night.
She wakes up cheerful, happy, and energetic.
She is most happy, playful, and alert during the morning until mid-afternoon.
She starts to get fussy in the late afternoon/early evening, and after dinner things tend to get worse.
She falls asleep easily at an early bedtime.

If this does not sound like your baby, and your baby is just cranky throughout the whole day because she's just not getting enough of night-sleep, then you will have to explore other reasons why she is waking up too early. Here are some possibilities and tips:

Light. The sunlight may be sneaking into your baby's room and waking her.
Tip: Get some really good blackout curtain or panels. These are my favorite Blackout EZ Blinds. They prevent light from sneaking in, you don't need hardware to install them, and can still use your cute nursery drapes or curtains over them. Not to mention they work better and are much cheaper than traditional blackout curtains or blinds.

Noise. Maybe you have a noisy neighbor (like I do) that starts his loud antique car at 5:30 in the morning. Or maybe there's an annoying barking dog near by.

Tip: Consider running some white noise, or using a sound machine.

Temperature. Is your baby too cold or too warm when she wakes up? Babies tend to wake up early in the morning at the start of winter or summer because of the temperature extremes.
Tip: Adjust the temperature accordingly. Try different sleep suits/outfits.

Inappropriate sleep schedule. This is probably the trickiest part of an early morning waking. Sometimes when a nap or sleep schedule is inappropriate, or sleep is not distributed correctly, a baby can wake up too early in the morning and have a hard time falling back asleep.

Tip: Make sure naps are not too long, too short, too early, or too late. Inappropriate daytime sleep is a big culprit of an early morning wake up.

Habitual waking. This can be a bit challenging. Your baby may be waking up at the same early time each morning because she as been doing it for a some time now. So her internal clock is set to wake her up at that time.
Tip: Adjust her sleep schedule, and give it some time. Her internal clock may need to be "re-set". Also consider what you are doing at that time. She may be waking because she's use to a feeding, cuddles in bed with mommy, or something else she really enjoys. Her internal clock wakes her, then she can't fall back asleep because she's really looking forward to whatever it is she gets to do at that hour, even though she can definitely use more sleep.

Baby just learned to sleep through the night. When a baby first learns to sleep through the night, her body is not use to sleeping so many consolidated hours of sleep.

Tip: Give her some time to adjust. Her body needs to catch up and realize it needs more than 9/10hrs of night sleep. Early morning wake ups are very common at the start of sleep training or when your baby starts sleeping through the night.

When your baby wakes up too early, this can definitely cause some frustration. Let's face it, who the heck wants to be up and awake before 6am? Early morning wake ups are the most difficult sleep trouble to resolve and this does take some time to fix. Once you identify the cause, work hard at fixing it, and be patient. Your baby will start sleeping longer soon. If you do have a true lark on your hands, then perhaps a new early bedtime for you will work best. That way you are up and ready for the day with your early bird. Also remember that these phases won't last forever, everything is temporary. One day our babies will be teens and we will be begging them to get out of bed by noon!

Sleep Regression

2014-12-09T12:16:00.000-05:00

This is what a typical sleep regression looks like:
Your baby goes from sleeping through the night, to suddenly waking several times a night. She can't fall asleep, or stay asleep. She fights naps, bedtime, and wakes frequently at night, often crying. Your baby is clingy, cranky and super needy during the day. You have ruled out illness, teething, and it's lasting way longer than a few day growth spurt. The 4 month sleep regression is the most common, but unfortunately there are more…

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A sleep regression most commonly presents itself at around 4 months, 9 months, and 12 months. This is around the time that your baby is going through some major milestones: rolling, sitting, standing, crawling, walking etc. What's actually happening with your baby is pretty interesting. Your baby is going through tremendous cognitive development. She is learning new skills and is practicing them in her head. Over and over, until they finally master the skill, which usually then terminates the sleep regression. Your baby's brain during this time is in overdrive. Try to imagine for a minute what you feel like the night before a big event like going away on a vacation, or the night before your wedding. You stay up all night thinking about everything, making sure you don't forget anything. You toss and turn, and keep looking at the clock. It keeps getting later and later and no matter what you do, you can't turn off your thoughts and just fall asleep. You start to get angry which makes it even harder to fall asleep. At this point you just want to scream! The next day you are over tired, cranky and just want to crawl back into your bed. This is exactly what's going on with your baby. Your baby can't turn off the brain work. She tries to soothe herself to sleep like she always did, but that doesn't seem to work. She often wakes up crying and screaming for your help, because she can't do it on her own. Your baby becomes overtired from all of this interrupted sleep, and ends up being cranky all day long.

So what do you do?

1.) Try your best to stick to your bedtime routine to keep things consistent. You may have to make minor adjustments during a regression, but you don't want to completely change your routine, this will only confuse your little one even more.

2.) Extra comfort during this time. Extra hugs and kisses. Try your best to settle your baby.

3.) Don't let your baby cry. Respond to her need. She's telling you she's confused, tired, and doesn't know what to do with all these new ideas in her head. Respond to her, distract her, let her know it's ok and that you are there beside her, to help her through this.

4.) Pull out your bag of tricks (most of which you probably used when your baby was newborn). White noise, bouncer, binky, "lovey", whatever it takes to get your baby to sleep. You both need sleep, otherwise you will find it very difficult to make it through several week of this.

5.) Lullabies work great to calm your baby down before bed, and to slow down all that brain work. Try incorporating a few lullabies in your bedtime routine. Brianna's favorite was Baby Einstein Lullabies.

6.) Give your baby some practice time during the day to master her new skill. Let her roll around on the carpet or mat. Encourage tummy time if she's having a hard time rolling off her tummy. Help her out with crawling, with activities like these Toys for Crawling Babies.

7.) Remember a sleep regression doesn't last forever, on average 2-6 weeks. The 8 month sleep regression usually lasts the longest because of all the physical development. Keep reminding yourself that this will pass, and your life will be back to normal soon.

8.) Sometimes there's not much you can do, but just tough it out. Stay strong, don't get frustrated, and take naps during the day to be handle the rough night

I have been through this and it's not pretty. My baby went from sleeping 12 hours to suddenly waking several times a night. I was so confused and frustrated, until my Pediatrician told me about the regression. Made total sense to me once it was explained. Brianna's sleep regression only lasted 2-3 weeks. I thought to myself "I have been through months of not sleeping, I can sure handle a couple weeks". So I just cuddled her more, responded right away, and even gave her extra feedings. I was so afraid that the extra feedings would be a major set back. I thought I would have to start sleep training all over again, but I knew she needed it during that time. I knew that since she had already mastered the skills of falling asleep independently for several weeks, she would go back to that once the regression was over. And guess what? That's exactly what happened. Once she worked out whatever she was working on in her little noggin, she immediately went back to sleeping 12 hours a night.

I look at a sleep regression like when you first bring your baby home from the hospital. Anything goes at that point, anything she needs you provide. No set rules. So that the both of you get some sleep, otherwise you will slowly start to lose your sanity. Don't be afraid that you are going to have to start sleep training all over. Like I said, once your baby already has those skills, the most that you will have to do is remind her, not start all over. However, keep in mind that a baby has to have those skills of independent sleep and good sleep habits in place to be able to return to that after a regression. If a baby was always a bad sleeper, or always needed rocking, feeding, and other props to sleep, this usually tends to get worse during and after a regression. In this case your baby will need some help to get on the right track...

Sleep Training During a Regression

Sleep regressions are tricky and many times parents offer extra feedings, rocking, and soothing, just to get through this dreaded regression. Some babies become reliant on this extra help, especially babies that didn't sleep that well to begin with. There's no need to put off sleep training during a regression. As a matter of fact sleep training will actually help your baby breeze right through a regression. You just have to consider the developmental milestones your baby is going through, so that you can respond appropriately to the wakings. As a sleep consultant, that is exactly what I help parents with. If you are having trouble getting your little one to sleep well, and don't know how to handle your baby's sleep troubles during a regression, I would be glad to help! You can definitely get your baby to sleep well, even during a regression. View the Sleep Consultation Page-->.

How to Get Baby to Sleep While Out: Traveling, Trips, and Vacation Tips

2014-12-01T13:46:00.000-05:00

Wondering how to get your baby to sleep while out and away from home? I get this question a lot during springtime and early summer. Getting a baby to nap during outings, trips, and vacation can be nerve wrecking. With the warm weather and summer approaching everyone wants to know how to take their baby out without constantly worrying about their sleep. It's actually pretty simple, this dilemma can be solved in two easy steps.

First, teach your baby independent sleep. A baby that is "sleep trained" and is able to fall asleep on their own, will be able to do it just about anywhere. It's one of the best parts of sleep training. Learn how to how to do that with your baby in this article about "Teaching Your Baby to Self Settle"

Second, bring something familiar from home that your baby associates with going to sleep. A favorite blanket, stuffed animal, some white noise on your iPhone. Anything that reminds your baby of sleep. Here's my little one, napping while out. She's cuddled next to my nursing cover with her dolly.

If you are vacationing away from home, bring a pack n play. I always recommend that a baby has their own sleep space even while away from home. If you don't bed share at home, there's no reason to start that habit while on vacation. And that goes for bedtime routine. If you don't nurse or rock your baby to sleep at home, don't start. Follow the same bedtime routine you have at home. It may take a little bit more effort to get your baby to sleep in a new environment, but the effort is worth it when compared to the work you will have to do to break a new habit that was formed while vacationing.

Getting a baby to sleep while away from home does not have to be a headache and constant worry. Having your baby to fall asleep easily and peacefully while still enjoying yourself during the warm weather is just one of the benefits of teaching your baby independent sleep. If your not sure where to get started. I would be glad to help you with the whole process. Have you considered one of my Sleep Consultation Packages?

Baby Sleep Tips: Frequently Asked Questions

2014-11-03T11:29:00.000-05:00

How can I get my baby to sleep through the night?
Everyone always wants to know how to to get their baby to sleep through the night. I wish I had a simple answer and a quick fix, but this is an extensive topic. Here are a few of my articles that will guide you in the right direction.

Sleep Training: The Basics
Sleeping Through the Night: My Secrets Revealed

When do babies sleep through the night?
Every baby is different, but most experts say anywhere between 3-6 months a baby is capable of sleeping an 8-12 hour stretch. Read more about that HERE

What age can I start sleep training my baby?
There are some components you can start within the first weeks of birth, while others you will have to wait to implement. Here's a great article When Should I Start Sleep Training?.

Does sleep training mean cry it out?
Absolutely not! There are many different methods of sleep training. These phrases should not be used interchangeably. Here are some no cry sleep solutions

Why is my baby waking so often at night?
Newborns wake frequently because they need nutrition, this is normal. If your baby is older and still waking often during the night. Here are the Most Common Reasons Babies Wake Up at Night.

How can I eliminate unnecessary night time wakings?
The best way to eliminate unnecessary wakings is by teaching your baby how to fall asleep on his/her own. However a baby goes to sleep is how he/she will expect to fall back asleep when they wake in the middle of the night. So if you nurse or rock to sleep, you can expect that your baby will cry for you to do the same when he/she wakes up in the middle of the night. Here is my article on How Do I Teach My Baby to Self Soothe?.

What if I have tried everything on your site and still can't get my baby to sleep through the night?
Some babies take a little bit longer to sleep train, because of their personality, temperament, or just because parents need a step by step process to help their baby. Because of this, I offer Personal Email Consultations. Your Consultation will include a step by step plan, along with email support from me each night, so that you know exactly what to do. I offer a variety of options, take a look at my Baby Sleep Consultation Packages. You can also see what others are saying about my services on my Testimonials Page.

Sleep Training Myths

2014-10-02T21:55:00.000-04:00

I have been around the sleeping training world for quite some time now. I've seen controversial threads about sleep training on baby forums, read misleading articles on the web, and have seen false advice being dispersed by so called "experts". Heck, I've recently read a blog post that warns parents not to sleep train because "it's dangerous, it doesn't work, and you risk losing your baby's trust", among other crazy things. The author of this particular post goes on to say that it's not fair to leave your child alone to cry in a dark room….wait a minute….who said sleep training means you have to leave your child alone to cry!?! Did the author just confuse cry it out with the term sleep training?? Oh boy….I've got a lot of work to do. I'm pretty sure it was that exact article that sparked me to write this, so that I can clear up any misinformation that is being given to parents. Either that, or the comment on the BabyCenter by one mom who said "training is for dogs"

So let's do this! Let's talk about all the myths, misconceptions, and false information that's confusing the heck out of parents. Here are the craziest sleep training myths I have come across thus far.

Sleep training is the same thing as cry it out

No, no, no…. and NO! Sleep training is not synonymous with cry it out. Sleep training is the process of helping your baby get to sleep and stay asleep. In other words, when you are sleep training you are simply teaching your baby good sleep habits so that your baby can easily fall asleep, and sleep well at night. How you do that is entirely up to you, but it does not have to be by leaving your baby alone in the dark to cry her little head off. So you wonder, "Why on earth did people start confusing cry it out, with sleep training?" Well, for a long time, the only way people knew to get their baby to sleep through the night, was by letting them cry it out or what's referred to as "Ferberizing". I want parents to be clear on this, cry it out is just one of many sleep training techniques. I "sleep trained" my babies using techniques that didn't involve leaving them alone to cry. So the next time your friends talk about sleep training and cry it out in the same sentence, inform them…sleep training is not the same thing as cry it out. Here are some No Tears Methods of Sleep Training.

Training is for dogs, not for babies

Ummm….what!?! I think the word "training" is what really gets people's panties up in a bunch. I agree, it's not a great term to use for a sweet little baby. When you think of training, you think of training a dog. If you don't want to view it as such, then think of it as coaching, teaching, or guiding your baby to sleep. Whatever term you use, won't change the fact that if your baby is having sleep troubles, some sort of training, coaching, or teaching will need to be implemented. As humans we are born to learn skills to evolve into fully functioning human beings. Think about all the skills that we as parents teach our children: How to use a sippy cup, to how to eat with a fork, how take first steps, how to use the potty, to ride a bike, to jump rope, and the list goes on. Sure, you don't have to help your child with any of that. And perhaps one day your child will learn to do these things completely on their own. But as parents, yes we are here to "train", help, teach, and guide our children with these skills. And sleep is just as important, if not most important of all things that a parent should help with. Because without good sleep, everything else will be very difficult to accomplish.

You don't have to train a baby to sleep, babies are born with the ability to do so

Yes and no. Sure a baby knows how to fall asleep from the moment they are born, but do they know how to sleep well? That depends on what you teach/guide/train your baby. During the first months of life, a baby learns certain sleep habits, routines, and create sleep associations. When you decide to sleep train, all you are doing is making sure these sleep habits are healthy and promote restful sleep. If they are not, you have to "train" your baby to have better sleep habits, so she can fall asleep peacefully and sleep well at night.

If I don't sleep train, my baby will eventually sleep through the night.

This comment is usually followed by "I don't know many college kids that are not sleeping through the night". Ok, sure. If you don't teach your baby healthy sleep habits, and don't do any sleep training, then yes, your baby will obviously eventually sleep through the night. BUT and there's a huge BUT, it can take up to 3-5 years. Two studies were conducted, one found that 84% of babies that have sleep troubles in infancy will continue to do so until that age of 3. Another study, found that some babies continue to have such troubles up until age 5. So yes, your baby will eventually learn to sleep through the night, but waiting 3-5 years for her sleep troubles to improve is a very long time to be miserable and exhausted. Not to mention what sleep deprivation does to a child's health. Also worth mentioning is that what ends up happening with some of these children, is that they finally do start sleeping longer stretches at night, but continue to have sleep troubles because they have never learned the skills of independent sleep. I have seen this over and over with my clients. Babies that don't have these skills, continue to have nap troubles, fight sleep, wake frequently during the night, and wake very early in the morning. In other words, they eventually learn how to get just the bare minimum of sleep. It's not until good sleep habits are instilled/sleep training takes place, that all of these sleep troubles improve.

Sleep training prevents closeness and interferes with the mommy/baby bond

Wait, what did you just accuse me of doing? Let's be clear here, snuggling and cuddling with my girls, is my favorite thing in the whole world. Secretly, I'm pretty sure that's why I had them. There is nothing more enjoyable than a baby draped across your chest, and snuggling up into your neck. Nothing else compares to this special closeness. I do this with my kids EVERY single night before bed. When we are done, I lay them down, and they happily and peacefully drift off to sleep. Usually within a couple minutes. And that's what sleep training does. It teaches healthy sleep habits, so that your baby knows how to fall asleep on her own, feels safe doing so, and sleeps well through the night. Sleep training has never, ever, interfered with our snuggling, or mommy and baby bond. Picking the right sleep training method is key.

Sleep training is not for every baby. My baby is different and will never learn to sleep without me

Really? That's like saying my my child will never learn to walk, or use the potty. I've heard people say that, but you've got admit, it's slightly dramatic. You have to think about what you are saying. If we agree that sleep training means you are helping to teach your baby good sleep habits, then why wouldn't your baby learn these habits if you just stick to it and are consistent? Babies, human beings for that matter, are the most adaptable species on the planet for goodness sakes. It's part of who are, so that we can survive in this world. We are very moldable, teachable, and adapt easily. Especially as babies. Let's be serious, your baby will learn to fall asleep on her own, and sleep well through the night. Just like she will learn anything else you as a parent will have to teach her throughout her life. What I think ends up happening is that parent's get confused on what they are doing when it comes to sleep training because there is so much misleading information out there. Parents are not quite sure how to handle sleep training and give up quickly because it doesn't seem to be working. Sleep training can be tricky. You really do have to have a good system in place that includes an age appropriate sleep schedule, consistent bedtime routine, putting your baby down awake, responding appropriately to the wakings, and using sleep training techniques you are comfortable with. So yes, it can definitely be confusing and overwhelming! That is exactly why I created this site. If you are not sure how to tackle this, here's a great place to start Sleep Training: The Basics. There are also tons of articles in the left side bar.

So there you have it, the most absurd sleep training myths I have been exposed to. If you have heard some silly ones, please comment below. I would love to debunk some more. It's a shame that there are parent''s out there that truly need some help when it comes to sleep training, and they are faced with loads of horrible misguided information. I too was one of those parents, and struggled badly with getting my little one to sleep. We were literally up 5-6 times a night, until she was about 8 months old and I decided enough was enough. I was exhausted, sleep deprived, and just a miserable person. I did some major research and decided that sleep training was our golden ticket. I am so glad I was able to weed out the bad information, from the good. Sleep training was the best decision I made for our family. My kids are such great sleepers. To this day, they still amaze me at how easily and peacefully they drift off to sleep. Now my only hope is to help all the sleepless parents out there, so that their babies can sleep well too...

Baby Sleep Training: No Cry Methods

2014-09-03T01:00:00.002-04:00

Everyone always thinks that baby sleep training has to involve letting your baby cry it out. The truth is, you don't have to let your baby cry her little head off, to get her to start sleeping through the night. I'm going to introduce some gentle sleep training methods and techniques that don't involve leaving your baby to cry. I like to call these methods no cry sleep solutions. Forget what other moms are saying on baby forums, no cry sleep training is possible! Here are my top baby sleep training methods.

Womb-Like Environment

This is something that works great for very young babies (0-2 months). This is not really a method, but it's an important aspect because it helps a baby feel secure, which makes falling asleep much easier. A "womb-like" feel, is all some babies may need to sleep well. So here are some ideas to achieve this. Always keep safety in mind.

Swaddle your young baby nice and snug, a HALO SleepSack works great for this. For older babies that are rolling, a sleep sack works well.

Slightly elevate the head of the bassinet, co-sleeper, or crib. Your baby didn't sleep flat in your belly, don't think she's going to love sleeping flat in her crib. You can use folded towels under the mattress. If you have a co-sleeper, you can take off one set of the leg blocks. Just a slight incline will do. Again keep safety in mind, you don't want your baby sliding down.

Turn on some womb sounds or white noise. Babies love white noise!

For newborns, place a rolled up receiving blanket on each side of the body (armpit level), which makes your baby feel as if you are holding her. Since I am a strong advocate of the SIDS campaign and believe a bare crib is best, this is only appropriate for newborns because they don't yet wiggle enough, where this can pose a danger. And I would only implement this during the day when you have a close eye on your baby.

You can view some of my favorite baby sleep products here--->

Pick Up Put Down (PUPD)
This is a gentle sleep training method made popular by Tracy Hogg. It involves you picking up your baby when she cries, comforting her, and putting her back down when she calms down. You do this over and over until your baby falls asleep. I know what your thinking, this sounds exhausting. And it can be, but eventually your baby learns that when she cries, you are right there to comfort her. She learns that you won't desert her when she cries for you, and she will feel safe to fall asleep on her own.

Shush/Pat
This is a great gentle sleep training technique. This technique is used to calm your baby down when she is crying. For an "easy" baby, you can use this method alone. For a more difficult baby, you may want to use this in combination with another method. But the general idea is that, you make a shushing noise which mimics the sound of your womb and acts as white noise for your baby. You can also pat your baby, or leave your hand on her back. This lets her know, you are there and you are not leaving. This works great when you don't want to pick your baby up from the crib, to give her a chance to calm down, and learn to self settle.

Getting Rid of "Sleep Props"
With this method the idea is that you eliminate "sleep props" or sleep associations that cause your baby to wake multiple times at night. However a baby falls asleep, is how she will expect to fall back asleep when she wakes up in the middle of the night. So if your baby nurses to sleep, she will want to be nursed back to sleep, even if she is not hungry. Since babies have shorter sleep-wake cycles than adults, they wake up many times at night wanting to be put back to sleep by that particular "sleep prop". Teaching your baby to fall asleep on her own is key.

Drowsy but Awake
A baby that falls asleep in your arms and wakes up in her crib becomes very alarmed. Just as you would if you fell asleep in your bed and woke up in your back yard. So with this method, you lay your baby down "drowsy" or very sleepy, but making sure she is still awake. This does two things. First, it gives your baby the opportunity to self soothe and fall asleep on her own without any "props". Second, it allows her to fall asleep in her crib so that she doesn't get alarmed when she wakes up in the middle of the night. For babies that have been nursed or rocked to sleep, this is obviously not going to be as easy as just laying them down. You are probably going to have to use one of the methods above in combination. PUPD is a good one to add to this.

All of these gentle, no tears sleep training methods take some time, commitment, and consistency. It's obviously alot easier to close the door and just let your baby cry. I don't know about you, but I would much rather put in some work, than leave my child alone to cry her head off until she falls asleep. Bedtime should be a relaxing, calm, and cozy opportunity for you and your child to connect. Not a dreaded, all out crying disaster.

I have had great success teaching my baby to sleep using very gentle, no tears sleep training techniques/methods. My first baby was a very stubborn, strong-willed little girl. I thought it would be impossible to get her to sleep through the night when she was already 9 months old and still waking every 2 hours. Her habits were so set, on top of her strong personality. She insisted on being held, nursed, or rocked back to sleep. I used a no cry sleep training approach and within a week she was falling asleep on her own and sleeping through the night. And now I use my techniques to help clients all over the world!

Gentle Sleep Training

It's not an easy process, responding appropriately to your baby's wakings is extremely important. Also, every baby is different. So what may work for one baby, may not work for the next. Age too, plays a huge part in the process. You can't expect a 3 month old to respond, the same way a 9 month old will. Some techniques are appropriate for younger babies, but will not work for older babies, or vice versa. I learned that helping your baby sleep, is more than just reading about a few techniques on the web, and trying them out. There are many different components to consider, and it's a process. If you don't consider your baby's age, development, or temperament, you can use the PUPD technique till your arms fall off and your baby still won't sleep. For that reason, I offer customized sleep plans and consultations to help parents with the entire process. I offer tons of advice on my site, but after numerous of emails, I realized that everyone's situation is very unique. So if your baby is still not sleeping well, I would be glad to help! Please take a look at my Baby Sleep Consultation Packages or see what others are saying about how I have helped them on the Testimonials Page.

Cry it out is not the only option, no cry sleep training is possible!!!

Most Common Reasons Babies Wake Up at Night

2014-09-03T01:00:00.001-04:00

Sleep Props

The use of props to help a baby fall asleep, is the number one reason a sleeping baby wakes up at night. Here are some common props or sleep associations:

Bottle or breastfeeding/nursing to sleep
Rocking to sleep
Swinging to sleep
Movement in a carseat or stroller
Even the *pacifier if your baby is dependent on it
Holding to sleep/sleeping on parent

If your baby relies on any of the above to fall asleep, and needs them when she wakes up at night, then it is considered a prop or sleep association. Your baby will most likely continue waking throughout the night and not be able to soothe back to sleep, without that particular prop. Also, if your baby wakes up crying or if your baby wakes up screaming, this is a good sign that your baby has become dependent on sleep props. To encourage good sleep habits, your baby should be laid down to sleep awake, without any props. This goes for bedtime and during the night. Laying your baby down without any props will help your baby learn to soothe herself, so that she is not so reliant on you to sleep well. This is obviously a lot easier said, than done. I specialize in this. Here's how I can help -->.

My first baby, Brianna, used the sheets to self soothe. She would rub her face up against the sheets, side to side, until she fell asleep. When she got older she would sway her hand across the sheets back and forth. The texture of the sheet helped her self soothe until she fell asleep. That would never cross my mind as soothing, but that's exactly what she did. We even bought her these Velour sheets, which she absolutely loved. Of course the sheets weren't the reason she started sleeping through the night. I had to also incorporate some Gentle Sleep Training to eliminate all of the bad sleep habits I instilled, but I just wanted to give you an example of how simple self soothing can be. There are many ways that a baby can find to self settle, you just have to give her the opportunity to do so. If she is already reliant on sleep props, this may take some sleep training to resolve. And don't worry, that doesn't mean you have to leave your baby to cry it out. There are many gentler ways.

By teaching your baby to fall asleep on her own, and getting rid of sleep props, you will solve most, if not all of your baby's sleep troubles. I am not suggesting, by any means, to use any harsh methods of sleep training to achieve this. As a matter of fact you want to do everything you can, to comfort your baby before bed. Kisses, hugs, and cuddling, is the best part of our bedtime routine! Of course you want to make your baby feels safe, secure, and loved before bedtime. Just don't let the sleep props be the reason your baby falls asleep.

* A side note on the use of the pacifier. I encourage the use of a pacifier because it has been shown to reduce the risk of SIDS. However, if your baby keeps waking up and crying in the middle of the night because the pacifier fell out, and you need to keep putting it back in, then you might want to evaluate if you really want to use it. This is a personal choice, one you will have to make weighing your pros and cons. I thought Brianna was reliant on the pacifier, then I put her to the test. I took the binky away, and let her fall asleep without it for a few nights, and she didn't cry for it. So I knew she wasn't relying on it. She fell asleep with it, but didn't care when it fell out. So I decided to keep it. I think I would of kept it either way, at least for the first few months. Tell a nurse something reduces SIDS, and she's not going to think twice.

Circadian Rhythm

It's also known as our biological clock. It's a 24 hour pattern of biological activities that occur in our body. The sleep-wake cycle is part of that circadian rhythm. As part of sleep-wake cycle our body releases certain hormones during night time to help us fall asleep. It also releases daytime hormones to help us wake up. Babies are born with an under developed circadian rhythm. That's why when you bring your baby home from the hospital, he or she sleeps during the day, and is awake at night. Also, don't forget throughout your pregnancy, your baby was rocked to sleep during the day by your movements. That's why you felt her movements at night when she was awake. So what can you do to help your little night owl? Just keep your baby on a regular feeding cycle. Keep the blinds open, turn on the t.v or radio, and just go about your day as you normally would to help create an association with daytime. Then at night, obviously you do the exact opposite. Quiet all noise, turn down the lights, and establish your bedtime routine. Be patient, it can take some babies up to 8 weeks to know the difference between day and night. To complicate things even more, melatonin (the sleep hormone) is not produced until a baby is about 2-3 months old. So don't get discouraged, it takes a while for a baby to settle into this world.

Startle Reflex

Also known as the Moro reflex, is a normal infantile reflex. When some stimulus causes your baby to startle, the legs flex and the arms stretch out. This stimulus can be a loud noise, an unexpected touch, or a bad dream. This reflex lasts only a few seconds, but can wake a sleeping baby. Some babies can drift right back to sleep, while others will completely wake up. This reflex usually diminishes by 4 months of age. Until then, the Swaddle Sleep Sack is great. Those nifty velcro patches were intended to keep your baby's arms inside, and prevent awakening from the startle reflex. I watched Brianna, completely wake up from the startle reflex over and over. Her arms would fan out and within seconds, she was completely awake! That's when I decided to put her in the Swaddle Sack. It helped so much and she slept so much better.

Temperature

At one point Brianna started waking more frequently for a few days in a row, right at the start of winter. I noticed her little hands and feet were cold. Now it's pretty warm in our house. As a matter of fact, I slept in shorts and a tank top. Apparently it wasn't warm enough for Brianna. I had to adjust the temperature for her. When I did, she was back to her normal sleep schedule. The same thing happened in the summer when it got really warm out. At this point she was sleeping through the night, and she started waking up a for a few nights. That's when I realized it was too warm for her. It was only April, I never turn on the air condition this early! I had to put a low fan setting on the A.C. and that kept her comfortable. Babies are picky about the right temperature. We naturally regulated their temperatures for them, while they were in utero. Out here, it's a bit more difficult to get that temperature just right.

Hunger

Ok this may sound self explanatory, but it's not. You may Think your baby is hungry, but she may not be. Here are some clues that your baby is waking up at night because she is truly hungry:

1. She's wakes up whining at first, then transitions into a louder and louder cry. If your baby wakes up hysterical, she's probably waking up because she's scared or confused, not because she's immediately hungry. Babies will wake up screaming if they fell asleep in your arms, and didn't go to sleep on their own. They wake up alarmed, wondering where they are, and where you disappeared. Sort of like you would if you fell asleep in your warm bed, but woke up in your backyard. That's how alarming it is for a baby, and that's why your baby wakes up screaming.

2. Your baby is waking up consistent with her daytime feeding schedule. Meaning if she's eating every 3 hours during the day, she will probably do the same at night. Especially if she is young. A young baby may only be able to make it 3-4hrs at night. If your baby is older, her consistent wakings may be purely out of habit, refer to the habit section below.

3. She only wakes for one feeding. If your baby is only waking for one feeding, and goes right back to sleep, she is most likely hungry and still needs that feeding. If your baby is waking up multiple times a night, chances are she is just comfort feeding. (Unless she is really young of course)

4. When your baby is eating, you hear loud, audible swallows. What I mean is, she is not just playing around, suckling a little here, a little there. She is truly drinking and actively eating. Some babies wake up from a sleep cycle, and just want to be soothed back to sleep, and the bottle or breast is obviously going to do the trick. Brianna was infamous for this. She would wake up, suckle a little, and fall right asleep on me. I would slip her into bed and half hour to an 1 hour later, she did it again. She wasn't hungry, she was using me as a soother! And this went on for months. It wasn't until she was 8 months old, when I learned about sleep props, and that she was actually only comfort nursing.

5. Your baby stays awake during the entire feeding, and usually drinks a large bottle or feeds from both breasts. A baby wouldn't be able to eat that much, if she was not hungry. It is possible that your baby is eating a large amount out of habit, or simply because it's offered and she knows it's an easy way to fall back asleep. If your baby is comfort feeding while her stomach is full, she will eat a little bit and fall asleep on the bottle or breast. So it can be very tricky. You have to really be in-tune with your baby's hunger cues. I can also help with this, more on that below.

6. Here's the biggie, your baby falls asleep after you place her back in the crib awake! Now only a content baby could do that. If you fulfilled her need for calories because she was hungry, and she falls asleep knowing that she is back in her crib, then she was most likely hungry. Otherwise she would put up a fight and stay awake.

Out of Habit
Many babies wake several times a night, and even just once or twice a night, simply out of habit. If they get a feeding or sleep prop at the exact same time each night, their body's internal clock gets set to wake at that time each night. This is often the most complicated reason for a waking, because parent's get confused about what's going on. They start to wonder is my baby really hungry? Is my baby relying on me for comfort? Or is my baby just simply waking out of habit? And how do I stop the wakings? This can be difficult to resolve on your own. I help parents with this dilemma on a daily basis and would be glad to help. If you are having a hard time getting your baby to sleep, because your confused about what's going on and how to fix it, please consider one of my Baby Sleep Consultation Packages. I will take an in depth look into your baby's sleep situation, create a customized sleep plan, and help you through the entire process of helping your baby sleep well.

Growth Spurt

We all heard about this right? Your baby grows at a rapid rate and needs to eat more. Common growth spurts are 7-10 days, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 9 months. Give or take a little, they are not exact. Brianna must of hit every single one of these. She was on a great sleep schedule, then all of the sudden started waking frequently. I knew it was only a growth spurt, because it only lasted 3-4 days. After a while, I loved growth spurts. Because at the end of each growth spurt, she would get right back on her sleep schedule, and even slept a little bit longer. My recommendation, just feed on demand during a growth spurt. If you are breastfeeding, don't worry about your supply being low. Your supply will actually increase to meet the demand of your baby. I always thought it was cool how that works. Don't forget to drink extra fluids. You are going to be thirsty from all the feedings. And if you are bottle feeding, your partner can help with the extra feedings. Growth spurts can be exhausting but thankfully they don't last long.

New Developmental Skill

Your baby learned how to kick, roll, sit or stand and now they want to do it all night. Sound familiar? You can't stop a baby from exploring her new skills. For younger babies, the Swaddle Sack is great. You can use it up until your baby starts to roll. It keeps their little arms and legs inside. At first I wasn't very fond of using the Swaddle Sack. I felt like I was restraining my baby. After a few uses, I realized it was really helping her. By using a good swaddle, you are keeping your baby snug, and preventing her from even getting the idea of kicking or swinging her arms. At first I was swaddling Brianna in a regular receiving blanket. It didn't take long for her to slip out of there. As soon as an arm or leg broke loose, she fully woke up to further experiment. With the Swaddle Sleep Sack, that never even crossed her mind because her arms and legs never came out of it. She slept so soundly in it. As you can tell, I really love swaddle sacks! And don't forget lots of playtime on the mat during the day. This helps your baby practice her new skills, so she's less likely to practice at bedtime and during the night

Teething

For some babies teething can feel like an itch, and for others it can be very painful. But either way, it's annoying and can keep a baby up all night. 6 months is the average time a baby cuts her first tooth, but it can happen way earlier, or later. Bottom line, you will have to find some way to ease the pain. Talk to to your doctor about some options. There's no reason to hold off on helping your baby sleep well because of teething.

Light

Is there any light coming in the room? Perhaps it's a full moon, or your neighbor just bought a new garage light. Lights can really bother a sleeping baby, because they disrupt the sleep-wake cycle. Illumination suppresses Melatonin, the hormone that helps your baby sleep. If you suspect light to be waking your baby, I recommend room darkening or black out shades like these Blackout EZ blinds. Before we put Brianna in her own room, she slept 2 hours later in our bedroom which had the room darkening shades. I learned that she's one of those babies that wakes as soon as there's any tiny bit of light coming through. Blackout shades are great, they keep the bright sunlight out, and most of them block out 95-99% of light.

Some babies are just more sensitive than others. Studies show that even a small amount of light can prevent us from going to sleep and staying asleep. You may have to get rid of the cute nightlight you registered for, or cover up the light on the smoke detector. I actually had to cover the green light coming from the baby monitor camera. I just stuck a piece of black tape on the light. I caught Brianna staring at it the first few nights we installed it, it was preventing her from falling asleep. It was such a tiny pin size light, but it still bothered her. Some babies won't even give you any clues that a light is bothering them. Instead they will just have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep.

The Blackout EZ blinds are by far the best blackout blinds on the market. Trust me, I have tried at least 10 different brands! These block out 100% of light, no sneaking in of light on the sides like other curtains, blinds, or panels. You don't need hardware to install them, and can still use them with your cute nursery drapery. Not to mention they work much better, and are cheaper than the typical blackout blinds or panels. And they come in different colors too. They are amazing! You can find them here--->

Illness
It should be no surprise that a baby that is sick, is now waking in the middle of the night. Whether it's a cold, stomach bug, or just a fever, your baby will have a hard time sleeping due to the discomfort. Stuffy noses cause mouth breathing, and mouth breathing causes dry mouth, which in turn makes your baby wake more frequently. Fevers are also very uncomfortable, even for us adults, so think about what it does to our babies who can't communicate their needs very well. During this time, try your best to soothe your baby, but you may just have to deal with a few rough nights.

So there you have it, the most common reasons a baby wakes up at night!

I am available for personal help.

Sometimes figuring out why your baby is waking up so often and finding a solution to stop the wakings, requires some help. For that reason, I offer personal consultations. The consultation comes with a step by step sleep plan that I create for your baby, and help with the entire process, so that your baby can start sleeping through the night. If you need help getting your baby to sleep, please take a look at my Consultation Packages, or see what others are saying about how I have helped them on the Testimonials Page.

Sleep Sense Program Review

2014-08-23T21:52:00.000-04:00

Sleep, Baby, Sleep's Review of the Sleep Sense Program

When your baby keeps you up all night long and you can’t get more than two or three hours of shut-eye at a time, it can feel like your whole world is falling apart. You’re exhausted. You can’t think straight. Your nerves are completely frayed. In other words, you’re not exactly at your parenting best. And your child isn’t at his or her best either. When babies and children don’t get a full night’s rest, everything is harder for them. They are fussy and cranky all day. They don’t eat right. Learning basic skills is more challenging. Sleep deprivation starts to take a toll on the whole family. I know I have been there!

I used to have a lot of trouble getting Brianna to sleep well at night. For months, she’d go to bed really late, then wake me up four or five times a night, demanding to be fed, rocked, or just held back to sleep. It was a nightmare! I love her to pieces, but she was cranky and always tired. I was sleep-deprived and exhausted! And it wasn't getting any better either, this lasted almost a year! I knew something had to be done. Through the midst of all my crazy research on how to get her to sleep through the night, I came across the Sleep Sense site. It's owned by Dana Obleman a professional sleep coach who created the Sleep Sense Program. I started reading and a lot of the things she was saying, described to a T what was going on with Brianna. So I immediately took the free customized sleep assessment . I have to be honest, at first I was a little bit weary about this site, and the way it is advertised, sort of "sales pitch" style. But I am so glad I tried her methods. The first night it took Brianna 1 hour to fall asleep on her own, by the 3rd night we were down to 5 minutes. Brianna was a very stubborn and strong-willed 8 month old, with many sleep associations. Dana's methods worked wonders for our family. She uses a very gentle and effective approach. If you have been reading my blog you know I'm totally against CIO. It was really hard to trust any program guaranteeing my baby to sleep through the night, but I was confident that at least this one would give me my money back if my baby didn't. I could not believe that within a week my baby who was waking every 1-2 hours, was falling asleep on her own and sleeping through the night. Needless to say…we didn't need our money back:)

Before I even purchased the program, I became a fan on Dana's Facebook page and saw a lot of really great comments about her sleep training methods. Those are real people on there and real comments, no marketing and no gimmicks. Each day I read testimonials and success stories, and saw that she’s obviously helped a huge number of families! These families were a real inspiration and the reason I decided to give the Sleep Sense a try.

I see nothing but great things being said about this program and Dana Obleman herself. She's helped so many people with a success rate in the 90's in getting babies to sleep through the night.

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Here is a comment a Father...yes a Father, posted on her page. It's kind of long but I just had to share.

"Not sure if this is a real email address or not, but I wanted to send a response. My wife and I have been struggling with our 5-month old to sleep (naps and at night) since we brought her home. She rarely slept more than an hour at a time at night and rarely napped for more than 30 minutes during the day. We have been suffering from sleep deprivation for many weeks, and although I think we inherently knew we were doing something wrong, we were simply too tired to think straight.

I signed up for your program yesterday morning after a HORRIBLE sleepless night and forwarded the user and password information to my wife at home. She began reading the material almost immediately and called me in tears saying how many mistakes we've committed and bad habits we've instilled in our daughter. The way you laid it out really made sense to us and gave us hope from the very beginning. We read the material together aloud yesterday evening and put the bedtime routine into action last night.

Abigail slept for 12 straight hours: from 7:30 pm to 7:30 am. We woke to my alarm in stunned disbelief. We look forward to daytime naps that will allow us to exercise, clean house, or even relax. We are craving the adult time we can enjoy by putting her to bed earlier and going out for dinner together. But most importantly, we look forward to the happy, giggly times lasting longer and knowing that our daughter is getting her proper rest. As parents, we can tell that she has been WANTING to sleep and was getting frustrated that she COULDN'T!! She didn't know how, and you're helping us teach her.

Your program is not rocket science. The principles are simple and straightforward--as were reading we kept saying "that makes total sense." The value in your program is the way you lay it out, the plain language you use to describe your ideas, and the kind way you point out the mistakes we're making. Thank you very much for making your product available...what a difference a day can make.

This morning, I drank a cup of coffee because I like the taste...not because I needed it to stay awake on the drive to work.

May God watch over you and bless you and your family."

Jonathan and Patricia

And here is a recent email from a Sleep, Baby, Sleep reader:

"Violet,

I am near tears of joy as I write this to you. Thank you SO much for your blog AND for recommending Sleep Sense. I've resorted to your blog since our daughter was born in January of 2014. I found it immediately spoke to my "mama gut" in a way that was realistic. You never recommend the impossible. Along those same lines, after our daughter was sick for nearly a month...followed by an allergic reaction to antibiotics...her sleep schedule was unmanageable. I purchased Sleep Sense. We are on night two (it is as I write this) and Norah has been asleep since last night. I am so grateful for what this means for her development and our family's happiness. We are still working on longer naps, but this step feels incredible. Thank you so much. Please keep writing! I read every word.

-Best, Jenni Frizzell-Fuller (and family) "

This type of feedback is exactly why I recommend the Sleep Sense Program, many other books and programs just don't compare. Trust me I have read them all:) Most of the other books or programs, give you tons of tips, but no definite plan. This is exactly what the Sleep Sense does. It gives you a step by step plan for each night, and a clear explanation as to why you are doing what you are doing. This is why I believe so many people have been successful with it. If you are going the route of a sleep program/guide, then this is definitely the one. The Sleep Sense also has videos and support available in the form of different prices packages. Do yourself a favor and get the extra perks. They are so worth it!

The Sleep Sense PDF is now available for immediate download so you don't have to wait to start.

One On One Help Available Now!

Are you having trouble getting your baby to sleep? Violet Giannone of Sleep, Baby, Sleep is a Registered Nurse and Baby Sleep Consultant who offers personal consultations to guide you and answer all of your baby sleep questions to ensure that your little one is getting the sleep that a growing baby needs. Believing there is no "one size fits all" advice for helping a baby sleep, she offers personal sleep plans and consultations that take into consideration your baby's age, sleep history, temperament, and individual circumstances. If you are ready to start helping your baby finally sleep through the night, Violet can help!

Get started right now!

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