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How Do 0-6 Week Olds Sleep?

Nested Bean Whether you are pregnant or just had your baby, you may be wondering how 0 to 6 week olds sleep. Will your 1-week or 2-week old sleep all day and night? Will your 3-week or 4-week old wake up a lot at night? Will your 5-week or 6-week old start sleeping in longer stretches?

Our partner in sleep, Nested Bean, has shared with you the basics of sleep for 0 to 6 week olds. In summary, here’s a little about what you can expect:

Hours and hours of sleep – just not all at once.
Bedtime? What Bedtime? – Early bedtimes don’t happen quite yet.
Don’t be startled – but your baby will be.
You’ll need help, and that’s okay.

Read more details over on the Zen blog here.

Need Newborn Sleep Help? We Have the Resources You Need!

If you are tired of wading through stacks of baby sleep books that just aren't working, if you are beyond exhausted and just can't solve your newborn's sleep problems on your own...than personalized sleep consulting is for you. Our team of expert consultants will create a Personalized Sleep Plan^® just for your family and then support you through every step of implementing your plan. We encourage you to consider our personalized, one-on-one baby and toddler sleep consultation packages if you want to see real, meaningful results now. Your consultation package also includes ample follow-up help, designed to help you troubleshoot problems and tweak your plan as needed.

For even more help getting your newborn baby to sleep, check out our e-Book, Essential Keys to Your Newborn's Sleep . At over 90 pages long (and containing a variety of sample schedules for breastfed and formula-fed babies from birth - 16 weeks), this e-Book truly is a one-stop resource designed to help your newborn establish healthy sleep habits, right from birth. Whether you're a brand new parent or an experienced parents who needs to brush up newborn sleep basics, Essential Keys To Your Newborn's Sleep is a comprehensive and budget-friendly resource that will provide the information you need to work towards excellent sleep for your whole family, from day one. Grab your copy today!

Or, join our Members Area that will grow with your family. It's packed with exclusive content and resources: e-Books, assessments, detailed case studies, expert advice, peer support, and more and actually costs less to join than buying products separately! As a member, you'll also enjoy a weekly chat with an expert sleep consultant. And the best part - members receive 20% off all sleep consultation services! This is a resource that will truly grow with your child: it'll help you through the newborn phase and prepare you for the months ahead.

Can't decide which product or service is right for you? Visit our Getting Started Page for help.

Newborn Not Sleeping? Here Are 6 Reasons Why.

By Emily DeJeu Leave a Comment

Newborn Not Sleeping

Newborns are so cute, but newborn sleep can sometimes seem downright ugly! Ask any parent of a newborn, and he or she will likely tell you that long, deep, peaceful sleep is NOT on the list of things their family is enjoying.

And that’s usually normal. Newborns aren’t supposed to sleep 8 hours straight at night; their little bodies simply aren’t designed to work that way at first. But sometimes, newborn sleeplessness can seem excessive. What do you do if your newborn seems tired, but is crying and not sleeping?

We can help! If your newborn is not sleeping, keep reading for our top tips.

Newborn Not Sleeping? It Might Just Be Normal Newborn Sleeping Patterns.

Keep in mind that, again, newborns are supposed to wake frequently to feed. Indeed, your newborn’s sleeping patterns are nothing like yours. It’s helpful to think of newborn sleep as happening in cycles: your newborn wakes, eats, perhaps has a bit of wake time, and then goes back to sleep for anywhere from 30 minutes to 2-3 hours. This sample newborn sleep and feeding schedule (for breastfeeding babies) illustrates this cyclical sleep pattern well:

9:00 AM – Wake and Feed*
10:00 AM – Nap (30-60 minutes)
11:00 AM – Wake and Feed
12:30 PM – Nap (30-60 minutes)
1:30 PM – Wake and Feed
3:30 PM – Nap (30 – 60 minutes)
4:30 PM – Wake and Feed
6:00 PM – Nap (30 – 60 minutes)
6:30 PM – Wake and Feed
7:30 PM – Catnap (20 – 30 minutes)
8:00 PM – Wake and Feed
9:30 PM – Catnap (20 – 30 minutes)
10:00 PM – Wake and Feed
11:30 PM – Feed and Bedtime*
3:30 AM – Feed and Right back to sleep
6:30 AM – Feed and Right back to sleep

Newborn Not Sleeping? These 6 Reasons May Explain Why.

So you can expect your newborn to wake often — but if your newborn seems tired and can’t fall asleep, and is instead becoming more and more upset, you no doubt want to help your newborn sleep any way you can. To do that, you’ll need to pinpoint the cause of your newborn’s distress and offer help as best you can.

These are, in our experience, the top 6 reasons why newborns who are tired sometimes struggle to fall asleep:

Your newborn is hungry.
This is the reason many of us jump to first when a newborn won’t sleep – and it may very well be the most common cause for of a newborn not sleeping. Newborns have small tummies and therefore need to eat frequently; what’s more, during a growth spurt, your newborn may feed what seems like every hour! So if your newborn seems distressed and won’t fall asleep, try offering a feeding.

Your newborn is overtired.
If hunger is the reason many parents jump to first when their newborns won’t sleep, overtiredness may be the last. But it’s true; newborns can simply become too tired to fall asleep easily. The “cure” for overtiredness is simply to watch your newborn’s sleep cues closely; as soon as your newborn starts showing signs of tiredness (by rubbing her eyes, yawning, looking away from your face, etc.), get her down for sleep quickly.

Your newborn is overstimulated.
A little stimulation is good for your newborn; during his wake time, it’s a great idea to engage him in a story, or a few simple play activities. However, too much stimulation can stress your newborn out! Newborns don’t always cope well with bright lights, loud voices, and lots of “in your face” activity. If your newborn is looking away from people and beginning to fuss, try to get your baby to a quiet area and start working towards falling asleep.

Your newborn’s moro (or “startle”) reflex is making it impossible to fall asleep.
You’ve probably observed this in your newborn before: your baby starts to fall asleep and then suddenly “startles” herself awake. Frustrating, especially if you’ve worked to get your baby drowsy enough to fall asleep in the first place! Fortunately, there’s an age-old remedy for newborns who startle themselves awake: swaddling. If you aren’t already, try swaddling your baby to help her fall asleep and stay asleep.

Your newborn is uncomfortable.
This one can be harder to pin down. If you can’t seem to figure out why else your baby may be crying instead of sleeping, look to comfort. Is your newborn’s diaper wet or dirty? Is your baby too warm or too cold? (In our experience, most people overdress their babies, so too warm is usually more likely.) Is your baby ill? These can all make it tough for your newborn to settle in and fall asleep.

Your newborn needs YOU!
It’s true, parents – sometimes, your newborn simply needs to be held and cuddled by you! Just as your newborn nourishment, warmth, shelter, and sleep, he needs YOU! If your newborn is not sleeping and seems very upset, try cuddling your newborn skin-to-skin against your chest; you’ll be amazed at how quickly and effectively this can calm your newborn.

Newborn Not Sleeping? Let The Baby Sleep Site^® Help!

Being the parent of a newborn is simultaneously the most difficult and the most wonderful thing on earth, isn’t it? But all of us at The Baby Sleep Site^® know first-hand how exhausting and overwhelming it can be to try and help your newborn sleep well. Yes, newborns are supposed to wake around the clock for feeds, but that doesn’t mean you can’t gently encourage better, deeper sleep from your baby. And we can help with that! Connect with a consultant today, and she will craft a newborn-focused Personalized Sleep Plan™ specifically for your baby, that aligns with your unique situation and challenges, and with your parenting goals.

Browse our list of consultation package options here.

Once you make your choice and purchase, you will immediately receive an e-mail with your Helpdesk login information. You’ll be able to log in and get started immediately!

Want more information about how personalized help works? Check out our FAQ page here, and get answers. You can also take a tour of the Helpdesk.

Newborn not sleeping? Ask your questions below, and we’ll answer!

Essential Keys to Your Newborn’s Sleep is THE newborn sleep book that will help you to not only improve your newborn’s sleep using gentle, sleep-inducing routines – it will also answer your feeding and newborn care questions. You can even buy a bundle package that includes the e-book AND a Personalized Sleep Plan™ PLUS a follow-up email to use for further support!

Or, join our Members Area packed with exclusive content and resources: e-Books, assessments, detailed case studies, expert advice, peer support, and more. It actually costs less to join than buying products separately! As a member, you’ll also enjoy a weekly chat with an expert sleep consultant. And the best part – members receive 20% off all sleep consultation services!

Can’t decide which product or service is right for you? Visit our Getting Started Page for help.

On Newborns and Sleeping Through The Night

By Emily DeJeu 1 Comment

For 10 months (or longer) you look forward to taking your newborn bundle of joy home. You have all the gear, the room is perfect and you’ve read all the books. And then it happens…

You get home and your darling sleeps for a few hours and is up. I don’t mean up and needs a little cuddle, I mean up and ready to party.

I remember those first few weeks with my newborn. Trying to heal from delivery, trying to do everything right and struggling with lack of sleep. My little guy was colicky and only slept one to two hours at a time. He would take hours to settle down. This lasted through my maternity leave until about the 8 month mark. His colicky cry stopped and his sleeping habits slowly improved.

How do you cope? I coped with coffee, and falling face first into my pillow as often as possible.

It seemed I was surrounded by new mothers telling me their baby slept through the night from the get-go. This was so frustrating to me. What was I doing wrong? What was wrong with my kiddo? It wasn’t until my pediatrician told me that although babies sleep A LOT during those first few months they typically don’t sleep more than 2-4 hours at a time. Typically this stretches out to 8-12 hours at night between 6-8 months of age. Although this was tough information to hear, it was comforting to know I was not alone.

So how did I get my newborn to sleep through the night? I learned that “sleeping through the night” means 2-4 hours at a time.

We’d love to connect with you about your kiddos. Check out our award winning book, It’s Really 10 Months: Delivering the truth about the glow of pregnancy and other blatant lies, or connect with us via our website.

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Benefits of Swaddling with 7 Swaddle Safety Tips (Plus a Giveaway!)

By Kimberly Leave a Comment

Today we have a guest post written by Karen Barski, BSN, RN and inventor of the Woombie Baby Swaddle. Woombie is also giving away two of their Woombie Air so be sure to read to the end to find out how you can enter to win one!

Benefits of Swaddling Your Baby

When your baby is swaddled, he or she is taken back to the days in the womb, when everything was comfortable, safe and snug.

Swaddling has a number of key benefits for both parents and babies – when done correctly and safely:

Swaddled babies sleep longer and sounder.
Swaddled babies experience less anxiety.
Swaddling prevents unnecessary wake-ups due to the startle reflex.
Swaddling eliminates the need for comfort items in baby’s crib – no pillows, bumpers, blankets, stuffed animals, etc. (using these items in crib have been linked to SIDS)
Swaddling prevent face-scratching.
Swaddling mimics touch, which is important for baby especially when they wake up at night.
Swaddling helps maintain the back sleeping position and also reminds tired parents to place baby on back to sleep.
Swaddling soothes babies with colic (again, when swaddled, they feel secure and safe just like they felt in the womb).
Swaddling in the hands-over-heart position is the preferred sleeping position for babies; in this position they learn to self-soothe and can get back to sleep on their own.
Swaddling benefits parents too — when baby sleeps more, mom and dad sleep more!

Safe Swaddling Tips

Over the last 20 years, we’ve learned how to swaddle safely. It’s safe to say we have come far from the tightly wrapped, mummy-style swaddle bands and swaddle boards! Learning to correctly swaddle baby is key to ensuring safety and effectiveness. Here are seven tips:

Do not over-swaddle – Over-swaddling or using double swaddle blankets can lead to overheating. This factor has been linked to SIDS. Signs of an overheated baby include damp hair and sweating. Today parents can use swaddles that are specifically designed to allow excess heat to escape which provides ventilation for baby.
Make sure the swaddle won’t unravel – A loose blanket can end up covering your baby’s airway.

Position baby “hands-over-heart” – In the past, it was traditional to swaddle baby’s arms at his/her sides, but this can cause joint problems and limits mobility. Place baby’s hands over the chest before wrapping, or with a swaddle sack that requires no wrapping, put baby in, place baby’s hands over chest, and zip!
Don’t swaddle too tightly – Rather than a blanket, use a specially made baby swaddle that hugs baby comfortably but allows for natural movement of the legs/hips to prevent hip issues like hip dysplasia.
Place baby on his/her back to sleep – When baby sleeps on his/her tummy he is more likely to rebreathe his own exhaled air and start to overheat, both of which can lead to SIDS. Remember: “back is best.”
Stop swaddling when baby begins to roll – When baby begins to roll, this is a good time to consult with your pediatrician or a baby sleep consultant on whether or not swaddling should be continued. Usually you want to transition baby to arms-free sleep once baby begins to roll, but some pediatricians are now saying that swaddling is safe even after baby begins to roll as long as the crib is free from all suffocation hazards such as bumpers pillows toys and blankets. When it’s time to transition, an arms-free sleep sack is a wonderful tool so baby can feel snug but with their arms free.
Don’t swaddle all day – Babies need freedom to move around and learn their bodies. Even if your little one loves being wrapped up all day, give him/her time to develop and leave the swaddling for sleep time.

Most people use swaddling during the newborn stage and begin to phase it out before six months. Some babies like being swaddled up to nine months, and that’s perfectly fine so long as you are using an arms-free sleep sack once baby begins to roll. At some point though your baby will prefer the freedom outside the swaddle and struggle to break out. Click to read more about when and how to stop swaddling.

Note: Each baby is different; some babies resist swaddling from the very beginning, although this is rare. All newborns put up a little bit of a fight, but they quickly accept the feelings of security and peace the swaddle affords them.

Written by Karen Barski, BSN, RN, Mother of five, Certified Infant Care Specialist & Instructor, & Inventor of the Woombie Baby Swaddle
Karen has been an RN for 20 years, and has worked in many different nursing roles. As a Certified Infant Care Specialist, Karen counsels thousands of families yearly on a multitude of issues relating to pregnancy and infancy. Also, as a mother of five, she has invaluable experience and tips to share especially on the subject of swaddling, child sleep, baby safety, newborns, pregnancy, and more.

Since 2007, Karen started KB Designs and is most known for inventing two swaddle brands, Woombie and Mod’Swad. Her line of signature baby swaddles have helped parents across the globe easily transition their new babies from womb to home. There are multiple designs and sizes so that babies can enjoy the comfort and security of the Woombie up until the time they begin to roll and even longer with specialty “Big Baby” swaddle sizes and “convertible” swaddles where baby’s arms come out (arms-free sleep).

Each product has been created and designed by Karen because of a need she identified in her life with her five children. With convenience, safety, and fashion in mind, KB Designs has helped over a million babies and counting!

All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. Woombie makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, current-ness, suitability, or validity of any information in this blog post and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information, or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

Giveaway

Woombie is giving away two of their Woombie Air swaddles to two lucky winners! Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below. Entries for the giveaway will be accepted today through Monday, June 1, 2015. Please note: Woombie can only ship prizes to US mailing addresses.

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2 Month Old Baby Sleep Tips

By Emily DeJeu Leave a Comment

Your little 2 month old baby is no doubt just the most adorable little being on the planet….but your 2 month old baby’s sleep may be less darling! By the time your little one is 2 months old, naps may be all over the place, and night sleep may feel like a nightmare. Plus, we find in our work with parents that by the time your baby is 2 months old, all the adrenaline that was keeping you going through the newborn phase is wearing off quickly, and exhaustion is hitting full-force.

Yeah…to call 2 months old a tricky time would be an understatement. 😉 Fortunately for you, we have tips!

2 Month Old Baby Sleep Tips: 8 Ways To Help Your 2 Month Old Sleep

Focus on the first and second naps of the day (the others may be all over the place). Nap schedule? Yeah, right…most 2 month old babies are still napping all over the place, and have little-to-no consistency in their daily feeding and nap schedules. That’s okay – it’s normal. Instead of worrying about making each and every nap a winner, just focus on the first and second naps of the day – those tend to be the most restorative. Make sure those happen at home, and that they are close to an hour.
Lots of night-waking is normal. At 2 months old, your baby’s drive to eat still trumps the drive to sleep, and this is perfectly normal. Don’t worry at all about sleeping through the night at this age – just focus on feeding your baby frequently. And take heart – night sleep will gradually start to lengthen in the next month or two.
Focus on rhythms and routines, not on the clock. This is HUGE. Most babies are in no way ready for a clock-based schedule at this age, and if you try to force one on your baby, the outcome will no doubt be disastrous (over-tired baby, anyone?) But that doesn’t mean each day needs to be chaotic and unpredictable. What you CAN do is to focus on carving out routines for your 2 month old baby. At this age, the Eat-Play-Sleep routine is a great one – feed your baby, engage her in a short activity, and then lay her down to sleep (ideally, while she’s still slightly awake). And focus on doing this routine in chunks of time, rather than by the clock – for example, aim for 3-hour blocks of time during the day, give or take 30 minutes or so.
Your 2 month old’s newfound alertness means you need optimal sleep conditions. Gone are the days when you could count on your newborn to sleep anywhere, through anything – your 2 month old baby is much more alert these days! So now, it’s key that you create a great sleep environment – keep the room dim during sleep, use soft white noise to block out ambient sound, try to avoid spending all day out and about so that your baby can catch sleep at home, in his sleep space.
The “witching hour” is definitely still ‘a thing’ for your 2 month old! If you find that your 2 month old baby is fussy in the evening, believe me, you are NOT alone – this is so common! Most newborns and young babies go through this “witching hour” fussy spell. It will start to get better soon, but for now, your best bet is to plan on lots of cuddling and feeding in the evening. Remember, this is a development spell…it’s not something to “fix”. And keep in mind, too, that many babies fuss frequently in the evening because they want to cluster feed before they go to bed for the night, so this can actually work to your advantage, if you offer frequent feeds right before bed. Many babies will follow up this spell with their longest stretch of night sleep.
You are still in the season of back-to-back-to-back growth spurts, so adjust accordingly. Speaking of fussy spells and cluster-feeding…growth spurt, anyone? Babies go through an eye-popping number of baby growth spurts in the first year of life, and guess what? One of those growth spurts happens right at 8 weeks. You may notice extra night-waking, shortened naps, and increased fussiness around this time – this is all normal. Respond by offering extra feedings as necessary. Just like the “witching hour”, this growth spurt is a perfectly normal developmental stage, and is not a problem to solve; rather, it’s a spell that you just have to wait out.
Work now on creating a strong, sleep-inducing bedtime routine. At 2 months old, your baby is still too young for formal sleep training (although you can certainly use our e-Book, Essential Keys to Your Newborn’s Sleep, to work on laying a foundation of healthy sleep habits that will make sleep coaching about a million times easier in another few months!). However, it is NEVER, EVER too early to institute a great bedtime routine! Even though your baby is too young for a fixed bedtime each night, you can definitely start working out a consistent routine now. Then, by the time your baby is ready for sleep training, you’ll already have this foundational step laid.
Work on “drowsy, but awake” at bedtime, and/or during the first nap of the day. As I mentioned earlier, your baby is too young for official sleep training at this age. However, if you want to start working on building a healthy foundation of good sleep habits now, you can slowly start to work on laying your baby down drowsy, but awake, a few times each day. You do not want to do this for every nap, and after each night waking (doing that will lead to an overtired and cranky baby!); rather, just work on drowsy but awake for one nap per day (preferably the first nap, when the drive to sleep is strong) and possibly at bedtime (again, when the drive to sleep is very powerful). Just remember not to push this – if your baby protests, it’s perfectly okay to take a step back, and try again in another week or two.

How Do 0-6 Week Olds Sleep?

Need Newborn Sleep Help? We Have the Resources You Need!

Newborn Not Sleeping? Here Are 6 Reasons Why.

Newborn Not Sleeping? It Might Just Be Normal Newborn Sleeping Patterns.

Newborn Not Sleeping? These 6 Reasons May Explain Why.

Newborn Not Sleeping? Let The Baby Sleep Site^® Help!

Newborn not sleeping? Ask your questions below, and we’ll answer!

On Newborns and Sleeping Through The Night

**Enter To Win A Copy Of It’s Really 10 Months!**

Mobile Users: Enter HERE

Benefits of Swaddling with 7 Swaddle Safety Tips (Plus a Giveaway!)

Benefits of Swaddling Your Baby

Safe Swaddling Tips

Giveaway

2 Month Old Baby Sleep Tips

2 Month Old Baby Sleep Tips: 8 Ways To Help Your 2 Month Old Sleep

Have sleep or feeding questions about your newborn? Scroll down to ask, to share tips, and to hear from parents just like you!

Need Newborn Sleep Help? We Have the Resources You Need!

As Seen In:

Need Newborn Sleep Help? We Have the Resources You Need!

Newborn Not Sleeping? It Might Just Be Normal Newborn Sleeping Patterns.

Newborn Not Sleeping? These 6 Reasons May Explain Why.

Newborn Not Sleeping? Let The Baby Sleep Site® Help!

Newborn not sleeping? Ask your questions below, and we’ll answer!

Enter To Win A Copy Of It’s Really 10 Months!

Mobile Users: Enter HERE

Benefits of Swaddling Your Baby

Safe Swaddling Tips

Giveaway

2 Month Old Baby Sleep Tips: 8 Ways To Help Your 2 Month Old Sleep

Have sleep or feeding questions about your newborn? Scroll down to ask, to share tips, and to hear from parents just like you!

Need Newborn Sleep Help? We Have the Resources You Need!

As Seen In:

Newborn Not Sleeping? Let The Baby Sleep Site^® Help!

**Enter To Win A Copy Of It’s Really 10 Months!**