The joy of becoming a parent is one of the most beautiful emotions you’ll ever feel. And while the feeling of fulfillment keeps growing as you’re getting more connected with your baby, you’ll soon see the other side of the medal – parenting requires a lot of sacrifices. One of the first checkpoints of how ready you really are to make this sacrifice is the issue of sleep. Some babies are tight sleepers, others have a light sleep, but most babies wake up a few times during the night. Here’s what
baby bedtime
Early Bedtime vs. Late Bedtime For Babies and Toddlers: Which Is Best?
Bedtime is a big deal, parents....as you probably know, bedtime can really set the tone for how the rest of your night will go! A peaceful bedtime routine - one that induces sleep and allows your child to fall asleep without your help - is a great way to encourage sleeping through the night. The timing of your baby or toddler's bedtime matters too, of course. We've shared recommended baby and toddler bedtimes by age in this cool printable chart, but we still hear often from parents who
Bedtime: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know
Bedtime - depending on your situation, this word either sounds like music to your ears or sends a shiver down your spine! Most of us know from experience just how tough bedtime can be. Far from a calm, gentle wind-down before sleep, for some families, bedtime is alternately a battle of wills, a scream-fest, a marathon hours-long affair, or an eternal game of whack-a-mole in which you're constantly fetching glasses of water and making trips to the potty. So how do we get from nightmare
QUICK SLEEP TIP: When To Try A Rigid Bedtime Routine
The word 'rigid' tends to have pretty negative connotations, doesn't it? A rigid routine, for example, seems so inflexible, so set in stone, so...well, so rigid! We get that, and we never direct our consultation clients to adopt rigid schedules and routines if they just aren't comfortable with that. That said, though, there are times when we encourage parents to try adopting more rigid sleep schedules and routines - specifically, more rigid bedtime routines. Read on to learn why!
Baby and Toddler Bedtimes By Age – An Easy Reference Chart from The Baby Sleep Site®
We've written before about how important it is to have a consistent bedtime for your baby or toddler. That, plus a good bedtime routine, is generally the first step in working towards sleeping through the night, and towards creating a predictable daily sleep and feeding schedule. But what are the best bedtimes by age, exactly? A bedtime that's too early may result in early-morning waking and short naps, but a too-late bedtime may make your baby overtired, which can lead to a whole host of
Should You Keep Your Baby or Toddler Up Late For Special Events?
Holiday merriment approaches, readers! However you celebrate the holidays, I hope you have lots of holiday fun in store in the coming weeks. Speaking of holiday fun -- have you ever found yourself simultaneously blessing and cursing the holiday plans you've made? There's lots to enjoy this time of year, between the parties and the dinners and the special events. But all that enjoyment also tends to mean wacky schedules for your little ones - especially when the fun leads to late bedtimes.
Is There a “Perfect” Bedtime Routine?
When you have an inconsistent baby or toddler, every day is different. When that happens, it's easy to want to try to find the right "recipe" for good sleep. I remember trying to recreate exact days when my son, who inspired The Baby Sleep Site, slept well the night before or napped well. A successful bedtime routine is definitely something that is effective for many babies. In fact, if your baby is slower to adapt (i.e. not very "go with the flow") having consistency definitely helps a lot!
3 Tips to Help Your Partner Put Baby to Bed
In our work with families over the years, we’ve discovered that often, one parent handles the baby’s bedtime routine. One parent does the rocking, one parent does the reading, one parent does the tucking...you get the idea. We’ve also discovered, however, that most parents would welcome some help from their partner at bedtime! And many partners would welcome the chance to tuck their little ones in on a regular basis. After all, bedtime provides the opportunity for some quality,