Baby insomnia is when your baby is awake in the middle of the night for 2-3 hours at a time. It is sometimes called a "split night" and usually lasts for weeks or months. This post will explain why baby insomnia happens and ways you can fix the problem based on my 10+ years as a sleep consultant. What Is Baby Insomnia or a Split Night? Insomnia is usually defined as the inability to sleep when you are actively trying to sleep. This could mean that it's hard to fall asleep, hard to stay
baby waking at night
Holiday Recovery 101 – Getting Your Baby or Toddler’s Sleep Back On Track
December was a whirlwind. You shopped up a storm, performed magic in the kitchen for your houseguests, went to all of the holiday parties, and maybe you even traveled a bit. What’s left? Picking up the pieces! With the close of the holiday season comes a stark reality: "normal" life has resumed, and your family is off-schedule, tired and cranky. If you’re lucky, getting back to your normal routine will be a piece of cake, with just a little nudge. But for many of us, it will be a week or more
3 Signs It May Be Time For Night Weaning Your Baby
One of the questions we get asked a lot (via Facebook posts, consultation e-mails, and blog article comments), is "When can I wean my baby from nighttime feedings?" Understandably, most parents are eager to get back to enjoying nights of peaceful, uninterrupted sleep, but still want to make sure their baby isn't going hungry. Of course, there is no fixed schedule for night weaning; every baby is different, so every baby will be ready to wean from night feedings at different points. As we
What Does Drowsy But Awake Mean Anyway, When It Comes to Helping Your Baby Sleep?
Pick up any book about baby sleep or read any website, including this one, and the instructions are to put your baby down "drowsy but awake" in order to teach your baby how to sleep and stop waking up at night or nap longer during the day. But, what does "drowsy but awake" actually mean? Does it mean eyes closed or just relaxed? This article will paint a picture about the ideal drowsiness to help your baby or toddler sleep better. Drowsy, But Awake Definition In a perfect world, you'd
Controlled Crying, Cry It Out, No-Cry, or Soothe Baby to Sleep?
Controlled Crying. Cry it out. Don't cry it out. Soothe your baby. Co-sleep. Don't co-sleep. The advice is endless and talk to one expert, say your baby's doctor, and she will say one thing. Talk to another one and he might say do the opposite. Read this book or that book and it's likely to say yet another thing. This week I was quoted as one of three experts in Hudson Valley Parent in an article called Let Them Cry or Rock-a-Bye. One of my quotes reiterates how I believe all families and
When Will Your Baby Sleep Through the Night?
Most new parents comment on the sleep deprivation that goes along with having a newborn baby. As a sleep consultant for over 10 years, a common question is when do babies start sleeping through the night? The short answer is babies start sleeping through the night more regularly around 6 months old. Some formula-fed babies will sleep through the night as early as 4 to 6 months old while some breastfed babies will sleep through the night around 6 to 9 months old. This article will share more
