Nap times go awry when we miss our “sleep window” — that magic snippet of time in which baby is primed for "la la land" and will drift off peacefully (in the right environment). Perhaps you’ve seen your baby’s sleep window open — a glazed look, a yawn, or some agitated movements (depending on age) — but by the time you finished that bite of food, changed the diaper, and swaddled, that window had slammed shut on you! One missed window can set in motion a vicious cycle of overtiredness, short naps
getting baby to sleep
Should You Let Your Baby Cry It Out?
When parents contact the Baby Sleep Site for the first time, they often say the same thing: "Are you going to tell me I have to let my baby cry? Because I can't handle that!" No parent enjoys the sound of their baby wailing in distress. That's why the cry-it-out methods advocated by Ferber, Weissbluth, and Ezzo are so controversial. Some parents feel like cry-it-out is a form of cruel and unusual punishment, but others are quick to point out that cry-it-out methods are fast and
How To Put Your Baby On a Nap / Sleep Schedule
We have a variety of sample baby sleep and feeding schedules, but how do you put your baby on a sleep or nap schedule, anyway? Your strategy for implementing a baby's nap schedule will depend on the age of your baby. Here are some tips: 4 month old baby Your 4 month old baby will have limited ability to be on a true by-the-clock schedule. The best way to add predictability and structure to your day is to follow more of a routine rather than a schedule. Your routine may be something like
How Rigid Should Your Baby’s Sleep Schedule Be?
It's inevitable. You have a baby and almost everyone around you will have advice about how to raise him or her. Some are nice about it trying to offer helpful tips while others criticize you and warn you what a big mistake you're making when you do x, y, or z. I believe most people are trying to help (call me an optimist), but most people are telling you what worked for them and their baby. If you've read The Baby Sleep Site® at all, you know that our philosophy is that all babies are indeed
Dr. Sears vs. Dr. Weissbluth in an Online Chat About Your Baby’s Sleep
About a month ago Drs. Sears and Weissbluth both participated in an online chat with Chicago Tribune's health reporter, Julie Deardorff. I think back to a few key points raised in the chat that still surprise me how disconnected doctors can be to parents. Perhaps it's because it's been a long time since they've been parents to young babies. Or, perhaps being doctors tend to give you a more scientific approach rather than a practical one. Either way, there are a few key points this article is
10 Tips to Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep
When you bring your brand new baby home, no one tells you that "sleep like a baby" may not happen, or that if it does, it may only last a short time. This article will give you 10 great tips to help your newborn sleep better. Before I get to the 10 tips to help your newborn sleep, I thought I should note that it can be dangerous for a new newborn baby to sleep all night. They really do need to eat at least every 3 hours in those early days so they can grow well and thrive. Addtionally, it