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How Your Baby or Toddler’s Schedule Can Be Isolating

I’m an extrovert. Always have been, probably always will be. So much so that I occasionally take on a catering job as a waitress just to get out of the house and talk with people. 😉

Being a mom is the most amazing job I’ve ever had. And I especially love the moments when time just kind of stops and I am overwhelmingly aware of how blessed I am. It often hits me the most after another long day has ended and I’m snuggling with my girls during their bedtime routine. That is my favorite time of day…though pre-sleep coaching, I dreaded it!

I realize I am so blessed! But, to be honest, being a parent has also been super isolating as well. My kids thrive on routine. And while my husband and I used to be very spontaneous (we were married 7 years prior to having kids), our spontaneity has changed since we had children.

If you have a sensitive sleeper, you probably understand why. My oldest daughter, at 4 ½ months, was waking 8 times a night when I contacted Nicole from The Baby Sleep Site^® for help. Through sleep coaching and working with my daughter’s schedule, I was able to help her learn how to sleep well at night. However, as a baby and young toddler, she didn’t sleep well on the go. We made exceptions for special occasions (traveling, day trips), however, for the most part, she slept in her crib, where she slept best. Working my life around her naps wasn’t always convenient, and at times, made me feel stuck at home.

Some people understood my need to make sure she got enough sleep, while others didn’t quite get it.

I oftentimes had to ask myself if I was willing to pay the consequence for a skipped nap or late bedtime. Sometimes an event was worth it, though oftentimes it wasn’t. I remember going to a wedding across the country when she was 18 months. She was in a sleep regression and wasn’t napping well. To spend time with family, I was keeping her up a half hour or so late each night. When the wedding rehearsal came a few days later, she was exhausted! The day of the wedding, she woke at 4 in the morning and never went back to sleep. I tried my best to help her get a long nap that day; however by 8:00 p.m. that night, she was a wreck. We left the wedding early. Some family members understood while others told us to relax! They said, “She’ll sleep in the next morning if you keep her up!” Not my baby…not my experience. 😉

Parenting can be challenging! Making sure your little one gets the sleep they need can feel like a sacrifice. If you’re feeling stuck at home or “controlled” by your little one’s naps, you’re not alone! We, at The Baby Sleep Site^® (I became one of your sleep consultants here!), understand what it’s like to need to put your child’s sleep first, in order for everyone in the house to be happy. However, I promise this too shall pass. My oldest is 4 years old now and thinks taking a nap in the car is an adventure. She and I just traveled 1,000 miles in the car for a two week trip to see family, and it was won-der-ful! And guess what… when we stayed out late, she slept in! So, hang in there! You won’t be stuck at home forever.

Struggling with your baby’s sleep? We can help. We have helped thousands of families around the world with their babies' sleep problems, and we can help you, too! Take a look at our consultation packages, and see which one looks like a good fit for you.

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Need Baby and Toddler Sleep Help? We Have the Resources You Need!

For those persistent nighttime struggles, check out The 3 Step System to Help Your Baby Sleep. Using the same unique approach and practical tools for success, this e-book helps you and your baby sleep through the night.

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!

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Will Sleep Training Damage Your Relationship With Your Baby?

By Emily DeJeu

Will Sleep Training Damage Your Relationship With Your Baby?

Sleep training your baby can produce lots of emotions: frustration at the pace of sleep coaching, elation at the prospect of a full-night’s sleep, anxiety over the sleep training method…it’s an emotional roller coaster, man!

Recently, we turned to some of our valued clients who have recently finished sleep coaching their little ones, and we asked them to share their reflections about the sleep coaching process. Some interesting things emerged:

59% felt unable to function at home and/or at work before sleep coaching, due to sleep deprivation
58% worried their relationship with their baby would be damaged by sleep training
75% were afraid sleep coaching wouldn’t work, and that all their effort would be for nothing.

Fear and anxiety can certainly paralyze us and prevent us from taking the action necessary to reclaim our sleep; as these moms demonstrate, anxiety over the sleep coaching process can be significant. Look at that middle statistic in particular: 58% of moms worried that sleep coaching would damage their relationship with their babies. That is a serious concern! But so is the first statistic – more than half of moms were so exhausted by sleep deprivation that they could not function in their daily lives.

So how does a tired parent address these very real concerns? How can you overcome these fears and sleep coach in a way that preserves your bond with your baby and that actually works? Keep reading for answers!

Bonding With Your Baby: What You Need To Know

First, let’s make it very clear: sleep training will not damage your bond with your baby. Why? Because your bond with your baby isn’t something that can be “broken” by a few specific actions on your part. For instance, let’s say your baby monitor is broken but you don’t know it, and only later do you realize that your baby has been crying for 45 minutes. Will that damage your bond with your baby? No. Or let’s say that you have a night of heavy sleep, and only in the morning do you realize that your baby slept in a dirty diaper for a few hours and was up fussing about it in the night. Will that damage your bond with your baby? No.

Here’s what’s important to remember: bonding with your baby is an ongoing process that occurs over time. It’s the byproduct of all the love and care you provide to your baby on a daily basis. Bonding is not something that happens quickly, or within a specific time period after birth. And because your bond with your baby is complex and is formed over time, it can’t be damaged or broken by a specific action like sleep coaching, which usually happens over a period of weeks. Yes, there might be fussing and crying involved with sleep training, and that will naturally make a loving, concerned parent worried. But think about this- does it really sound reasonable to assume that some crying, broken up over the course of the day, can effectively cancel out all the feedings and diaper changes and cuddling and rocking and reading and singing that you give to your baby during that same day? Not likely, right? Intentional sleep coaching just is not powerful enough to have a real impact on your bond with your baby, since that bond is made up of all the care giving you provide to your child over time.

4 Tips for Gentle But Effective Sleep Training

That said, if you are concerned about how crying during sleep training will affect your child, we get that; we work with parents all the time who want to minimize crying (and being parents ourselves, we totally get it!) These tips can help:

Start slow, but take that first step. The hardest step to take in sleep training is the first step. That’s why we recommend setting reasonable expectations and starting slow. You can start, for instance, by creating a strong bedtime or nap time routine – that’s an easy, gentle first step to take, and it’s also a key component to successful sleep training.
Try a gentle sleep coaching method, if you are concerned about how crying will affect your baby. There are many gentle methods you can try that are very effective. Fading, substitution, and pick-up-put-down are all gentle methods that minimize crying but can also be very effective.
Adjust your pace as necessary – but keep going! If you’re worried about crying, it’s generally a good idea to move slowly. You can adjust the pace as necessary. If your baby is doing really well, no harm in speeding this up a little, but if your baby is crying more than you’d like, you can slow down, too. But do remember to keep going – that is key!
Gather a network of supporters (like us!). Sleep training always works best if you have a support network around you. And, of course, we’re here too: our team of expert consultants specializes in being sleep coaching “cheerleaders”! Our sleep consultation packages come with an unlimited supply of encouragement and compassion.

Remember that survey I mentioned at the beginning of this article? Well, you may be wondering how those anxious, exhausted moms fared after they finished sleep coaching. Here’s your answer: 78% of our surveyed clients said that sleep coaching was easier than they’d expected, that it was tough but worth it, and that they’d do it again!

Remember, your ability to function on a daily basis and to care for your baby is important. Ultimately, well-rested parents are better able to care for their babies and to enjoy all those bonding moments along the way. You CAN reclaim sleep for yourself and your baby, and you can start today!

Have you tried sleep training with your baby? Was sleep training worth it? Scroll down to share your story and to hear from other parents just like you!

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Need Baby and Toddler 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 child'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 those persistent nighttime struggles, check out The 3 Step System to Help Your Baby Sleep. Using the same unique approach and practical tools for success, this e-book helps you and your baby sleep through the night.

If you’re looking for ways to get your baby or toddler into a healthy sleeping routine during the day, I encourage you to explore Mastering Naps and Schedules, a comprehensive guide to napping routines, nap transitions, and all the other important “how-tos” of good baby sleep. With over 45 sample sleep schedules and planning worksheets, Mastering Naps and Schedules is a hands-on tool ideal for any parenting style.

For those persistent toddler sleep struggles, check out The 5 Step System to Help Your Toddler Sleep. Using the same unique approach and practical tools for success, this e-book helps you and your toddler sleep through the night and enjoy a better daytime schedule.

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.

Quick Tip: How To Tell If A Nap Transition Is Approaching

By Emily DeJeu

3 Signs a Nap Transition is Approaching for your baby or toddler.

Picture this. You’ve just gotten a nice, predictable daytime sleep schedule, you’re feeling good about life, and then, before you know it, your baby gets a little older and blows your perfectly-crafted routine to pieces.

I’m positive a lot of you know exactly what I’m talking about (even those of you who’ve never been able to establish a nap schedule.) The first few years of a child’s life are full of changes, and those changes add up to mean ever-shifting sleep patterns and schedules.

This is really apparent when you consider a child’s typical nap schedule from birth to toddlerhood. Newborn babies take 5 or more naps each day; by 18 months, toddlers are taking one nap. That’s a lot of change! And transitioning between all those nap schedules can be a huge headache for little ones and for their parents.

Read on to learn more about how to spot a coming nap transition!

Common Nap Transitions: When They Happen

There’s no blueprint, of course, that’ll let you know exactly when your baby or toddler is due for a nap transition. However, here’s a general timeline that most babies and toddlers follow:

From 1-4 months, the number of naps your baby takes will be variable, but will hover around 4-5 naps per day, depending on how long his naps are and how long he can stay up between naps.
By 3 or 4 months old, she will lean towards just 4 naps, rather than 5.
From 5-8 months, most babies will have three naps per day. They will start to resist the fourth nap, no matter how tired they are. There are a few babies who will only have two naps at a very young age, but those naps are usually long.
From 9-15 or 18 months, on average, your baby will nap two times a day. Although many people believe most babies can transition to one nap at 12 months, the average age is actually 15 to 18 months.
From 18 months to 4 years, toddlers nap once a day. The age to transition away from all napping varies a lot, from 2 to 5+ years old, but the average age is between 3 and 4 years old.

The early nap transitions (from five, to four, to three) usually happen quickly and aren’t as problematic. It’s the other nap transitions (from three, to two, to one, to none) that tend to frustrate parents. Those nap transitions take longer, for one thing (my middle son has been transitioning from one nap to none for the past YEAR), and they seem to affect children more noticeably.

Common Nap Transitions: How To Tell If One’s On The Way

How will your baby or toddler let you know that a nap transition is coming? Here are a few signs to look for:

The timing of your baby’s or toddler’s naps begins to change: Before a nap transition, the schedule generally goes crazy. Nap time goes from being predictable to being all over the place. This can interfere with nighttime sleep, too — if the afternoon nap doesn’t happen until late afternoon or early evening, for example, it can interfere with bedtime.
Your baby or toddler begins consistently refusing a nap: Most parents find that their little one suddenly starts refusing a nap (usually an afternoon one) that, just yesterday, they agreed to without a problem.
The length of your baby’s or toddler’s naps begins to change. You may notice that one or more of your little one’s naps are suddenly much shorter than normal. This can be a sign that your baby or toddler is getting ready to drop a nap.

Can You Make Nap Transitions Easier?

For some babies and toddlers (especially those who are highly adaptable), nap transitions are a piece of cake — they only take a few days. If that’s the case in your home, then a sort of “cold turkey” approach to nap transitions might work well. Simply cut out a nap, re-vamp the schedule, and endure a few fussy days.

For others, though, nap transitions are difficult and loooong. If your baby or toddler is in that second category, you’d probably appreciate some suggestions as to how to make those transitions a bit easier, right?

We hear you. That’s why we’ve included so many nap-focused resources in our Members Area. Check them out below!

Special Members-Only Nap Resources

Mastering Naps & Schedules — For starters, all Baby Sleep Site^® members receive unlimited access to all our e-Books. That’s right – for the price of your membership, you can read all our e-Books at no additional cost! That includes Mastering Naps & Schedules. With over 45 sample schedules (all available for you to view in the Members Area), Mastering Naps & Schedules is THE e-Book for tired parents of non-napping kiddos! We tackle all your top napping issues, including how to get your baby or toddler to take longer naps, how to get your child’s naps to be more consistent and predictable, how to manage nap transitions, how to encourage good napping while traveling – and more! Become a member today, and access the e-Book instantly – no download necessary!

Nap Tele-Seminars — Another great members-only resource? Our tele-seminars. Hosted by Nicole Johnson herself, these 30-minute tele-seminars offer you insider-information and our trademark sleep coaching methods and techniques. And guess what? We have a special tele-seminar that’s completely focused on managing nap transitions. That’s right – as a member, you will have access to a 30 – 45-minute coaching session with Nicole herself! She’ll walk you through the basics of navigating nap transitions without destroying your existing daytime schedule, or ruining night sleep.

Members-Only Nap Articles — And now, we’ve recently added a special members-only article on this very topic: 5 Practical, Hands-On Tips For Managing Common Nap Transitions. Learn our 5 top secrets for how to gently and painlessly navigate nap transitions, and help them happen in a way that preserves your child’s sleep while also preserving your own sanity! 😉

For more details about all our member benefits (including weekly chats with a trained sleep consultant and 20% off ALL sleep consulting packages), visit our membership page, and consider becoming a member today!

No matter how you decide to handle a nap transition, the first step is to be aware of any nap transitions that are coming your way. Once you know the signs of a nap transition, and are prepared for the schedule-chaos they can create, you’ll be able to plan for how you’re going to get through the transition itself.

How have you handled nap transitions with your baby or toddler? Scroll down to share tips, to ask your questions, and to hear from other parents just like you!

Baby and Toddler Sleep Resources That Work – Guaranteed!

Don’t Be a Grinch! Have a Well-Rested and Joyful Holiday Season

By Nicole Johnson

well-rested-holiday-baby-sleep-help

As parents, we cherish the Holiday Season and look forward to sharing these moments with our children and families all year. It is a magical time because although it may be cold and blustery out there, inside, our homes and our hearts are warm with love for each other and the power of togetherness. Most of us will host our friends and family or travel to see our friends and family who may be farther than we’d like. It is such a special time of the year; we want everything to be just right! We want to look and feel our best, we want our homes to look and feel their best, we want our children to feel and behave their best, and we want to be the best host or guest we can be. No one wants to be tired and grouchy and miss out on all the magic!

With the Holidays approaching, we, at The Baby Sleep Site^®, tend to get more and more parents desperate to get their babies sleeping well by Christmas. Most of these tired parents are at the end of their ropes and I remember what it was like to feel that way. But, there is one story that has stayed with me through the years. Knowing how especially tough special occasions can be when you are tired and struggling, I thought I would share Laura’s story today.

When I first met Laura over the phone, she was a dedicated mom with adaptable 3-year-old twins and a spunky ten-month-old. The twins had been mostly easy sleepers from start. So, when Zoe came along, Laura was caught off-guard completely. With the holiday rapidly approaching, Laura desperately reached out to us, because after 9 months of grueling sleep deprivation, she needed her sanity back!

After a tough year, the low point was Thanksgiving dinner. Laura told me that because of Zoe’s sleep issues, she canceled her anniversary dinner and missed half the twins’ birthday party because she was too tired to function and Zoe would still not nap. She was feeling overwhelmed and helpless even though she had researched every sleep book out there, and tried many strategies, but she could not get her daughter’s sleep under control. That is why Thanksgiving dinner was already an occasion she was dreading.

As everyone laughed and enjoyed their delicious meal, Laura nervously clutched the baby monitor. I could hear her voice breaking as she described how she heard Zoe’s repeated cries and having to leave her guests and family in order to soothe and rock her back to sleep. Laura was exhausted; she had only three bites of dinner and hadn’t finished one conversation. She hoped no one would see the tears welling in her eyes. She knew things could not continue this way and resolved to ask for help. Laura was determined she would not miss out on one more magical moment.

Two days later, Laura reached out to us and within a few weeks Zoe’s sleep was finally on track. Just in time for Christmas! She loved sharing every holiday moment with Zoe and the twins, especially when the twins opened their present from Santa. Things weren’t perfect just yet, but Christmas was everything she hoped it would be.

Don’t be a Grinch and let sleep problems ruin your family’s holidays. Here are some tips to help make your holidays magical too.

Simplify your routines: We love our bedtime routines with massage and bath and stories and song, but the holidays can be hectic and you may be traveling or have a house full of guests. So, have an abbreviated version of your bed or nap routine that your baby or toddler will recognize, but still get the job done in half the time 🙂
Keep the morning nap consistent: Missed naps may happen, so you’ll want to be prepared. If you have to miss a nap, it’s best to sacrifice the afternoon, rather than the morning nap, and opt for an earlier bedtime.
Don’t be too hard on yourself! For the majority of us, yours truly most definitely included, things rarely turn out completely perfect and that’s okay! As much as we want to be super-parents, it is important to know that it is okay not to be. Remember that all of us are under stress trying to get everything ready, too. Try not to compare yourself to other parents and focus on the things you DO have control over. Your friends and family love you for YOU! Not because of how moist the cheesecake turned out.
Ask for help! You don’t have to go it alone! If you’re tired of struggling with sleep problems on your own and want to make the most of holiday magic, we can help!

From The Baby Sleep Site^® family to yours – Happy Holidays!!

Need Baby and Toddler Sleep Help? We Have the Resources You Need!

Introducing Summer’s Featured Families: Meet Caitlin & Katy!

By Emily DeJeu

Welcome, readers, to another installment in our Family Features stories! From time to time, we like to spotlight clients of ours who have had great success working with our expert team of sleep consultants. These families are, in many ways, just like yours: these parents are sleep-deprived and exhausted, their babies and toddlers are cranky and overtired, and everyone could use more peaceful nighttime and nap time sleep!

Last week, we introduced you to Katy (scroll down to read Katy’s story); this week, we are introducing you to Caitlin. Caitlin’s little guy Portland is SUCH a cutie, but he wasn’t exactly the cutest little sleeper! Portland would nap only in his mama or dad’s arms (talk about exhausting for Caitlin and her husband!). That was okay for awhile, but when night sleep started to fall apart as well, Caitlin knew she couldn’t take it anymore. She was heading back to work and just knew she couldn’t continue to cope with the crushing sleep deprivation. That’s when she contacted us for help! Keep reading to learn more about Caitlin’s story.

CaitlinBlog

Caitlin’s Baby Wasn’t Sleeping At Night And Would Nap Only In Her Arms….And Her Maternity Leave Was Ending.

The original version of this sleep coaching story appears on Just A Bowl Of Cherries, Caitlin’s personal blog.

The Baby Sleep Site: Caitlin, could you start by sharing with us a little more about what sleep was like for you early-on, before you contacted us for help?

Caitlin: In the beginning of Portland’s life, he would soundly sleep on my or my husband’s chest. We could have the TV on, our dog Hercules barking and us having a full on conversation, and Portland would snooze right on through all the madness. So yes, great, he sleeps through sound, but up until he was four and half months old, guess where my 16 pound baby still took his four daily naps? In his Mama’s or his Daddy’s loving arms.

The Baby Sleep Site: Oh, no – that sounds exhausting! (And heavy!!) So naps were the issue for you guys, huh?

Caitlin: Yes! The inability of our son to nap anywhere but our arms was our fault. We both loved to cuddle with him in those early days and when I was out on maternity leave. I wanted to hold him all the time, and I was lucky to be able to spend my whole day doing just that! When I started back at work when he was two months old, I quickly realized that I wasn’t able to put my little boy down to take his naps. I never taught him how to take his naps anywhere but in my arms, so of course he had no idea what to do when I laid him down in his crib or bassinet. He would just cry until I finally relented and scooped him up, and then he would pass out within seconds of being in my arms. This was not going to work!

The Baby Sleep Site: Yep, that sounds rough! Very normal, of course – lots of parents struggle with this – but rough. So is that when you finally decided you had to take action?

Caitlin: It was. We reached our breaking point with his naps right around the three month mark. We both were becoming frustrated with how much work it took us to get him to sleep and keep him asleep (constant movement, butt patting, and we had to hold him for the whole nap). We also never got a break! We wanted to be able to have time for us, time to work from home, clean, eat and just relax!

This is also the time when his nighttime sleeping began to change as well. He had been sleeping great at night, but around 3 months, he was no longer able to sleep through all the noises my husband and I were making while we slept. I so badly wanted him to sleep next to us for another month or two but it just wasn’t going to work. He began waking every 1.5-2 hours and the only way to get him back to sleep was to nurse him and pat his butt until he drifted off to sleep. Even though we wanted Portland to sleep in our room as long as possible, we decided that it wasn’t feasible any longer.

The Baby Sleep Site: I don’t blame you; sounds like you were facing some tough issues! So what did you do at that point?

Caitlin: I had already done a ton of reading online about baby sleep coaching. One of the internet sites I stumbled upon that got me really excited was The Baby Sleep Site^®. After trying and failing to sleep train our son on our own, I knew I needed something that would give me a detailed sleep training method specifically for Portland and our family’s needs. So we did it – we bought a sleep consultation package. I wanted the ability to call and write our sleep consultant with questions after we got started because I knew we would have them, so we went with the Basic Telephone Consultation Package. Even just by purchasing a sleep consultation package, I felt like we were on the right path and I was so excited to get started.

Once we picked out the package we wanted, I filled out a very long questionnaire (while Portland was napping in my arms) so that our sleep consult had a better understanding of Portland’s sleep and eating schedule, his habits, our family life, and what we wanted to accomplish sleep wise.

I then set up my sixty minute initial phone consult and excitedly waited for our appointment!

The Baby Sleep Site: Awesome! And what did you go over in that initial phone call?

Caitlin: In this meeting we went over the questionnaire I filled out and any red flags our consultant saw right away. A few red flags she saw right away included the amount of sleep our son was getting during the day. I was having him nap in our arms for about 2 hours for each nap so he was getting about 8 hours of total sleep during the day. At his age (four months) that was way too much daytime sleep and why he was waking so freaking early in the morning (4 and 5 am is not a good wake up time for this mama).

We also went over the type of sleep training approach we wanted to take and her recommendations based on his personality and age at the time. This phone call was all sorts of amazing! It felt so good to talk to an expert about the issues we were having. I was able to ask a lot of my questions, she provided us with some simple changes we could begin right away and reassurance that not only could we as parents do this but so could Portland and that we would all be better for it.

The Baby Sleep Site: Wow – a very detailed call! Sounds like you made some great progress just in that initial phone call. What about your Personalized Sleep Plan? When did you get that, and what did you think?

Caitlin: After our phone consultation, I was emailed a very detailed sleep plan. We decided to take a gentle method approach, which means as little crying as possible. He was only four months old at the time we started sleep training so this was an appropriate approach given his age and cognitive abilities. Our little guy is also a hysterical crier. Unlike some babies who use crying to soothe themselves, once our guy starts, he can’t stop and gets himself to the point where he is hyperventilating so we knew a cry-it-out approach wouldn’t work for him.

After we worked on getting Portland comfortable in his crib, we started with sleep training nighttime only. Our sleep consultant also recommended to work on nights first then on naps. She really does not recommend working on both at the same time because it can be brutal for both the parents and baby.

Night times were fairly easy for Portland. He was sleeping in his crib through the night by the fourth night of sleep training. He has always slept in his own space at night so the big adjustment was the new environment and Mama not being right there. After about two weeks in the crib at night, he started giving me 5-6 hour stretches and on a consistent basis and was no longer being woken up by Daddy getting ready for work at 3 AM, success! This over tired Mama was happy!

The Baby Sleep Site: Awesome! What about naps? I’m guessing you switched to nap training once you’d mastered nights; how did nap training go?

Caitlin: We dedicated an entire weekend (Friday through Sunday) to nap train upon the recommendation of our sleep consultation. We literally didn’t do anything or go anywhere that entire weekend.

Since he had been napping in our arms from day one, you can imagine how upset Portland was when we tried to get him to nap in his crib. He didn’t understand what was going on or what he was supposed to do even though he was sleeping in his crib at night. The first day was long and he didn’t nap in his crib at all. The second day was long but not as bad because he napped in his crib for the second nap. By the third day, he napped in his crib for both his morning naps. And then our nanny was super awesome and helped us continue our training on Monday where he napped in his crib for his first three naps. We continued to let him take his fourth nap anywhere he wanted (carrier, stroller, car, etc.) because he was showing signs that he would be dropping that nap soon.

We had to help him a lot those first few days showing him how to get himself to sleep. We also had to calm him down a lot because he did cry and because we wanted a sleep plan that kept the crying to a minimum, we never let him get hysterical. After about a week of sleep training naps, we were able to scale back our help. Now, we can put him down in his crib drowsy, walk out of his room and he gets himself to sleep for naps and bedtime. This was our ultimate goal!

It took us about a total of four weeks to complete our sleep training but I can finally say that my baby is napping in his crib for all of his naps and through the whole night! I had my doubts that this would ever be possible and was so stressed that sleep training would be a nightmare but it turned out to be so much better and successful than I could have ever imagined.

The Baby Sleep Site: Woohoo! Your progress is so inspirational, Caitlin! So now that you’re wrapping up your sleep training journey, what parting thoughts do you have to share?

Caitlin: All in all, Portland is sleeping so much better! He is getting more restful naps and sleeping longer stretches at night, he is sleeping in his crib for naps and bedtime, and is able to get himself to sleep and back to sleep. We have been able to accomplish all of our goals so far!

I highly recommend The Baby Sleep Site^®, even if it is just to access their free resources. If you were like me and didn’t get baby into their own sleeping space or are struggling with getting baby to sleep, I also highly recommend their sleep consulting service. There is a package and price point for every single family. Plus, it is really an investment since you can use your sleep plan for any additional children down the road and if you need your sleep plan tweaked for your child or any additional child, they have that option too.

Working with The Baby Sleep Site^® has been a truly amazing experience and probably one of the best things we could have done for our son!

Amazing story, right? Caitlin’s problems seemed so difficult, yet with the help of her sleep consultant (and with much diligent hard work on her part), her little guy is now napping like a pro and sleeping great at night! And parents, you can enjoy this same success in your own home. Your sleepless little ones can be sleeping soundly very soon, with some help from an expert Baby Sleep Site^® sleep consultant. Our trained, compassionate consultants are standing by, ready and willing to help your family get the sleep you need and deserve.

Don’t waste another sleep-deprived minute: connect with a sleep consultant now, and get started on your journey to better, longer sleep!

This week, we are introducing you to Katy. Katy had a really tough situation on her hands. Benjamin, her oldest son, had been a pretty good sleeper, but after he transitioned to a toddler bed, sleep just fell apart. And to make things even more challenging, Katy was expecting another baby! Once her second son, Kedrick, was born, she had two sleepless kiddos at home, and that’s when she decided she needed some expert help!

Keep reading to learn more about how Katy solved her toddler’s and newborn’s sleep problems.

Katyblog

Katy Had A Sleep-Fighting Toddler AND A Sleepless Newborn At Home – She Was At Her Wit’s End!

The Baby Sleep Site: Katy, why don’t you tell us a little bit about what first prompted you to contact us for help?

Katy: We first began utilizing The Baby Sleep Site^® shortly after our second child, Kedrick, joined our family last August. Our oldest son Benjamin (2.5 years old) had transitioned to a toddler bed mid-summer and, while the first few weeks went extremely well, he had recently discovered that he could get out of bed whenever he wanted. He was a jack-in-the-box! It was pretty bad before our baby arrived, but it got markedly worse after – to the point that my husband was regularly sleeping on Benjamin’s floor just so that we could all get some sleep.

The Baby Sleep Site: Oh no! That’s rough indeed. A sleepless toddler + a sleepless newborn = exhausted, miserable parents! So that’s when you decided you needed help from a pro, right?

Katy: At that point, I had long been a reader of The Baby Sleep Site^®. Benjamin needed a lot of help sleeping as a baby, and I think that I read nearly every nap- and schedule-related article on the site, not to mention a few baby sleep books as well. I have to say that The Baby Sleep Site^® was one of precious few resources that seemed to have realistic expectations for babies’ sleep habits.

With all of my knowledge (I became pretty sleep-obsessed with Benjamin), you would think that I would have known what to do. But with a new baby at home, I felt overwhelmed and quickly decided that we needed help. We purchased a Deluxe Email package, which included a Personalized Sleep Plan plus three emails. I received the plan from our sleep consultant Amy within a few days and put it into action immediately. Although that time period is a bit of a blur in my memory, I know that Benjamin was sleeping much better (meaning he was napping again and sleeping all night without interruption) within two weeks.

The Baby Sleep Site: Wow – that’s great! Toddler sleep challenges can sometimes can be tough, so it’s wonderful that you were able to nip Benjamin’s sleep challenges in the bud so quickly. But what about your newborn son, Kedrick? You needed help for his sleep too, right?

Katy: Happily, our second son Kedrick was a much better sleeper than Benjamin had been as baby. At first.

Kedrick slept 18-20 hours a day for the first several weeks of his life – enough to actually make me worry a little bit! After we got the go-ahead from his pediatrician to stop waking him to eat every three to four hours at night (around two months old), he started sleeping eight to nine hour stretches for the first chunk of the night. We thought we had it made. Then the four-month regression hit and things quickly and dramatically deteriorated.

The Baby Sleep Site: Oh, no – the dreaded 4 month sleep regression! What happened, exactly?

Katy: I have to backtrack for a moment: We had purchased a baby swing around the time Kedrick turned three months old because the old sleepy-time standbys of rocking, bouncing, and nursing were becoming less effective. We all became dependent on the swing for sleep. We would move him to his pack and play at night after he fell asleep, but Kedrick otherwise slept exclusively in the swing. Until he didn’t. Around four months old, Kedrick wouldn’t fall asleep in the swing at night anymore; instead, he would cry in the swing. So I would nurse him to sleep – except it only worked sometimes. More often than not, he would wake again 45 minutes later, expecting to be nursed to sleep again. We spent a handful of nights sleeping (and nursing all night long) on the floor, again just so that we could all get some sleep. That was the last straw for me. I emailed Amy for help again.

The Baby Sleep Site: I don’t blame you! Sounds exhausting. So what happened when you asked for help for Kedrick?

Katy: Our goals were specific. We wanted Kedrick to learn to go to sleep by himself. It often took 30 or more minutes of nursing to get him to sleep at this point. With an active toddler, I couldn’t keep doing it! We also wanted to wean Kedrick from the swing to the pack and play, help him nurse less at night (2-3 feedings instead of 4-6). Finally, we wanted to start moving towards a schedule for him.

Amy’s sleep plan for Kedrick arrived shortly after I filled out his sleep history. I remember it came late on a Friday night after the boys were in bed. I couldn’t believe that it came so late, especially during the weekend. I was so happy and relieved that I almost started crying right then and there.

Amy’s plan was so well-tailored to our situation. We had actually let Benjamin cry it out when it came to sleep – believe it or not, he cried harder if we tried to “help” him sleep – but Kedrick’s temperament was so different (and he was so young!) that I couldn’t bear to let him cry it out. So Amy found other ways for us to set him up for sleep success.

The Baby Sleep Site: Yay! We love hearing feedback like this. So what happened when you started implementing your sleep plan for Kedrick?

Katy: Kedrick’s sleep improved so quickly – within a few days, he was going to sleep at bedtime in the pack and play (!) with hardly any fussing, let alone crying. He was back to nursing three or fewer times at night. Naps were definitely tougher to tackle, but within a few weeks, he was napping in the pack and play, too. It hasn’t been perfect: we’ve all had some colds, Kedrick cut two teeth, and sometimes he wakes up more frequently hoping for a snack 🙂 Actually, just before Kedrick turned seven months old, he started waking four or five times a night again. I suspected it was related to us sharing a room, so we moved him in with his big brother on a trial basis. It has been a fabulous success! About a week after the move, he celebrated his seven-month “birthday” by sleeping ALL night! Now, at almost eight months old, he wakes for one feeding about half the time and sleeps through the night the other half.

The Baby Sleep Site: Oh wow, Katy – from not sleeping at all to two peacefully-sleeping boys who are in the same room! That is huge indeed. So now that it’s done, how do you reflect on your experience?

Katy: While I know that our family’s sleep journey is far from complete (babies keep growing and their sleep needs keep changing) , I am absolutely thrilled with Kedrick’s and Benjamin’s progress, and I am so deeply grateful for Amy’s help. Even though I know that I might have had success on my own, I honestly think that it would have taken me another year to get to where we are now. It’s exactly as Nicole says: It’s not that you can’t make a plan on your own – it’s that you’re too tired to.

I have to admit, I have felt a little silly admitting to others that our family has hired a sleep consultant. But then I reflect upon the cost of our sleep package and ask myself, “Would I pay that much again for a few months or even several weeks of good sleep?” My answer is always, “I would pay that much for a few nights of decent sleep.” It has been some of the best money our family has ever spent. I would absolutely recommend The Baby Sleep Site^® to other families struggling with sleep.

And if we have more babies in the future, I am sure that we will be back for more help – hopefully before anyone is sleeping on the floor! Maybe by then, in-utero sleep training will be an option!!

Wow – from 2 sleepless boys at home to 2 peacefully-sleeping boys who share a room — incredible! And parents, you can enjoy this same success in your own home. Your sleepless little ones can be sleeping soundly very soon, with some help from an expert Baby Sleep Site^® sleep consultant. Our trained, compassionate consultants are standing by, ready and willing to help your family get the sleep you need and deserve.

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Caitlin’s Baby Wasn’t Sleeping At Night And Would Nap Only In Her Arms….And Her Maternity Leave Was Ending.

Don’t waste another sleep-deprived minute: connect with a sleep consultant now, and get started on your journey to better, longer sleep!

Katy Had A Sleep-Fighting Toddler AND A Sleepless Newborn At Home – She Was At Her Wit’s End!

Don’t waste another sleep-deprived minute: connect with a sleep consultant now, and get started on your journey to better, longer sleep!

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