Reply To: Help with pyramid for 2 month old

[Emma H]

Hi Joyce,

Thank you so much for your kind words! It’s so nice to hear that you’ve found the YT videos helpful and thanks for trusting me to join Peaceful Dreams!

From what you’ve shared, it sounds like your daughter has developed a strong association between being held and falling asleep. Seeking comfort from being held is common, but I understand how exhausting it can be and why it feels unsustainable, especially with your return to work approaching.

To provide you with the right advice, I have a few questions that will help me understand your situation better:

1. Sleep Routine:
   You mentioned your daughter needs to be held for all sleep—naps and the first part of the night. Could you walk me through your current routine for naps and bedtime? For example:

   • Do you swaddle her, dim the lights, and rock her to sleep in a dark room?
   • Are you sitting still in a rocking chair or moving around?
   • Do you sing her a lullaby as part of the routine?

2. Daytime Mood:
   During her awake times, is she generally content and settled, or does she seem fussy and need to be held often? This will help me determine if there might be any underlying issues contributing to her sleep challenges.

3. Feeding:
   Is she breastfed, formula-fed, or both?

4. Wake-Up Routine:
   You mentioned her consistent 7:30 a.m. wake-up time—great work maintaining that consistency! When she wakes in the morning and from naps, do you follow a wake, feed, play, sleep routine?

5. Wake Windows:
   With 4–5 naps per day, how long is she typically awake between naps?

6. Bedtime Behavior:
   With her bedtime around 8:30 p.m., what happens if you place her in the crib fully asleep at that time? If she wakes after 15–20 minutes, have you noticed any patterns in when she will finally settle and stay asleep? For instance:

   • Is there a specific time when someone holding her can stop rocking, patting, or shushing, and she stays asleep?
   • Does she ever connect her sleep cycles on her own while being held?

7. Overnight Routine:
   You mentioned feeding her at midnight, holding her for 20–25 minutes to reach a deep sleep, and then transferring her to the crib, only for her to wake again after 20–25 minutes. When she wakes, do you feed her each time, or do you primarily hold her to help her fall back asleep?

8. Sleeping Environment:
   Does she share a bedroom with you? If so, where is her crib in relation to your bed? For example, is it beside your bed, across the room, or in another part of the house?

Thanks in advance for answering all of these questions!

Emma