Hi Lizzie,

Wow, 3.5 months – she’s growing up so fast!

From what you’ve described, it does sound like the dummy might be causing those more frequent night wakings. So I do think it might be time to let it go, and it’s absolutely fine to start now rather than waiting until four months. That said, if you’d prefer to wait, that’s okay too. Just…

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No worries at all.

Hi Kateryna,

Before I give you specific advice on transitioning away from rocking, I’d love to get a clearer picture of where things are at. So when you have time can you please answer the questions below?

His routine

• Does he have a consistent wake-up time each morning (within about a 30-minute window)? If so, what time does he usually…

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Hi Benjamin,

You’re right, the advice out there can be confusing!

The second piece of advice is the one that aligns with current safety guidance. The goal is to keep the sound level at your baby’s ears within a safe range, not just to limit what the machine is set to. So it’s the volume where your baby is sleeping that matters most.

The…

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Hi Patrick,

Thanks for sharing all of that!

So when little ones get sick, it can definitely set their sleep back a little and the reason for that is pretty straightforward. When they’re unwell, uncomfortable, or in pain, we naturally do more to help soothe them. And once they get used to that extra input to help them fall asleep, they start…

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Hi Jessica,

It sounds like your baby’s sleep space is great in terms of being conducive to sleep, and it’s fantastic that you’ve been able to adopt a consistent wake-up time and bedtime.

Before I can give you some strategies to lengthen your little one’s naps, I have a few questions. When you have some time, can you please answer the…

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Hi Patrick!

It sounds like your little one has learned to fall asleep using movement, and is then relying on that same movement to link her sleep cycles.

Here’s what’s happening:

During the day, when she stirs between sleep cycles (around that 30-minute mark), you’re naturally rocking, shushing, or moving to help her resettle which links her into…

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Hi Tatsiana,

Given that your little one has recently started the medication and the side effect is gassiness and the wakings at night have only recently started, they could be due to the medication.

But the other thing it could be is that your little one is going through the 4-month sleep regression. It’s not really a regression; it’s more like…

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No worries at all. I hope it helps a little

Hi Tatsiana,

You’re right that I generally recommend swaddling babies while they’re awake, as part of the settling routine. The reasoning is that even though they may protest at first, they usually calm down and being already swaddled makes the transfer from your arms into the cot easier. From there, you can use the Settling Pyramid to help…

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No worries at all, Erin. Just let me know how it goes, and we can make things if needed.

Emma

Hey Erin,

Thanks so much for getting back to me with all of that detail!

It sounds like you’ve built a really solid foundation with a consistent wake-up time, a predictable nap routine, and he’s now able to settle to sleep in your arms without any movement. That’s great progress!

I understand that moving through the full settling pyramid…

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Hi Erin,

It’s great to hear that you’ve been able to get your little one napping in his crib, and that you’ve picked up some helpful tips from the forum!

About the short naps

Short naps are really common at this age, anywhere around 30 minutes or less. This happens because, sometime between 3 to 5 months, your baby’s sleep matures and they…

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Hi Yanet,

If that’s the case, then you might need to take it a little bit slower, the strategies should still work though, so let me know how you go in a week or two.
Emma

Hi Yanet,

Sorry, I’m just a little confused. I thought you mentioned she was falling asleep without motion most of the time. Does that mean you’re now using motion every time to get her to sleep?

If so, still pop on her sleeping bag and do the walking around part while you’re outside of the bedroom, and then when she is calm going into the…

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Hi Lizzie,

It’s great that she’s able to settle herself to sleep using the dummy!

Since she’s only 10 weeks old and the dummy isn’t disrupting her sleep, meaning she’s not waking every time it falls out, I wouldn’t worry about removing it right now.

The time to think about fading the dummy out is if it starts causing problems, like:

• She can’t…

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Hi Yanet,

Thanks so much for answering all of my questions. Based on everything you’ve shared, I’ve put together a plan for you below.

Swaddle and Sucking Her Hands

You mentioned she falls asleep slower with one arm out but sleeps deeper when she does because she is sucking her hand. This tells me she’s starting to use her hands to…

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Hi Cherry,

First of all, you’re doing an amazing job, please don’t feel guilty!

At this age, babies don’t really follow a set schedule. That usually doesn’t happen until around six months. Right now, in the newborn phase, it’s much better for everyone if you just follow her lead, sleeping when she’s tired and feeding when she’s hungry.

If you…

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Hi Yanet,

I just have a few more questions:

1. You mentioned you’re swaddling her. In the swaddle are her arms up by her head or down by her side?
2. I noticed popping her in the swaddle is the second last step,how would she go if you put her in the swaddle at the start of the routine.
3. When you rock her to sleep in your arms (so immediately after…

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Hey Olga,

At 8 weeks, it’s really common for babies to wake up, feed, and then fall asleep during the feed. When they wake again, they might want to eat straight away or have a little play and that’s completely normal.

What you’ll start to notice over the coming weeks is that your little one will begin staying awake after some feeds instead…

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Hi Pav,

Last week, I was thinking the crankiness and occasional split nights might have been because Roh wasn’t getting quite enough sleep, especially since he was still needing to be woken from his naps rather than waking up on his own.

But given that his afternoon crankiness has settled down and the overnight wakes have improved, it sounds…

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Hi Yanet,

It sounds like the past few days haven’t improved and she is waking move overnight.

Given that, I just have a few questions, which I would love for you to answer. I have listed them below:

• How old is your little one? From my calculations she might be 13 weeks?
• Was she born at full term or premature? If she was born premature how many…

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Hey Pav,

Thanks for sending me Roh’s week. Looking at this, it seems like he started to wake up independently (in the morning) but he was crankier in the afternoons, and had a few overnight wakes. This makes me think he might need a bit more daytime sleep.

Here’s what I’d suggest trying for the next week:

Morning wake time: If he hasn’t woken…

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Hi Cherry,

Firstly, a huge congratulations on the safe arrival of your little one! It sounds like you’re doing well.

Also, there’s no such thing as a silly question, as parenthood is such a steep learning curve.

I’ve answered your questions below, so feel free to ask any follow-ups if needed.

1. Settling Pyramid at 4 Weeks

At four weeks, it’s…

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Hi Olga,

Thanks so much for recording your little one’s day.

From what you’ve written, it looks like he had 6 naps:

• Nap 1 – 20 mins
• Nap 2 – 30 mins
• Nap 3 – 31 mins
• Nap 4 – 1 hour 20 mins
• Nap 5 – 1 hour
• Nap 6 – 2 hours 15 mins

This totals just under 6 hours of daytime sleep, which is quite a lot for a newborn and is likely why he’s so active…

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Hi Yanet,

I am so sorry I seemed to have missed your reply.

Thanks so much for outlining what your little one’s day looks like.

Based on what you recorded, it looks like your little one is having around four naps a day, totalling just under four hours of daytime sleep, which is great for three months.

If you’re aiming for a bedtime…

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Hi Laura,

Sorry, I’m a little confused about what you mean by “random wake windows,” so I just want to clarify, are her wake windows changing throughout the whole day, as in they’re decreasing across the board? Or are you referring specifically to that first wake window of the day starting to become shorter? Or is it the final wake window…

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Hi Pav,

Offering him a slightly earlier nap on these days would be fine and letting him sleep for slightly longer as a result would be a good idea. Just based on your initial recording if he slept past 2:30pm he tended to fall asleep after 8pm. So I would just make sure you cap the nap at 2:30pm.

I would also be keen to see what this week…

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Hi Lizzie,

It sounds like you’ve been trying a lot of different things, and I can hear it feels like it’s getting harder rather than easier. But I do want to point out, the fact that your little one can now fall asleep in your arms without movement is a huge step forward from where you started.

I have a few changes I’d recommend trying. I’ve…

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Hi Annie,

No worries at all. I was hoping you were busy putting everything into practice! It’s great to hear you’ve made some progress. Regarding your questions, I have answered them below.

Early Morning Wake-Ups

Since he’s been waking around 6–6:30 and isn’t really interested in playing during that first wake window, I’d suggest trying to feed…

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No worries Pav. Let me know how this week goes.
Emma

Hi Olga,

It really depends on your little one. So if you like it, it’d be great if you could let me know the time he generally naps during the day and how long these naps are and how many naps he’s having. Then I can work out if it might be too much sleep.

Emma

Hi Yanet!

It’s great that you’ve been able to stop the motion and your little one is now falling asleep without movement!

In terms of transitioning to the settling pyramid, here are a few things I’d suggest trying.

Adjusting the Sleep Routine

Because she’s getting distressed during the routine, try completing part of it outside the bedroom.…

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Hi Olga,

I hope you’re having a great week I have answered your question below.

Wake-up time of 9:30–10:00 AM

The specific time you choose doesn’t matter nearly as much as being consistent with it. The key is picking a 30-minute window and waking him within that window every single day, including weekends. This consistency is what helps your…

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Hi Pav,

I’ve had a look at your record for the last week, and there’s some really positive progress! It looks like the split nights are happening much less often now, which is great to see.

I did notice that he’s been waking a little earlier than usual, closer to 6:30 rather than 7. So it might be worth adjusting bedtime slightly over the next…

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Hi Lizzie,

Great to hear you’re going to try the Halo swaddles – experimenting with one arm up is a good idea too.

Regarding yawning as a sleep cue – yawning is usually a late tired sign, but given that your little one seems to perk up when you take her into the bedroom, what I’d suggest is this: when you see that yawn, instead of getting her…

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Hi Yanet,

If she’s closing her eyes while you rock her, she’s likely falling asleep or entering a light stage of sleep. Here are two things you can try:

Gradually reduce the rocking Rather than rocking her until she’s fully still, try shortening the rocking time. Since she responds better when you slow down gradually, use that to your advantage…

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Hi Yanet!

I have answered your questions below.

How long to see results?

Every baby is different, so there’s no exact timeline. Some parents notice progress within a few days, while for others it takes a couple of weeks of consistent practice. The key is consistency rather than speed, even small signs of progress (like needing slightly less…

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Hi Laura,

It’s great to hear that you think you’ve navigated through the breastfeeding crisis and the regression! And you’re feeling ready to take on more things around sleep when life is already extremely busy.

I’ve just answered your questions below.

Daytime Sleep Schedule

Great work pushing that first wake window to 1 hour 30 minutes! And…

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Hi Aikaterini,

Thanks so much for taking the time to provide such detailed answers, it really has helped me understand what’s happening!

It’s great that your little one has been on the right formula for over six weeks now, and that you’re seeing those longer stretches of sleep. The fact that he’s generally happier during the day and eating well…

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Hi Catherin,

A based on my calculations, your little one may be 15 months or nearly 15 months, so she actually doesn’t need that breastfeed for nutrition anymore. Since she’s only having it at bedtime, it indicates that it is a sleep association. Once you remove it, she will start sleeping for longer stretches overnight and sleep through.

There…

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Hi Pav,

That’s so exciting that he’s starting to say words!

When toddlers begin talking, their behaviour often improves because they can communicate what they need instead of getting frustrated. And over the last few weeks, he would have been getting used to staying awake for longer stretches. So it makes perfect sense that his mood has been a…

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Hi Lizzie,

I can totally understand why you want to get ahead with your second little one, especially considering how difficult sleep was with your first. It’s fantastic that you’ve already got the course and are putting the strategies into practice!

Before I jump into your questions, I just wanted to mention something that might help put your…

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Hi Olga,

Firstly, congratulations on the arrival of your little one!

What you’ve described is completely normal at 6 weeks. At this age, most babies fall asleep after feeds and have very short wake windows – sometimes just long enough for a feed and a nappy change before they’re ready to sleep again.

Over the next few weeks, you’ll start to…

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Hi Yanet!

It’s great that you’ve been trying the settling pyramid with your little one!

How long should you persist?

Generally, I’d suggest persisting for around 20 minutes if you have the time and energy. Babies typically fall asleep within 20 minutes, so if she hasn’t settled by then, it’s absolutely fine to stop and settle her to sleep in…

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Hi Pav,

It sounds like he did really well, even when he only had a 1.5 hour nap.

Just let me know how you go after a week and we’ll see if anything else needs tweaking.

Emma

Hi Aikaterini,

Honestly, your English is amazing, so no need to apologise at all! It does sound like you and your little one have been dealing with a lot these first few months. It’s great that you’ve been able to identify that he’s allergic to milk.

I just have a few questions that will help me understand what’s happening so we can figure out…

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Hi Pav,

It’s great to hear he’s taking a solid 2-hour nap each day!

To answer your questions:

1. Yes, this grumpiness is completely expected and should settle down once he adjusts to the longer wake windows.
2. If he’s particularly grumpy in the afternoon, you can try putting him down at 7pm. However, when you did this before, he still didn’t fall…

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Hi Laura,

Thanks for sending this through! Your little one’s routine looks pretty good.

One thing I noticed is that the amount of daytime sleep she’s getting might mean she doesn’t need as much sleep overnight. To help encourage her to drop a daytime nap (and therefore need more sleep at night), you could try extending that first wake window a…

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Hey Pav,

If you’re happy to continue with the current schedule for a week and just note down the time Rohan is falling asleep at bedtime, that would be great!

After a week, we can take a look at the pattern. If he’s consistently falling asleep around 7:45pm or a bit later, we can then shift the time you’re laying him down from 7:15pm to…

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