[Emma H]

Hi Jill,

It sounds like your little one might be used to falling asleep during a feed, and when he transitions between sleep cycles, he wakes fully and searches for that same comfort to fall back asleep. The 4–7 a.m. stretch is often harder because his sleep pressure is much lower (after already sleeping for about 7 hours), and his circadian rhythm is naturally encouraging him to wake up.

To help make nights more manageable, I have a few questions that will help me better understand his routine. When you have a moment, could you please answer these?

1. Does he have a set wake-up time? If so, what time is that?
2. You mentioned using the settling pyramid for naps—have you been able to continue with it, and how’s it going?
3. How are you currently settling him to sleep at bedtime?
4. Can you share what his nap and bedtime routines look like?
5. Does he use a pacifier to fall asleep?
6. Does he share a room with anyone?
7. Where does he sleep at night?
8. Is his bedroom dark enough that you couldn’t read a book, cool, and quiet?
9. When he wakes overnight, are you following the wake-feed-sleep routine? For example, no nappy changes (unless necessary) and keeping the room dark during feeds?
10. You mentioned his 45-minute naps are going well. How many naps is he having during the day, and what time does his last nap usually end in relation to his 7 p.m. bedtime?

Sorry for all the questions!

This information will help me get a clearer picture of what might be causing the difficulties and how to improve things for both of you.

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Matthew,

It’s great to hear that your little boy is sleeping through the night

When it comes to prioritizing overnight sleep over daytime naps, it depends.

At this age, maintaining a consistent morning wake-up time is crucial. It helps regulate your baby’s circadian rhythm, ensures bedtime stays predictable, and establishes the timing for naps throughout the day as he grows.

So, if your little one’s extra nighttime sleep is causing his wake-up time to shift, I’d recommend choosing a wake-up time and keeping it within a 30-minute window each day. For example, if 7:00 am is your ideal wake-up time, try not to let him sleep past 7:30 am.

Now, about those naps—short catnaps of 30–45 minutes are developmentally normal at this stage. This happens because babies have trouble linking sleep cycles and often wake after just one. To help extend naps, you can try entering the room just before his sleep cycle ends and assisting him with techniques like patting, shushing, or offering a pacifier (if he uses one). Alternatively, you can embrace the catnaps for now and focus on teaching him to fall asleep independently using the settling pyramid. Once he hits the developmental stage around 5–6 months when he can naturally link sleep cycles, this skill will allow him to link sleep cycles and extend the length of his naps.

The other thing I wanted to mention is if he’s taking a long time to fall asleep even with rocking, it may indicate he’s not quite tired enough. In this case, adjusting his wake windows could be helpful. At this age, babies can typically stay awake for about 2–2.5 hours at a time. A slight increase in awake time might make him more ready to nap when the time comes.

Regarding his milk intake during the day, have you been able to implement a wake, feed, play, and sleep routine? Additionally, when you’re feeding him, are you doing so in a quiet, distraction-free environment? And is your little one breastfed or formula-fed?

You also mentioned he’s experiencing a milk aversion. Do you have any insight into what might be causing it? For example, could there be an underlying issue such as an allergy or intolerance that you’re currently investigating?

I hope this helps a little!
Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Rebekah,

It’s so great to hear that your little one is doing so well at night in the bassinet and already enjoying a long midday nap—such a win!

What you’ve described can be very normal for this age. Babies under 3 months often have a lot of naps—anywhere from 4-6 a day—and the lengths can be all over the place. For example, one nap might be just 20 minutes, the next 40 minutes, then a lovely long 1.5-2 hour nap, followed by a couple of shorter 30-minute naps. It can feel pretty random!

Although it is random, there are things you can start doing now to encourage longer naps (and fewer of them over time). Before I dive into suggestions, I’d love to get a better idea of what your days look like with your little one.

So, when you get a chance (no rush, I know how busy life can be with an 11-week-old!), could you answer a few quick questions for me?

1. Do you have a consistent wake-up time? If so, what time is it?
2. Are you following the wake, feed, play, sleep routine during the day?
3. You mentioned he likes being held to fall asleep. Can you describe what his current nap routine looks like and how you help him fall asleep? For example, are you rocking or feeding him to sleep?
4. How long is he staying awake between naps?
5. You said he naps in the pram bassinet. Could you describe where that’s set up? Is the room dark and quiet, or is it bright and maybe a bit noisier? Are you pushing the pram while he sleeps, or is it still? What is the temperature of the room?
6. Does he use a pacifier?
7. Is he swaddled when he sleeps? If so what type of swaddle are you using?
8. Are you able to describe what his bedtime routine looks like at night?
9. Is he waking up overnight for feeds?
10. Have you had a chance to try the settling pyramid with him?

Hopefully, these questions don’t feel too overwhelming. Take your time—there’s no rush at all. I just want to make sure my suggestions are as helpful as possible for you and your little one.

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Giedrė!

I’m so happy to hear that things are improving with bedtime and nighttime sleep—well done!

Thank you for tracking and sharing all those details. Based on what you’ve described, it looks like her wake windows have naturally stretched, to around 3 hours in the evening. It’s great to see that her bedtime is settling consistently between 8:00 – 8:30 PM.

Evening Wake Window and Bedtime

To help keep bedtime smooth and easy, I recommend maintaining that final wake window at around 3 hours. This means ensuring she’s awake from her last nap by 5:30 PM at the latest, which will help her be ready for sleep around 8:30 PM.

Extending the First Nap

I noticed you mentioned that her first naps are sometimes shorter, which can impact the timing of her third nap. One strategy to extend that morning nap is to gradually stretch her first wake window. Instead of having her first nap at 8 AM after waking at 6 AM, try gradually pushing that nap to around 8:30 AM. Sometimes, a slightly longer wake window in the morning can result in a longer, more restorative nap.

If pushing her wake window by 30 minutes all at once feels too challenging, you can adjust it in smaller increments. For example, extend her first wake window by 15 minutes for a few days, then add another 15 minutes after that. Once you reach an 8:30 AM nap time, keep it consistent for about 3 days to see if it positively impacts the length of that first nap.

Managing the Third and Fourth Naps

Since the fourth nap is becoming difficult, it’s perfectly fine to let her have a longer third nap when needed instead. If you find that a longer third nap followed by an earlier bedtime works better, I would definitely continue with that pattern.

Using the Settling Pyramid After 6 Months Of Age

Regarding your question about whether the settling pyramid will continue to work after 6 months of age—yes, it can definitely still be effective as your baby grows. However, you may need to make a slight adjustment as she becomes more aware of her surroundings.

As babies get older, they can become more aware of their environment, and having you in the room during the settling process can sometimes be distracting or even distressing for them. If you notice this happening, you might want to modify the settling pyramid by adjusting how you complete the “watch and listen” step.

Here’s how to adapt the approach:

1. Complete the usual bedtime or nap routine, place her in the crib, and then leave the room. At this point, instead of staying in the room, you’ll observe her from outside, using a monitor.

2. When you’re watching from outside the room, keep in mind that if she calls out but pauses between her call-outs, it doesn’t necessarily mean she needs you right away. Often, this is just her way of adjusting to the new routine or settling herself. Babies can take up to 20 minutes to fall asleep, so giving her space is often helpful.

3. However, if she calls out continuously without pauses, that’s a sign she may need your support. At this point, you would enter the room and move up and down the settling pyramid steps as needed. Once you’re back in the room, it’s best to stay until she falls asleep, as opening and closing the bedroom door can be distracting and alerting, making it difficult for her to fall asleep.

My Daughter’s Sleep

Thank you for asking about how things are going with my little one!

Regarding her sleep, I’ve definitely encountered the usual challenges that come with growth spurts, teething, and sickness—these can naturally cause some disruptions. During these times, my focus has been on staying as consistent as possible with her usual sleep routine, which has really helped minimize the need for retraining afterwards.

If she was uncomfortable due to teething (which meant she was also uncomfortable during the day and clingy) or sick (evident through coughing or a constant runny nose ), I would give her pain relief if needed before naps and bedtime, then proceed with her usual routine. Sometimes, I would rock her a bit longer, but I always tried to put her down awake in her crib, helping her fall asleep with gentle patting if needed. This way, she maintained her ability to self-settle even if she needed a bit more support in the moment.

I was also careful not to introduce a night feed if it wasn’t previously needed. As introducing a feed when it wasn’t needed overnight could have created a new sleep association, resulting in the need to ‘retrain’ if she didn’t naturally return to sleeping without it once she was well again. Instead, I would settle her back to sleep in my arms if needed and then put her back in the crib.

When she moved into her own room around 12 months, there were occasions where I’d sleep on a mattress in her room if she was very unwell (like when she had croup). This allowed me to be close by without changing her sleep environment or routine, so when she got better, she could easily return to her usual pattern.

Overall, I’ve had about 12 occasions now (which have lasted 3 – 7 days) where I had to provide more comfort than usual when she was unwell or in pain. However, she naturally returned to her usual sleeping pattern once she was well again or those teeth came through!

I hope this helps!

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Caro,

Firstly, your written English is amazing—there’s absolutely no need to apologize!

The change in your little one’s willingness to nap can definitely be related to transitioning out of the swaddle. This is a big adjustment for many babies and often takes a few days, along with some extra support from us, to get through. If you had to transition quickly and go from swaddled to both arms out right away, it may take a little longer.

How did he go with his naps yesterday? Is he starting to settle more easily?

Before I share specific recommendations, I have a few questions that will help me better understand your little one’s current routine and challenges. When you have a moment, could you please answer the following?

1. You mentioned he wakes up at 6:30 a.m. but sometimes wakes earlier and sleeps in your arms until 6:30. What time is he waking, and how are you getting him back to sleep?

2. How long is he staying awake between naps?

3. How many naps is he generally having each day?

4. Can you describe your nap and bedtime routines, especially at which point in the routine you go into his room?

5. Is he napping in the crib attached to your bed for all his naps?

6. Are his naps consistently short (one sleep cycle, around 30–45 minutes)?

7. How are you currently helping him fall asleep at night?

8. How often is he feeding overnight, and what times is he waking during the night?

9. You mentioned he goes to bed at 6:30 p.m. but doesn’t fall asleep until 7–7:30 p.m. What’s happening during that time? Are you lying beside him, feeding him, or going in and out to replace the pacifier?

Sorry for the long list of questions!

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Marshall,
No worries.
I hope it helps!

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Rebekah,

Thanks so much for getting back to me and answering all my questions!

How did yesterday go with naps?

The heat can definitely make things trickier for settling and staying asleep—it’s such a common struggle, so don’t be too hard on yourself if things feel off right now!

Before I provide suggestions I just wanted to say two things:.

First, it’s completely normal for babies at this age to have 5-6 naps a day, so you’re not alone in navigating this stage.

Second, the reason he likely sleeps well in his bassinet at night is that his circadian rhythm and sleep pressure work together to help him fall and stay asleep. During the day, only sleep pressure is at play, which makes daytime naps naturally more challenging.

Here are a few ideas that might make nap time smoother for both of you:

Morning Wake-Up Time
You mentioned that he usually wakes between 7:00 AM and 8:30 AM. To help his circadian rhythm mature, which supports better overnight sleep and more predictable bedtimes, it’s really helpful to keep his morning wake-up time consistent within a 30-minute window. A consistent wake-up time also sets the stage for more predictable nap schedules throughout the day, as the timing of the first nap naturally anchors the second, third, and so on. Would you feel comfortable waking him between 7:00 and 7:30 AM each morning?

Stretching Wake Windows
He might be fighting naps because he’s not quite tired enough when it’s time to sleep. You mentioned that he’s currently awake for about an hour at a time. Gradually increasing his wake windows to around 1.5 hours might help build enough sleep pressure, making it easier for him to settle when nap time comes. This adjustment can take a little trial and error, so feel free to experiment and see how he responds!

Watch Out for Quick Naps
You mentioned that you are trying to follow the wake, feed, play, and sleep routine, but that he sometimes feeds frequently in the mornings due to reflux and gas. One thing to keep in mind is that babies can briefly fall asleep while feeding, which can be hard to notice since they may continue sucking even though they’ve stopped actively swallowing. If this happens, these micro-naps can reset his sleep pressure. For example, if you think he’s been awake for an hour, he might have only been truly awake for 30 minutes or less because he dozed off during feeding. This could explain why he sometimes seems unsettled or harder to put down for a nap.

Nap Routine

You mentioned that you’re currently putting him in his sleep sack and possibly rocking him to sleep. A small tweak to this routine could help him gradually adjust to falling asleep with less movement, making it easier to transition to laying him down in the bassinet and using the Settling Pyramid method. Here’s how it might look:

After placing him in his sleep sack, start rocking him as you normally do, but start singing a lullaby or humming (if singing isn’t your style). As he becomes drowsy, gradually stop rocking and hold him still—whether standing or sitting—while continuing to hum or sing softly until he drifts off to sleep.

This approach helps him get accustomed to falling asleep without relying on movement, as well as create a sleep association with the lullaby or the humming tune, that you can then use to help transition to using the sleep pyramid when you are ready.

Handling Wake-Ups
Since he’s falling asleep in your arms and his age, it’s likely he will wake up when he transitions between sleep cycles, which typically happens every 30–45 minutes. If this happens, you can try to resettle him back to sleep. However, it might be a bit challenging because the short nap will have already reduced some of his sleep pressure. (I talk about this in more detail in the video on Catnapping in the course)

Pacifier Considerations

If you notice that the pacifier falls out when you transfer him from your arms to the pram or bassinet, causing him to wake up, or if you find yourself needing to replace it frequently to help him fall and stay asleep, it could be contributing to the difficulties you’re experiencing. If this seems to be the case, here are two options to consider:

• Remove the pacifier just before sleep: Use the pacifier as part of the nap routine to help him relax. After completing the routine, lay him down in the bassinet/pram or hold him still in your arms with the pacifier in his mouth. Just before he falls asleep, gently remove the pacifier by placing your finger between it and the corner of his mouth to break the suction.

  Some babies will continue sleeping soundly after the pacifier is removed. If he stirs, you can use the Settling Pyramid or other settling techniques to help him resettle.

• Skip the pacifier for naps: If removing the pacifier before sleep causes him to fully wake up, you might want to try skipping the pacifier altogether at nap time.

Reflux

If you suspect that reflux is impacting his sleep or causing him to feel uncomfortable and upset throughout the day, it’s worth bringing it up with his doctor. They can offer tailored advice and possibly recommend strategies or treatments to help manage the reflux, making him more comfortable and improving his sleep quality.

Does this sound doable?

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Marshall,

If your little one is also around the 6–8 week mark, the late afternoons and evenings can indeed be a bit tricky due to the Period of PURPLE Crying. During this time, babies might be harder to soothe and may prefer to cluster feed and be held more often.

That said, if you notice your baby is tired in the afternoons, you can still swaddle them, go through your nap routine, and try the settling pyramid to help them fall asleep. If it works, that’s great! If it doesn’t, it’s perfectly okay to soothe them to sleep in other ways. Also, keep in mind that they might only take a short nap during this time.

In the module on the Period of PURPLE Crying, there’s a PDF outlining soothing strategies that can be helpful during this fussy period. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out, you might find it useful.

You’re right that mornings are generally easier for settling your little one using the settling pyramid, but feel free to try it in the afternoons and evenings as well. It’s all about finding what works best for you and your baby without adding extra stress.

I hope this helps,

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Paven,

That sounds like a great plan!

It’s so good to hear that his second nap is lengthening more consistently.

It seems you’ve established a nap routine that suits him well, which is fantastic.

Just keep an eye on it and see how it goes.

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Paven,

It’s wonderful to hear that Rohan is starting to elongate both naps!

Regarding your question about capping his naps to fit in all three, if Rohan seems content after his third nap and stays happy until bedtime, it’s perfectly fine to continue capping his naps to maintain this pattern. However, if you notice he’s upset after the third nap because it’s too short, there are two approaches you can try:

Option 1: Transition to Two Naps

Let his morning and early afternoon naps run their full course and move his bedtime slightly earlier. He may already be ready to drop his third nap.

For example, his routine could look like this:

• 7:30 AM: Wake
• 9:30 AM: First nap
• 11:30 AM: Wake
• 1:30 PM: Second nap
• 3:30 PM: Wake
• 7:00 PM: Bedtime

The long final wake window might be a bit much for Rohan to manage at this age, but I thought it would be worth mentioning, as you know him best!

Option 2: Maintain Three Naps with an Adjusted Schedule

Start his day a little earlier to better fit three naps into his routine. For example:

• 7:00 AM: Wake
• 9:00 AM: First nap
• 11:00 AM: Wake
• 1:00 PM: Second nap
• 3:00 PM: Wake
• 4:30/ 5PM: Third nap (capped at 5/5:30 PM)
• 7:30/7:45 PM: Bedtime (asleep by 8:00 PM)

Does this help?

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Giedrė,

Thank you so much for your lovely message—it truly made my day!

I’m absolutely thrilled to hear that my program has made such a positive difference for you and your baby girl. It’s wonderful to know that her naps and bedtime have improved so much. The fact that she’s falling asleep on her own and has stopped catnapping is fantastic progress!

But honestly, the real credit goes to you—your dedication and hard work have made all the difference in your daughter’s sleep! You’re an amazing Mom and you should be so proud of yourself!

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Pav,

I’m glad my explanation of capping naps made sense.

In regards to the early morning wake ups, this is actually pretty common!

Often, I find this can happen if they’ve been woken up prematurely and are trying to drift back to sleep. Unfortunately, at this hour it’s hard for them to fall back to sleep, as their sleep pressure is much lower, and their circadian rhythm is naturally encouraging them to wake up.

If you feel like your little one is waking prematurely, it’s helpful to check if something in their environment might be causing those early wake-ups. For example, are they too hot or cold? Could the noise of someone getting up, birds chirping, or early morning traffic be waking them? Even a bit of sunlight peeking through the curtains can sometimes stir them awake.

Other times, it might simply be that they’ve reached their sleep needs for the night, and they’re in that light dozing phase before fully waking up.

What you’re doing is great—waiting until he’s fully awake before going in is ideal, as sometimes they just need a bit of space to fall back asleep. But if you notice he’s not quite settling after 20 minutes, it’s perfectly fine to go in and get him.

I hope that helps!
Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Pav,

Thank you so much for the update! It sounds like you’re doing an amazing job being attentive to Ro’s needs and making adjustments as you go—that’s truly the best approach during these transitional phases.

You’re definitely on the right track with extending his wake windows and tweaking his feeding schedule to fit his current needs. As you’ve noticed, these adjustments can significantly impact nap quality, so it’s great to see that Ro is responding well to the changes.

Regarding your question about capping the first nap to encourage a longer second nap, this strategy can be effective, but it’s typically more suitable for slightly older babies.

For older babies, capping the first nap can help redistribute their total daytime sleep. And this can be helpful, because if they meet most of their sleep needs during that first nap, they may not feel the need to take a longer midday nap. So, by slightly reducing the length of the morning nap, you can extend the second nap of the day. This is especially useful as the second nap eventually becomes the primary nap they’ll rely on when transitioning to one nap around 15 months.

However, at Ro’s current age, I would recommend continuing to follow his lead. For younger babies, the first nap of the day is usually where they begin to link sleep cycles. This means the morning nap often becomes longer. Once they successfully extend their first nap, they generally become better at linking sleep cycles during their midday nap as well. As a result, the second nap tends to lengthen naturally over time without the need to adjust or cap the first nap.

I hope that helps!

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Pav,

It sounds like you’re really tuning into Rohan’s needs during this transition—it’s not always easy to adjust schedules!

I’m curious to hear how the last few days have gone for you? During this transition period from four naps to three, it’s definitely okay to be flexible. As you’ve noticed, one day he might manage well on three naps, but if the next day his second nap is shorter than usual (say only 30-40 minutes instead of his usual longer nap), you might need to offer a fourth nap that day. This can help ensure he gets enough daytime sleep so he’s not overtired by bedtime.

It’s all about finding that balance as he adjusts to the new schedule, and it’s completely normal to have days where you need to switch things up based on how he’s feeling.

Let me know how things have been going since your last message—I’d love to hear if anything has changed!

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Giedre!

Thank you so much for the update—it’s wonderful to hear how much progress your little one has made, especially with her naps and connecting sleep cycles! You’ve clearly been putting in a lot of effort, and it’s really paying off.

In regards to improving her bedtime and night wake-ups I have a few thoughts:

Morning Wake-Up Time

It’s great to hear she’s waking up later in the morning, typically between 6 and 7 am—much better than those early 5 am starts! If you’re open to it, could you narrow down her morning wake-up time to a 30-minute window? If this is something you are willing to do, to find her ideal wake-up time, I suggest tracking her wake-ups for the next few days. For example:

• If she generally wakes between 6 and 6:30 am, then set the latest wake-up time at 6:30 am.
• If it’s more around 6:30 to 7 am, then you could set 7 am as the latest wake-up.

Keeping her wake-up time consistent will help align her internal clock and set a more stable bedtime.

Last Nap of the Day

Since she’s able to fall asleep independently for naps, her resistance at bedtime might be due to either being not quite tired enough or too overtired. Finding that perfect wake window before bedtime is key to helping her settle more easily.

Could you track her bedtime routine for a few days? Specifically, note what time she actually falls asleep in your arms and when her last nap ends. This will give us valuable insights into whether she’s ready for bed at a consistent time, potentially revealing her true bedtime. It will also help us better understand how long her wake window is before bedtime.

At 5.5 months old, most babies can handle a wake window of about 2 to 2.5 hours during the day, with the last wake window of the evening sometimes stretching to 2.5 to 3 hours. Tracking when her last nap ends and what time she’s falling asleep for the night will help us determine if her current wake window is just right or needs adjustment.

Based on her transition to 3 naps, I imagine her schedule might look something like this:

• First nap: Around 8:30/9 am
• Second nap: Around 12:30/1 pm
• Third nap: Around 4/4:30 pm, ending by 5/5:30 pm.

Does that sound close to her current schedule?

Gradually Reducing The Rocking at Bedtime

In the meantime, if she still needs to be settled in your arms at bedtime, here’s something to try: gradually reduce the amount of movement as she falls asleep. This can help her adjust to falling asleep with less intervention.

• Complete her bedtime routine as usual, and if the settling pyramid doesn’t fully work, go ahead and pick her up to soothe her.
• Start with shushing and rocking, but as she begins to calm down, slowly stop the rocking while continuing to shush.
• Once she’s relaxed, gradually stop the shushing, letting her settle more with just your presence.

This approach helps her get used to falling asleep with less movement and noise. Over time, it will make it easier to transition back to using just the settling pyramid once we fine-tune her bedtime.

Let me know how you go with tracking her wake windows and bedtime routine over the next few days.

Emma