[Emma H]

Hi Angela!

It’s great to hear that you’ve been practicing the settling pyramid and that your little one can often fall asleep with shushing and patting.

Rolling over is a big milestone, and it’s understandable that it can disrupt her sleep routine.

Here are some suggestions to help manage this situation:

1. Encourage Rolling Skills: Keep practicing rolling during the daytime to help her become more comfortable and proficient at rolling back onto her back.

2. Safe Sleep Environment: Make sure her sleep environment is safe for tummy sleeping. Babies often prefer to sleep on their tummies once they learn to roll over, and as you’ve noticed, they often roll over while they’re sleeping. Since she’s likely to roll over, ensure her crib is free of pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals. It’s also important that she is no longer swaddled, and the mattress she is sleeping on is firm and flat.

3. Minimise Nighttime Interventions: If she rolls onto her tummy and seems content and she is sleeping in a safe sleeping environment, it’s often best to let her stay in that position. If she becomes distressed, gently roll her back but try to minimise interaction to avoid further stimulating her.

4. Nursing to Sleep: When she wakes up early in the morning (around 5 am) after rolling onto her tummy, it can be challenging for her to go back to sleep. This is because her circadian rhythm is encouraging her to wake up, and her sleep pressure is low after 8-10 hours of sleep. So, if she wakes at this time, try rolling her back onto her back and settling her with patting and shushing or gentle rocking. If this doesn’t work, feeding her at this time is fine—just keep the lights off while doing so. I expect that once she becomes comfortable sleeping on her tummy, these early morning wakes should stop.

I hope these tips help!

Best, Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Lydia,

Before I give some suggestions, I was just wondering if you feel like your little one is always unsettled? So is he squirming/fussing all the time. Or would you say there are times (maybe in the early part of the day) that he is content and happy to be on the ground for a few seconds playing under a play gym or something?

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Elisa,

It’s wonderful to hear that your little one is able to fall asleep on her own in her crib.

Waking up between 6 – 7 am is quite common for babies, as their natural body clock tends to make them early risers. However, there are a few strategies you can try to encourage her to sleep a bit later. Keep in mind that these methods might not always work (because they are naturally early risers), but they are worth a try:

1. Gradually Shift Her Bedtime:

   • If you’re open to a slightly later bedtime, aim for 8:00 pm. Over the next week, gradually shift her bedtime later by 10-15 minutes every three days. This slow adjustment helps her body clock adapt. Once her bedtime reaches 8:00 pm, maintain this schedule for a few weeks to see if it influences her wake-up time.

2. Evening Light Exposure:

   • To support a later bedtime, keep the house lights on in the evening and only turn them off just before bedtime. This helps her stay awake and adjust to a later schedule.

3. Morning Light Exposure:

   • Gradually shift her wake-up time (the time you get her out of bed) by 10-15 minutes every three days until she is waking up at 6:30 am. During this period, keep her room dark and delay her first feed until 6:30 am. Avoid exposing her to light before her new wake-up time and refrain from feeding her earlier, as these can signal her internal body clock that it’s time to wake up. The room should be dark enough that you cannot read a book. If any light is seeping through (from under the bedroom door or from outside) try to block it. As any light entering the room at this time in the morning will encourage her to wake up.

4. Adjust Nap Times And Mealtimes:

   • To support the adjustments to her morning wake-up time and new bedtime, it’s beneficial to shift her entire schedule, including nap times and mealtimes. Gradually move these times later by 10-15 minutes every three days. Maintain this new schedule for a few weeks to allow her body clock to fully adapt.

Hopefully these help shift her wake up time back just a little!

Emma

• This reply was modified 1 year, 2 months ago by  Emma H.

[Emma H]

Hi Natalee,

At nearly 7 months old, it’s common for babies to still need overnight feeds. As a rough guide, bottle-fed babies can generally start having their night feeds phased out from around 6 months of age. Breastfed babies may continue to wake for overnight feeds up until 12 months of age. If they are waking for feeds at this age, we would expect them to have a long stretch of sleep (around 5-8 hours) at the beginning of the night before waking for 1-2 feeds overnight.

Is your little one currently falling asleep on his own at the beginning of the night? If not, and you’re currently feeding him to sleep or rocking him in your arms, the first step would be helping him learn how to fall asleep on his own. Once he masters this skill, he will likely start having longer stretches of sleep at the start of the night, and the night feeds will naturally decrease.

If he is already falling asleep on his own and is waking consistently every 3 hours (which is the length of an overnight sleep cycle), I suggest continue to feed him when he wakes for hunger but gradually reduce any comfort feeding to encouraging longer stretches of sleep.

Here’s how you can do it:

Step 1: Record His Feeding Patterns for 2-3 Nights

To differentiate between hunger-driven and comfort-driven wakings, start by documenting each overnight feed for a couple of days. For breastfeeding, note the duration of each feed; for bottle feeding, record how much he drinks.

Step 2: Analyze the Feeding Data

Review the information to see which feeds were likely due to genuine hunger — indicated by longer breastfeeding times or higher amounts of milk consumed — and which were likely for comfort, shown by shorter feeds or less milk consumed.

Step 3: Gradually Reduce the Comfort Feeds

Now that you’ve identified which feeds are for comfort rather than hunger, gently reduce these comfort feeds by decreasing the duration of breastfeeding or the volume of bottle-feeding slightly each night.

• For Breastfeeding: Begin by shortening each comfort feed by about 1-2 minutes every night. Continue reducing the feeds until they last less than five minutes. Once they’re under 5 minutes, you can stop feeding and instead use the ‘Settling Pyramid’ to soothe him back to sleep.

• For Bottle-Feeding: Reduce the volume given during comfort feeds by 1/2 to 1 ounce each night. Continue reducing the amount until it’s less than 2 ounces. At that point, switch from feeding to using strategies from the ‘Settling Pyramid’ to help him drift back to sleep.

Does this make sense?

Best regards,

[Emma H]

Hi Natalee,

It’s great to hear that your little one is doing so well with his naps!

His resistance to the third nap, bedtime false starts, and occasional 5 am wake-ups could all be signs that he’s ready to drop that late afternoon nap. However, it might also indicate the need to extend his wake window again. Start by lengthening his wake windows to 2 1/2 hours. If he continues to resist the third nap and bedtime after this adjustment, it’s more likely that he has outgrown his need for the third nap and is ready to transition to two naps a day. Babies typically make this transition between 6-9 months, so it’s definitely not too early.

If this is the case, here are a few suggestions to help you navigate this period:

1. Adjust Wake Windows: When he drops his third nap, you will need to lengthen his wake windows again. Typically, the first wake period in the morning is the shortest. For instance, after waking up in the morning, he might stay awake for about 2 hours, then after the first nap, he might stay awake for 3 hours, and after the second nap, he could be awake for 4 hours before bedtime. So, if he wakes at 7 am, he might have his first nap at 9 am until 10:30/11 am, then his second nap might be at 1:30 pm until 3/3:30 pm, with bedtime around 6:30 pm.

2. Bedtime Adjustment: If dropping the third nap makes it difficult for him to reach his usual bedtime, consider moving his bedtime slightly earlier, to around 6:00 pm. Once he becomes comfortable with these longer wake windows, you can start to shift his bedtime to a later time if you prefer.

Remember, every baby is different, and it’s all about finding what works best for your little one. Feel free to adjust these suggestions based on his cues and responses.

I hope these tips help!

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Emilia,

I haven’t been able to find any articles specifically stating whether the AAP or Red Nose Australia recommend or do not recommend SlumberPods. However, it’s important to note that SlumberPod themselves do not recommend their product for infants younger than 4 months, as the AAP advises that newborns should be closely monitored due to their vulnerability.

Additionally, other sources indicate that since the AAP recommends nothing should be over or in a child’s sleep space until age one, they do not endorse the use of SlumberPods for young infants.

If you do decide to use a SlumberPod with your little one while traveling, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Airflow: The limited airflow is one of the main concerns parents have about the SlumberPod. To address this SlumberPod has recently released a fan that can be placed in a pocket to increase airflow within the tent-like structure. This could be worth considering.

• Temperature: The SlumberPod can be warmer inside than the surrounding room. So make sure you monitor the temperature and dress your little one appropriately. It would also be worth considering opening the vents while your little one is sleeping overnight to increase airflow and help regulate the temperature. It’s also important to remember that the SlumberPod is only approved for indoor use only.

• Monitoring: Another concern is the inability to see and monitor your baby when they are underneath the SlumberPod. The latest SlumberPod design includes a pocket for a video monitor, which will allow you to keep an eye on your little one while they sleep, so that might be worth looking into.

I hope this helps!

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Katerina,

I look forward to hearing how it goes!

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Lydia,

It would be so challenging seeing him upset.

You mentioned that you have been in contact with his doctor and they’ve given you medication for reflux. Did they investigate and rule out intolerances or allergies as well?

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Melina,

I thought the morning wake up time might be a challenge! Sorry for that! Aiming for a consistent wake-up time of 7:00 am is a great start. Once she’s used to that, you can gradually push it back to 6:30 am if needed.

It’s so nice to hear that your mom is on board too! That consistency will be really helpful.

If the pacifier isn’t causing issues and she can stay asleep without it, then that’s one less thing to worry about.

Regarding the earlier bedtime, focusing on helping her learn to fall asleep in the crib and maintaining a consistent wake-up time is a great start. These changes might be enough to smooth out the bedtime challenges.

Let me know how things go!

Emma

[Emma H]

Dear Katerina,

It’s great to hear that Helen has been waking up between 6:00 am and 6:15 am instead of 5:00 am for the last few mornings! 🙂

Regarding your concern about her sometimes becoming vocal and not going back to sleep after her early morning feed and poop, as you mentioned, it’s quite normal for babies and toddlers to naturally wake up between 6:00 am and 7:00 am. However, I understand that you’d like her to sleep a little later, even just by half an hour.

You can try to shift her circadian rhythm back even further by following the steps below. These strategies might not always work since babies are naturally early risers, but they are worth a try:

1. Gradually Shift Her Bedtime: To help Helen wake up 30 minutes later, we need to shift her bedtime 30 minutes later. For the next week, shift her bedtime by 15 minutes every 3 nights. Once she is going to bed at 8:30 pm, keep it at that time for 2 weeks and see if her morning wake-up time adjusts accordingly.

2. Keep the Lights On Until Bedtime: Keeping the lights on bright until bedtime will help keep her awake and gradually shift her circadian rhythm. This can signal to her body that it’s not yet time to sleep.

3. Keep Her Bedroom Dark Until It’s Time to Get Up: Light exposure in the morning tells our circadian rhythm that it’s time to start the day. Ensure her room stays dark until your desired wake-up time to encourage her to sleep longer.

4. Delay the Morning Feed: Eating is another signal to the circadian rhythm that it’s time to wake up. To encourage her to shift her wake-up time by 30 minutes, try delaying the morning feed by 15 minutes every 3 days until it’s happening at 6:30/6:45 am. Then maintain this schedule.

5. Shift Her Entire Schedule: Consider shifting her entire schedule, including naps and feeds, by 15 minutes every 3 days while you make these changes. This helps ensure that all her activities align with the new wake-up time.

I hope these tips help!

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Melina,

No worries about the delayed reply, and I’m thrilled to hear that the catnap issue resolved spontaneously!

In regards to the bedtime challenges there are a few things that might help:

1. Consistent Wake-Up Time:

   • The variability in her wake-up time between workdays and non-workdays might be contributing to the bedtime issues. Babies thrive on consistency, and maintaining a regular wake-up time helps keep their circadian rhythm stable, which also supports a consistent bedtime. I know it’s challenging, but would you be open to aiming for a consistent wake-up time of around 6:30 am on your non-workdays? This still falls within a 30-minute window of her 6 am wake-up on your workdays. If that is too challenging would you be able to manage a 7am wake up on your non-work days?

2. Adjusting Her Bedtime and Nap Pre-Sleep Routine:

   • It sounds like she might be struggling to self-settle, which could be why it takes her two hours to fall back asleep overnight and why you need to rock her in your arms. I think that when her eyes start to droop and her limbs begin to relax she might be in Stage 1 NREM sleep. This would explain why she wake up when you lay her down. Therefore, to help her fall asleep at bedtime and during the night after a feed, would you be open to trying to lay her down in the crib before she reaches this stage and then use the settling pyramid to help her fall asleep? If this is something you can do then it would be great if you could discuss this new routine with your mum, so that she can do this same routine when she has your little one during your workdays.

3. Pacifier Consideration:

   • If you try step 2 and she still struggles to fall asleep at bedtime and wakes frequently during the night, needing the pacifier reinserted repeatedly, the pacifier might be the issue. How would you feel about removing the pacifier just before she falls asleep? If you’re open to this, here’s how you can do it:

     • Let her suck on the pacifier during the pre-sleep routine.
     • Lay her in her crib with the pacifier still in her mouth.
     • Use the settling pyramid to help her fall asleep.
     • Just before she drifts off, gently remove the pacifier by placing your little finger between the pacifier and the corner of her mouth.

     For some babies, this works well. If she stirs more, you can use the settling pyramid to help her. But, if she wakes up fully, you have a couple of options:

     • Option 1: Continue using the pacifier and put it back in her mouth when needed. She should have the fine motor skills to do this herself around 7 – 8 months of age. If this becomes too frequent, consider removing the pacifier completely or only using it at the start of the pre-sleep routine.
     • Option 2: Use the pacifier for fussy times during the day and at the start of the pre-sleep routine, but not for sleep. Give her the pacifier at the start of the routine, then remove it before laying her in the crib, and use the settling pyramid to help her fall asleep without it.

4. Earlier Bedtime:

   • Sometimes, shifting bedtime to an earlier time can help eliminate bedtime challenges. Would it be possible to start the bedtime routine a bit earlier, around 7 or 7:30 pm, and aim for her to be asleep by 7:30 or 8:00 pm?

I hope this helps a little!

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Simona,

It’s great to hear that your little one is taking all his naps in the crib!

It’s completely normal for infants to have catnaps at this age. Once your little one learns to fall asleep on his own in his crib, he will naturally start lengthening his naps when he is developmentally ready, which is usually around 5 – 6 months of age. So when you have the energy, it would be great if you could start trying the full settling pyramid to help him learn this skill.

In the meantime, if he wakes up from a short nap and you can help him fall back asleep (and you’re comfortable doing so), you could try it for a few days to see if it improves his overnight sleep. If you choose to do this, I recommend focusing on the first 2 naps of the day, ensuring that the last nap is just a short catnap. Eventually, the goal is for the first and second naps to be longer, with the last nap of the day being a brief catnap.

When you start using the full settling pyramid, if you decide to use a pacifier, I recommend giving it to him at the start of the sleep routine but removing it just before placing him in the crib or before he falls asleep. So, the second option I outlined in my response above. I recommend you remove it just before you place him in the crib or before he drifts off to sleep because I think the pacifier falling out is making it challenging for him to fall asleep and causing him to wake up fully between sleep cycles. Unfortunately, he won’t have the fine motor skills to put the dummy back in his mouth until he is around 7 – 8 months of age. Therefore, if it does fall out while he is trying to go to sleep or between sleep cycles, he will call out to you to come and put it back in. Because of this, we want to teach him how to fall asleep without the pacifier. So when I say fade out, I mean the goal would be not to use the pacifier for sleep in the future.

Waking every 40 minutes at the beginning of the night is not something I would typically expect. Are you able to update me on what his daytime naps now look like, what time is bedtime, and what is happening overnight in general? Also, when he wakes 40 minutes after bedtime and continues to do so until midnight, how are you helping him fall back to sleep, or is he staying awake for a full wake window?

Another thing to consider is that around 4 months of age, bedtime often starts to shift earlier. It might be worth trying to move his bedtime slightly earlier to see if it eliminates these frequent wake-ups.

I hope this helps!

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Sarah,

If your little one has suddenly started waking up during the night and staying awake, there are a few things to consider:

• Total Sleep Needs: If he wakes for a full feed and then stays awake for an entire wake window, it might indicate that he needs to build up sleep pressure to fall back asleep. This could mean he has reached his total sleep needs. So, it is important to look at the amount of daytime sleep he has and adjust that if needed.
• Timing of the Last Nap: Ensure the final nap of the day ends early enough for him to build sufficient sleep pressure before bedtime. This might mean capping the late afternoon nap to provide a longer wake window.
• Consider Dropping a Nap: When babies are ready to drop a nap but haven’t yet done so, they can experience stretches of wakefulness during the night. At this age, babies typically take 3-4 naps per day. If your baby still has 4 or more naps a day but has established a routine with two longer naps (one in the early morning and another around midday), he might only need 3 naps a day. You may need to help him transition to fewer naps by gently eliminating one.
• How He Falls Asleep: If he falls asleep while feeding or in your arms, it may be worth trying to help him learn to fall asleep on his own in the crib. Using the settling pyramid method can help with this. Once he can fall asleep independently, he might stop waking during the night.
• Consistency: Learning to roll over might be impacting his sleep and resulting in this early morning wake. To ensure his safety during this time, it’s important to transition him out of the swaddle (if you haven’t already) and make sure he is sleeping on a firm, flat mattress free from loose bedding, soft toys, crib bumpers, etc. Once he learns to roll over, you may find he prefers to sleep on his tummy.
• Consistent Wake-Up Time: Establish a consistent morning wake-up time (if you haven’t already). This will help regulate his circadian rhythm and keep bedtime consistent. It will also help him naturally fall into a napping schedule.
• Boring Nighttime Environment: When he wakes overnight, keep the environment dark and interactions minimal. Use a red light if needed. This teaches him that nighttime is for sleeping, not playtime. Avoid turning on bright lights or engaging in play, as this can reinforce nighttime wakefulness and affect his circadian rhythm.

I hope these tips help!

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Anastasia,

You’re absolutely right. Both the AAP and Red Nose Australia state that once a baby can roll from their back to their tummy and vice versa, it’s safe to leave them to sleep in their preferred position, even if it’s on their tummy.

But, you may notice that your little one prefers to sleep on his side or tummy now that he has learnt to roll over. Many doctors agree that once a baby is strong enough to roll over, they have the strength to lift or turn their head while sleeping on their tummy, so there is no need to intervene.

If your doctor is happy for your little one to sleep on this tummy, it’s important to follow these guidelines:

• Until his first birthday, always place him on his back to sleep initially, but let him find their own comfortable position.
• Ensure the cot mattress is firm, flat (not tilted or elevated), and covered only with a fitted sheet.
• Keep the cot free from loose or soft items, such as pillows, loose blankets, toys, and cot bumpers.
• Use a sleeping bag or sleep sack instead of swaddling him.
• Continue providing tummy time when he is awake. This helps develop stronger neck and upper body muscles, enabling him to develop the strength to roll back over.

I hope this helps!

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Elen,

I’m glad to hear you enjoyed seeing family!

It does sound like the pooping might be disrupting her sleep. Is this happening every single day or just a few days a week? Also, have you noticed if she falls asleep and then wakes up to poop, or if she doesn’t fall asleep and then poops? One way to find out is by watching her over the monitor. You can usually tell when they are pooping by their posture and the sounds they make.

If you notice that she has pooped right after you put her to bed, you can go in, change her, and then redo the sleep routine before placing her back in the crib. If you find that the poops happen close to the time you are putting her down for a nap, consider shifting her nap time back a little so that she poops before you put her down (generally the poop will happen at the same time each day).

You could also try shifting her lunch time slightly earlier, aiming for lunch around 11:00-11:30 AM, and see if this changes the timing of her pooping. This might allow you to shift her nap time earlier again, which could help with her overall sleep routine.

It’s really common for toddlers to wake up crying from naps. Here are a few things to consider:

• Immediate Response: If she wakes up crying, it’s okay to go to her and comfort her. She might just need some reassurance.
• Self-Soothing: If she seems okay but is just fussing a bit, you can give her a few minutes to see if she settles on her own before going in.
• Post-Nap Routine: If breastfeeding or a bit of cuddling helps her calm down after waking, that’s perfectly fine.

If she doesn’t nap at all, offer an early bedtime to make up for the lost nap. This can help prevent her from becoming overtired.

I hope this help!

Emma