[Emma H]

Hi Aditi,

Congratulations on the arrival of your little one!

I hope you’re soaking up all those precious newborn cuddles.

As you have noticed at this age, it’s completely normal for babies to nod off while feeding, which makes the wake-feed-play-sleep routine tricky. Around six weeks, you’ll likely start to notice your little one staying awake after some feeds—maybe just one or two at first—and then gradually she will stay awake after each daytime feed.

Your current approach—feeding from one breast, changing her nappy to gently wake her, then offering the second breast—is a great strategy.

If she falls asleep after the second breast, feel free to lay her down to continue her nap.

If she stays awake after the second breast, go ahead and enjoy some playtime, and keep an eye out for tired signs.

When you notice she’s getting tired, try wrapping her in a swaddle (if you’re using one), then head into the bedroom and rock her gently while singing a lullaby. Once she seems calm, lay her down in her sleep space and begin the settling pyramid. If she becomes upset, move up the pyramid—pick her up and soothe her by rocking, singing, or shushing. As she relaxes, gradually reduce your movement, perhaps just standing still while continuing to sing or shush. If she drifts off in your arms, you can carefully lay her down to keep sleeping if you’d like.

Does that sound manageable?

Another thing to keep in mind is that the Period of PURPLE Crying may have begun, which can make her fussier and harder to soothe in the afternoons and evenings. During this fussy stage, she may want to be held more and fed more often (cluster feeding). This is perfectly normal—offering extra cuddles and feeds during this time is absolutely okay.

I hope this helps!

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Razan,

Congratulations on the arrival of your little one!

I hope you’re enjoying all the cuddles and special moments during this precious time.

When it comes to your baby’s safety during naps and overnight sleep, the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) and Red Nose Australia recommend that the safest sleep environment is:

• A crib, bassinet, or portable play yard with a firm, flat surface.
• Covered by a tight-fitting sheet.
• Free from any loose bedding, pillows, or soft toys.

For daytime naps, they also recommend that your baby sleeps in the same room as you, provided she is napping in a crib, bassinet, or play yard that meets the above safety criteria. If room-sharing isn’t practical or this option isn’t possible, both organisations emphasise that the most important priority is ensuring your baby’s sleep space is safe, even if she naps in a separate room.

So, if having her nap in her own room works best for your family, as long as her sleep environment is safe, it’s perfectly okay for her to nap there.

I hope this helps,

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Caro,

We had a lovely Christmas. The kids were very excited and had a great day playing with their cousins.

I really hope you had a lovely time with your family too!

In regards to your question about wake windows—when babies have a short nap, it’s common for their wake window to also be shorter. For example, your little one might only tolerate being awake for around 1.5 hours after a short nap.

That said, if he’s fighting sleep during the day, it could be a sign that he’s not quite ready for his nap yet.

Here are a few reasons why this might happen and some tips to help:

Not Tired Enough to Fall Asleep

• When he starts showing tired signs, try changing up the activity or scenery (e.g., move to another room or head outside).
• If he calms down and is happy to continue playing, it’s likely those signs were boredom rather than tiredness (they can look very similar!).
• If he remains fussy and upset despite the change, this indicates he’s likely tired and ready for sleep.

2. Feeding Close to Nap Time

• If he’s feeding close to nap time, it’s possible he’s falling asleep briefly while feeding without you realizing it. This short nap during a feed can reset his wake window, making it harder to settle him when you try to put him down.

• To avoid this, whenever you can try to follow the wake, feed, play, sleep routine. Feeding him in a bright room with minimal distractions can encourage a full feed at this time.

• If you find he’s too distracted in a bright room and is having shorter feeds, you can try feeding him in a darker, quieter space just after he wakes. This can help him focus on the feed and get a full feed in one go.

• If you do need to feed him before his nap, keep the room brightly lit and full of distractions to help him stay awake during the feed. And when he is feeding, pay attention to whether he’s actively feeding—this is when you can hear him swallowing after every few sucks. If the swallowing slows or stops, he’s likely drifting off to sleep.

The other thing to note is that at this age it is generally difficult to transfer them from your arms to the crib. This is because daytime naps are primarily driven by sleep pressure, and a large portion of their daytime sleep occurs in light REM sleep. During this stage, babies are more sensitive to changes in movement, temperature, or noise, making them more likely to wake during transfers.

That said, if you’re currently settling him to sleep in your arms, a helpful strategy is to gradually reduce the amount of movement you’re using to help him fall asleep. For instance, try holding him still as he drifts off, rather than rocking or swaying. Once he becomes accustomed to falling asleep without movement, transitioning to the settling pyramid will be easier, as he won’t rely on movement to fall asleep.

Does that make sense?

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Gabriela,

It sounds like you’ve made significant progress over the past few weeks, especially at night. It’s fantastic that you’ve been able to reduce movement during the bedtime routine and that your little one is now sleeping in the crib through the night!

I completely understand how exhausting and frustrating it can feel when naps don’t seem to follow the same progress. To get a clearer picture and help you more effectively, I have a few questions:

1. Wake-Up Time: Does your little one have a consistent wake-up time? If so, what time does she typically wake?
2. Nap Schedule: How many naps is she taking during the day, and are they happening at regular times?
3. Nap Routine: Can you describe what her nap routine looks like?
4. Sleepwear: Does she wear a swaddle or a sleeping bag for naps?
5. Bedroom Environment: How is her bedroom set up for naps? For example, is it cool, dark (dark enough that you can’t read a book), and quiet?
6. Settling for Naps: You mentioned feeding her to sleep for naps, as well as walking and rocking. Are you transitioning to walking/rocking to fade out feeding, or does it depend on her needs?
7. Daytime Feeding: Do you know how often she feeds during the day and whether she gets distracted while feeding? If she’s distracted during the feed she has after waking from her nap, she might not take a full feed, which could lead to her needing to feed again soon after. Alternatively, since she’s feeding to sleep, it’s possible that when she wakes from a nap, she’s not very hungry because she ate shortly before sleeping. This could result in smaller feeds and her feeling hungry again not long after.

While you answer these questions I have two suggestions that might help:

1. Adjusting The Nap Routine Slightly

Given that she gets upset on entering the bedroom, you could try putting the swaddle or sleeping bag on in another room a few minutes before going into the bedroom and walking around with her in your arms (preferably lying down). This could give her some additional time to settle and get ready for sleep.

2. Feeding Adjustments

• After Waking: To encourage a full feed, try feeding her in a quiet room with natural light. If she gets distracted, close the blinds and turn off the lights to minimise distractions.
• Before Naps: If she’s hungry before nap time, consider feeding her in a bright, busy room to help keep her awake. Do this before putting on her swaddle or sleeping bag. It’s important to ensure she doesn’t fall asleep while feeding. When she’s awake and actively feeding, you’ll hear her swallowing every few sucks. If she’s sucking but not swallowing, she’s likely fallen asleep. If she does fall asleep while feeding, it’s best to gently place her in the crib without waking her. Waking her at this point to settle her into the crib using the settling pyramid may not work well, as even a brief nap while feeding can reduce her sleep pressure (the drive for sleep), making it harder for her to settle back to sleep.

Emma

• This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by  Emma H.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by  Emma H.

[Emma H]

Hi Pav,
No worries at all.
Let me know how he goes over the next few weeks.
Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Pav,

Since Rohan is only 6 ½ months old, dropping to two naps might be a bit too soon for him right now. I think your plan to return to three naps and give him a little more time before transitioning is a great idea.

You can reassess in a month to see how his sleep is going and try again if you feel he’s ready. Just keep in mind that most babies transition from 3 to 2 naps between 6 and 9 months, so it’s perfectly normal if he still needs a bit more time beyond 7 months.

When he’s ready to move to two naps, you could experiment with wake windows of 2.5/3/3 hours to see if that suits him better. The other option is to shift his bedtime slightly earlier at first to ensure the final wake window before bed isn’t too long. Then, once he’s comfortably settled into a two-nap schedule, you can gradually shift his bedtime back if you prefer.

Does that make sense?
Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Jill,

Thank you so much for the update!

It’s great to hear that his naps are longer than they were a month ago. But I’m sorry to hear that nighttime sleep hasn’t been going as well.

To help improve overnight sleep, I just have a few questions so I can better understand what’s happening:

1. From what you’ve shared, it seems like he’s having breastmilk at 7:30 am and a bottle at 5:00 pm, with solids offered for all other meals during the day. Is that correct, or are there additional feeds throughout the day?

2. Could you walk me through his daily routine? For example, when does he eat and nap, and how long are his naps?

3. From what I understand, his nighttime routine might look something like this:

   • Bottle at 5:00 pm
   • Bedtime at 6:15 pm
   • First overnight feed between 9:00–10:00 pm (bottle)
   • Second overnight feed around 1:00 am (bottle)
   • Third overnight feed around 4:30 am (breastfeed)
   • Wakes at 5:30 am, then nurses back to sleep in your bed before getting up for the day at 6:00 am

Is this correct?

Also, for the first overnight feed, does he wake on his own, or are you waking him up for it? And if you’re waking him, does he usually drink the full feed?

Sorry for the questions!
Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Monica,

It’s wonderful to hear that your little one is falling asleep on her own for naps and that your routine is becoming a bit easier!

Regarding your question about starting solids to encourage longer overnight sleep:

Research indicates that introducing solids typically doesn’t significantly impact how often babies wake up overnight. In the beginning stages, when babies start solids, they’re mainly tasting the food rather than consuming large quantities. This means that starting solids is unlikely to make them feel full enough to stay asleep longer.

Regarding her overnight sleep:

Before I offer suggestions to improve her overnight sleep, could you please answer a few questions to help me better understand her current routine?

• Is her bedtime still at 6:50 PM?

• Is she still waking up consistently at 6:30 AM?

• In your December message, you mentioned that she sleeps better on her tummy and was rolling onto her sides. Does she now consistently sleep on her tummy, or do you still lay her down on her back? And when she wakes overnight is she still lying on her back or tummy?

• Has her bedtime routine stayed the same? So do you bring her into the bedroom, close the blinds and curtains, put her sleeping bag on, turn on the white noise, sing her twinkle little star and then lay her down (while she is awake)? I am assuming you might feed. her before bed? If you do, can you let me know when this happens in her routine?

• What time does her last nap end?

• When you feed her overnight do you keep the lights low or off and follow the wake, feed, sleep routine?

• You mentioned that she sleeps for 4 hours at the start of the night, then wakes for a feed, then sleeps for another 2 – 3 hours and then wakes for a second feed then sleeps for another 1- 2 hours before waking for her third feed. So your night might look a little like this: Bedtime 6:50pm, first feed 10:50pm, second feed 1:30am, third feed 3:30am, wake up 6:30am. Does that sound about right?

I was also hoping you could also let me know what her previous overnight sleep looked like before tha change?

I am sorry for all the questions!

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Pav,

It’s so lovely to hear from you again!

I can’t believe Rohan is already going through another nap transition—time really does fly!

Based on my calculations, Rohan would be around 7 months old now.

Between 6 and 9 months, babies typically transition from three naps to two, so it’s possible that he’s ready for this change. You mentioned that you felt he was ready because he was waking up earlier in the morning. Could you let me know what time he’s waking up and if there were any other signs that made you think it was time to drop a nap?

As you mentioned, there can be an adjustment period when transitioning to fewer naps. During this time, it’s not uncommon for babies to need a third nap if the second nap was short, and then slightly adjust their bedtime to accommodate this third nap. This wouldn’t happen every day, but just on those days when they have a short second nap.

If you would like to continue trying with the 2 nap schedule, here are a few tips to help Rohan settle into this schedule:

1. Maintain a Consistent Wake-Up Time: Keeping a regular wake-up time helps regulate his internal clock.
2. Stick to Regular Nap Times: Consistency with the first and second naps encourages his body to adapt to the new schedule.
3. Allow the Second Nap to Lengthen: With a consistent routine, the second nap should gradually become longer.

If the second nap doesn’t lengthen as expected, you might consider capping the first nap to about an hour. This can help distribute his daytime sleep more evenly, allowing the second nap to become the longer one. Additionally, this adjustment ensures that the wake window between the second nap and bedtime isn’t too long.

The two-nap schedule you mentioned sounds great! One thing to keep in mind is that when transitioning to two naps, the first wake window is typically shorter, around 2 hours. You might try shifting the first nap to 9:00 AM instead of 9:30 AM. Here’s how the revised schedule could look:

• Wake Up: 6:45 AM / 7:00 AM
• First Nap: 9:00 AM
• Wake Up: 10:30 AM
• Second Nap: 1:00 PM / 1:30 PM
• Wake Up: 3:00 PM / 3:30 PM
• Bedtime: 7:00 PM

Regarding your question about Rohan waking at 4:30AM and if it counts as an early morning wake. Given that he was only awake for a few minutes and he fell back to sleep, I wouldn’t count it as an early morning wake. However, it’s still a good idea to check that his bedroom remains dark during that time, because if there is light coming in then it could encourage him to wake up earlier.

I hope that helps,

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Joyce,

Sleep can certainly be a bit more challenging when they transition out of the swaddle.

How have the past few nights been going? Have you noticed any improvements?

If she’s still waking up frequently when you first put her to bed, it might mean she’s not quite tired enough to stay asleep. This could suggest that her bedtime might need to shift back to the later time.

But, before we make any changes, could you update me on her current routine? For example:

• What time does she usually wake up in the morning?
• What does her nap schedule look like now?

This information will help me determine if it’s time to drop a nap, which would involve extending the wake windows between her naps to ensure her final nap isn’t too far from bedtime, or if we should consider capping her naps or shifting her bedtime back.

Emma

[Emma H]

No worries at all Aditi. Happy to help!

[Emma H]

Hi Gabriela,

How have the last few days been going?

From what you’ve written, it sounds like introducing the bottle after breastfeeding might have helped your little one settle into the wake-feed-play-sleep routine during the day—does that sound right?

I’m also curious, has putting the sleeping bag on outside of the bedroom made it easier for her to go into her room without crying as much?

It’s fantastic that you’ve been able to establish a consistent wake-up time and reduce the movement needed for her to fall asleep. These are big wins!

The next step I’d suggest is transitioning from settling her in your arms (while standing still) to laying her in the crib and using the settling pyramid. Do you feel ready to give this a try for the first nap of the day?

The other thing you mentioned is that she naps for about 30 minutes in the crib but sleeps much longer when she’s on you. This is actually quite common at this age, as many babies wake after one sleep cycle (30–45 minutes) because they haven’t yet learned how to link their sleep cycles independently.

One approach to help her nap longer is to gently assist her in linking those cycles. If you enter the room just before the end of her first sleep cycle, you can replicate the conditions that helped her fall asleep in the first place. For example, if she falls asleep in your arms while you’re shushing or patting her, you can quietly re-enter the room and start shushing or patting her again as she stirs. This can help guide her back to sleep before she fully wakes up. I go into more detail about this in the catnapping video in Peaceful Dreams, which might be worth revisiting for additional tips.

The reason she likely sleeps longer on you or in a carrier is that you’re naturally soothing her back to sleep as soon as she stirs—whether it’s through movement, shushing, or patting. This continuous, subconscious soothing allows her to transition between sleep cycles without fully waking up.

However, it’s important to note that while naps on you or in a carrier might last longer, the quality of sleep may not be as restorative as when she’s in her crib. When babies sleep on us, they’re often in a state of “habituated” sleep, meaning they’re trying hard to stay asleep despite being partially roused by noises, movements, or other disruptions. It’s like if you were napping on the couch in a busy living room, with people walking around, talking, or laughing. You might doze on and off but wouldn’t feel as rested compared to sleeping in your quiet, dark bedroom.

Encouraging her to nap in her crib, where the environment is cool, dark, and quiet, can help her achieve deeper, more restorative sleep. While her naps might be shorter at first, they will likely improve in both duration and quality over time as she learns to fall asleep and stay asleep in her crib.

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Joyce,

This is amazing!

You’ve done such a fantastic job implementing the settling pyramid and staying consistent—it’s so exciting to hear about the progress your little one is making. Well done!

I’d recommend keeping the current bedtime for the next 2 weeks to let things settle and build on this great momentum. After that, you can start gradually moving bedtime earlier.

The easiest way to do this is by shifting bedtime 10–15 minutes earlier every 3 days. Stick with the new time for those few days so she can adjust before moving it earlier again. Keep going gradually like this until you reach the bedtime that works for your family. Ideally, it’ll be one where your little one is sleeping for a few solid hours after being put to bed, without waking too soon. For many babies, 7–8 pm tends to work really well, but as always, follow her cues.

You’re doing an incredible job, and I’m so glad to hear how far you’ve come already!

Keep me updated—I can’t wait to hear how it all goes.

Emma

[Emma H]

Fantastic – Let me know how you go!

[Emma H]

Hi Joyce,

Thanks for taking the time to provide those details.

It’s wonderful to hear that your little one is generally content throughout the day. This suggests there’s likely no underlying medical reason for her needing to be held for naps. Instead, it may be a matter of habit and preference, and we can work on helping her learn to fall asleep in the crib rather than in someone’s arms.

Here are some suggestions to help achieve this:

Wake, Feed, Play, Sleep:

Continue following the wake, feed, play, sleep routine during the day.

Continue to Keep Her Morning Wake-Up Time Consistent Each Day

A regular wake-up time helps mature her circadian rhythm, making bedtimes more predictable. This consistency also stabilises the timing of her first nap, which in turn will help regulate the timing of her subsequent naps in the future.

Helping Her Learn to Sleep in the Crib
Ideally, we want her to drift off to sleep in the crib rather than in your arms. Now, I understand this might feel overwhelming, so would you be comfortable trying the settling pyramid just once a day—perhaps for the first nap, when babies often find it easier to fall asleep and you have more energy? Another option is to try it at bedtime, when both sleep pressure and the circadian rhythm are working in your favour.

Trying the settling pyramid once a day will give her the opportunity to learn this new skill and become familiar with a different way of falling asleep.

For the other naps (and bedtime if you don’t choose it for the settling pyramid trial), continue with your existing nap and bedtime routine with a small tweak. Instead of walking around and patting and rocking her until she falls asleep, it would be great to gradually stop these BEFORE she falls asleep. So it would look like this:

• Step 1: Gradually stop walking around the room. Stand still while continuing to sing the lullaby, gently patting and rocking her.

• Step 2: Stop rocking but continue patting and singing the lullaby.

• Step 3: Stop patting and just sing the lullaby until she falls asleep. This encourages her to associate the lullaby with sleep, without relying on physical movement.

By gradually removing these sleep associations, she’ll learn to fall asleep without constant movement, making it easier to transition to the settling pyramid approach later on when you’re ready.

If you’re not ready for the settling pyramid just yet, simply start by working towards helping her fall asleep without the walking, rocking and patting, and then move on to the pyramid when you feel more comfortable.

The other tweak you could make with the routine – given that she gets upset on entering the bedroom, is put the swaddle on in another room a few minutes before going into the bedroom and walking around with her in the swaddle in your arms. This could give her some additional time to settle and get ready for sleep.

Considering a Later Bedtime
You mentioned that putting her down at 8:30 p.m. often leads to her waking up within 15 minutes if she’s not held. At bedtime, both sleep pressure and her internal clock should help her stay asleep for at least a couple of hours. If she’s waking so soon, it might be that 8:30 p.m. is just too early. At this age, it’s common for babies to have a really late bedtime like 10:00 p.m. Have you noticed a time when she naturally falls into a deeper, longer sleep stretch at the start of the night, or a time when you can place her in the crib and she stays asleep? That could indicate her “true” bedtime.

Period of PURPLE Crying
Something else to be aware of is that she would be in the peak of the Period of PURPLE Crying. This is when bub’s are fussy/unsettled and really difficult to soothe. This fussy period tends to happen in the later afternoon and evenings. You might find that she wants to cluster feed at this time which is very normal.

How do you feel about these suggestions?

Emma