[Emma H]

Hey Monique!

It’s been a while!

My family is doing well. My youngest was sick last week with another cold that turned into bronchitis (childcare germs are constant at the moment 😂). The poor thing sucked her fingers so much that she got a small infection, which meant I had to put a bandaid on it to stop her sucking it. On the bright side, this weaned her off finger-sucking to fall asleep, so it turned out okay in the end.

I hope you and your family are well!

It’s so good to hear that your little one has got her self-soothing sorted overnight and has given up the dummy! That can be really tricky, so well done!

Before I give you strategies to help with daytime naps, could you update me on what her day looks like? Specifically:

• What time does she wake up in the morning?
• What time does she nap, and how long are her naps?
• What time does she go to sleep at night?
• What is her nap routine?
• Where is she sleeping for her naps – so what’s the environment like, is it the same place she sleeps overnight?
• What is the bedtime routine and how are you settling her to sleep at this time?

When she wakes from a 30-minute nap, you can try to rock her back to sleep, but it’s likely she won’t fall back to sleep, since the short nap has lowered her sleep pressure (the driver for naps), and she’s no longer tired. If you want to try to rock her back to sleep, set a time limit of 10-15 minutes. If she doesn’t fall asleep in that time, get her up and start the next wake window. It’s also perfectly fine to get her up and start the next wake window when she initially wakes.

Thanks,

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Anastasia,

It’s great to hear that your little one has learned to roll over! Have you noticed if he prefers to sleep on his tummy now that he’s rolling?

When babies get a bit older, they tend to become more aware of their surroundings, and staying in the room can sometimes be distracting or distressing for them. If that’s the case with your little one, you might want to modify the settling pyramid method slightly. So you would complete the nap or bedtime routine, lay him down in the crib, and then leave the room, completing the watch and listen step outside the bedroom (by watching him on the monitor), similar to what I did in the video with my little one.

When you are completing the watch and listen step, outside the room, remember that if he calls out but there are pauses between the call-outs, it doesn’t necessarily mean he needs you. It could be his way of saying, “Hey, this is different!” or just him settling to sleep. Babies can take up to 20 minutes to fall asleep, so if he calls out but there are pauses, give him the space to fall asleep without you in the room.

However, if he calls out and there are no pauses, that indicates he needs you. At this point, you would enter the room and move up and down the settling pyramid. Once you enter the room, I recommend you stay until he falls asleep (but move down the pyramid so that he completes the last step of falling asleep on his own), as opening and closing the bedroom door could alert your little one and cause him more distress.

Regarding your question about how often I needed to ‘retrain’ my daughter due to natural disturbances like growth spurts, teething, and sickness:

The discomfort from teething and sickness can impact sleep and result in the need to retrain our little ones, if we change our responses to how we settle them to sleep and respond to them overnight. Therefore, I tried to be as consistent as possible with settling my little one and responding to her overnight when she was sick or teething to minimise these impacts. 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.

I might have rocked her slightly longer but I still aimed to put her down in her crib while she was awake and then helped her fall asleep by patting if needed. I was also careful not to introduce a night feed if it wasn’t previously needed. 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.

Once she moved into her bedroom around 12 months, I would move a mattress into her room if I needed to sleep in the same room (such as when she had croup). This way, when she was well again and I didn’t need to be in the same room, her routine remained unchanged. This prevented her from getting used to sleeping in my bed, which could potentially require retraining her again.

By remaining consistent and not introducing new sleep associations, I’ve had about ten occasions (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 Melina,

It would be so hard to get anything done with these quick naps!

There are potentially a few reasons the catnaps have continued. To work out which one it might be I just have a few questions.

1. When you say she goes down pretty well, what exactly do you mean? What does her nap routine look like, and how do you settle her to sleep?
2. Have you been able to adopt the wake, feed, play, and then sleep routine?
3. Can you describe what her day typically looks like? Specifically, the time she wakes up in the morning, the times of her naps, and her bedtime?
4. How does she sleep overnight? Does she go to bed and sleep through the night, or does she wake up for feeds and then fall back to sleep? If she wakes for feeds, what time does this usually happen, and does she find it easy to go back to sleep afterwards?
5. Is she generally well, happy, and content during the day?
6. When she naps during the day, where is she sleeping? What is the environment like—dark, quiet, white noise, or are there other kids/people in the house?

Thanks in advance for taking the time to answer these questions.

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Simona,

I’m sorry to hear you’re having a challenging time at the moment. It’s great to know that you were able to identify and address your little one’s reflux.

The four-month sleep regression can be particularly tough and tiring!

To provide the most helpful advice, I have a few questions. So when you have a moment (I understand how busy life is with a 3.5-month-old, so no rush), could you please answer the following?

1. During the modified settling pyramid when you rock him in your arms, does he have the pacifier in?
2. Are you waiting for him to be fully asleep before putting him down in the crib while rocking him?
3. When he wakes up after 5 minutes, has the pacifier always fallen out, and do you need to replace it? I am just wondering if the pacifier falling out is causing the frequent wakes.
4. Is his sleeping environment cool, dark, and free from sudden loud noises? So, where does he sleep during the day and overnight?
5. How many naps does he generally have during the day, and what times do these naps usually occur (I am just trying to work out the spacing between them)?
6. You mentioned he sleeps in the crib for the morning nap. Where does he generally sleep for the subsequent naps during the day?
7. For the second nap, you said he sleeps for 15 minutes but will sleep longer if you lie down with him. Are you feeding him, replacing the pacifier, or patting him to help him sleep during this time?
8. Have you been able to follow the wake, feed, play, and sleep routine with your little one?
9. What does his nap and bedtime routine look like?
10. Have you been able to implement a set wake-up time in the morning?
11. What time is his bedtime? Has it become more consistent?
12. When he wakes overnight, you mentioned he wakes at 11 pm for a feed, then sleeps until 2-3 am for another feed. After this, he wakes up frequently when the pacifier falls out for the next 1-2 hours. He then wakes again at 5 am for another feed, followed by more frequent wakings whenever the pacifier falls out for the next 1-2 hours. I am just wondering what the overnight environment is like when he wakes at these times?

Sorry for all the questions. But once I have these answers I should be able to provide you with more specific advice.

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Katerina,

It’s so good to hear that Helen has been doing well. I was wondering how you all were! It’s also great to hear that she has started to sleep independently again, after learning how to roll over and then sit up (she has been busy!).

Unfortunately, it will be hard to settle Helen back to sleep if she wakes at 5-6am, as sleep pressure would be low, sleep itself is generally lighter in the early hours of the morning, and her circadian rhythm is encouraging her to wake up​​​​.

Another thing to note is that it’s really common for babies to start their day between 6-7am. This is just a typical circadian rhythm for infants​​.

Before I give any recommendations, I have a few questions:

1. You mentioned she naps at 9am and generally has a 35-40 minute nap. For her second and third naps, how long is she generally napping for?
2. Is she waking overnight for feeds? Or is she waking sometime between 5 and 6 am and you’re feeding her at this point to try and help her fall back to sleep?
3. From what you have said, I am guessing Helen’s schedule looks a little like this:
   • Wake: 5am – 6am
   • Feed and then play
   • Nap #1: 9am until 9:45am
   • Feed and then play
   • Nap #2: 12pm until 12:45pm
   • Feed and then play
   • Nap #3: 3pm – 3:45pm
   • Feed and then play and then feed
   • Bedtime: 7/8pm
4. Is Helen having all her naps in a bedroom in a crib? Or is she still having some contact naps and naps in the pram?
5. Does she self-settle for naps and bedtime?

Thanks for taking the time to answer these for me – I know life can be very busy with a 6-month-old!

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Ana,

It’s wonderful to hear that your little one is sleeping well at night.

Regarding naps, unfortunately, the unpredictable nature of her naps is typical at this stage. Short naps are also common (and extremely frustrating). The other thing to note is The Period of PURPLE Crying would be peaking now, so that might be making afternoon/evening naps a little challenging.

The strategies in the course should help her nap in the crib. Have you had a chance to go through the course? If you have which strategies have you tried or continue to use? In particular, have you tried using the settling pyramid to help her fall asleep for naps?

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Maddie,

I’ve been wondering how your little one has been doing, and it sounds like she’s doing really well, which is great to hear!

I’m glad the move to her own bedroom went smoothly.

Teething can be tough, but hopefully, those teeth will come through soon, and the pain will subside.

It’s also wonderful to hear that she’s going down well for naps and bedtime and that her overnight sleep is starting to lengthen.

I hope you’re all feeling a bit more energized!

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Simona,

Thanks so much for the detailed reply.

It sounds like you’ve already started to make some positive changes to your little one’s naps, which is great. Based on your observations, I have a few suggestions that might help further:

Daytime Nap Suggestions:

1. Continue to get him comfortable with the crib: It’s wonderful that you’re increasing the amount of time he naps in the crib. Whenever you’re home and it is possible, continue to give him this opportunity to nap in the crib. This consistency will help him get used to the crib environment.

2. Consider using the settling pyramid to help him fall asleep: He seems to be getting more comfortable with the pre-sleep routine and falling asleep in your arms without much protest. How would you feel about trying to place him in the crib when he is calm after the pre-sleep routine, and then using the settling pyramid technique to help him drift off to sleep?

3. Consider fading out the pacifier: From what you’ve said, it sounds like the pacifier falling out might be causing him to wake up, and you have to keep putting it back in until he falls into a deep sleep. To help him fall asleep more easily for naps and overnight, how would you feel about removing the pacifier just before he falls asleep? If this is something you are happy to try, this is how you can do it:

   1. When he is tired, let him suck on the pacifier while you complete the pre-sleep routine.
   2. At the end of the routine, lay him in his crib with the pacifier still in his mouth.
   3. Use the settling pyramid to help him fall asleep.
   4. Just before he drifts off, gently remove the pacifier by placing your little finger between the pacifier and the corner of his mouth. This breaks the seal and allows you to take the pacifier out.

   For some babies, this works, and they fall asleep without the pacifier. For others, it might cause them to stir more, in which case you can use the settling pyramid to help him fall asleep. If he wakes up fully, you can try the following options:

   Option 1: Continue using the pacifier and put it back in his mouth when needed. However, if this becomes too frequent and exhausting, you might decide to remove the pacifier completely or only use 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. In this case, give him the pacifier at the start of the routine, but remove it before laying him in the crib. Then, use the settling pyramid to help him learn to fall asleep without the pacifier.

4. Wake him up by 7:30 am at the latest: Even though it’s tough, setting a wake-up time can help regulate his sleep pattern and assist in establishing a nap schedule.

5. Remember that catnaps are normal at this age: Unfortunately, catnaps (naps lasting 30-45 minutes) are normal at this age. It sounds like his first and second naps of the day are going well, which is great! Right now, focus on helping him learn to self-settle and providing an optimal sleep environment. This way, when he is developmentally ready to extend his naps, he will have the skills and environment to do so.

6. As much as possible adopt the Wake, Feed, Play, Sleep routine: When he takes catnaps, he may need to feed more frequently throughout the day. As his naps start to extend, the time between feeds will naturally lengthen. It’s okay to feed him before his nap, but make sure he doesn’t fall asleep while feeding. Even a brief nap can reduce his sleep pressure and make it harder for him to settle at nap time.

   Also, at this age, he might get distracted during feeding and not have a full feed. If this happens, try feeding him in a bright room with minimal distractions to help him focus and complete his feed.

Overnight Suggestions:

It’s great that bedtime has become consistent, and it sounds like you have a solid bedtime routine. Here are a few more tips to consider:

1. Feeding Closer to Bedtime: It’s fine to feed him closer to bedtime if needed, but make sure he doesn’t fall asleep while feeding. Even a brief nap can reduce his sleep pressure, making it harder for him to settle. However, at bedtime, his circadian rhythm and sleep pressure work together to help him fall asleep, so it shouldn’t be as disruptive as during daytime naps.

2. Using a White Noise Machine: If you or your husband snore or move around a lot in bed, consider using a white noise machine overnight. White noise can mask these sounds and may prevent your little one from waking up fully. If the white noise doesn’t make a difference, it’s fine to turn it off if you prefer.

3. Consider trying the settling pyramid overnight and fading the pacifier: As I mentioned earlier, I think the pacifier falling out is causing him to wake up fully between sleep cycles and fall back to sleep (as he needs the pacifier to fall asleep). Unfortunately, at this age, they don’t have the fine motor skills to put the pacifier back into their mouth, so they call out for us to do it and continue to call out until they fall back to sleep. If you’re comfortable with it, I would consider trying to teach him how to fall asleep without the pacifier (as outlined in the nap strategies). As, when he learns to fall asleep without the pacifier, it’s likely that he will start to naturally link sleep cycles overnight and start having longer stretches of sleep.

4. Consider feeding him at the 2am/3am wake-up: If he no longer wakes at 2am and is sleeping soundly from 11pm to 5am, you can disregard this suggestion. But if you find that he is waking every 5 minutes for 1-2 hours from 2/3 am onwards, then I am wondering if he is hungry?

   Typically, overnight sleep patterns evolve with the first part of the night consolidating first. Babies often start with longer stretches of sleep early in the night and continue to wake every few hours for a feed. For instance, if your baby goes to bed at 8:30 pm, you might notice that, over time, his first sleep stretch extends. Instead of waking at 11 pm, he might start waking at 12 am, then eventually 1 am, and so on.

   As this first stretch lengthens, the subsequent wake times will also shift. Currently, he might be waking at 11 pm, 2/3 am, and then again at 5 am until about 6:30/7:30 am. If his first feed shifts to 12 am, his next wake might be around 3/4 am, allowing him to sleep until morning. Eventually, if his first overnight feed shifts to 1 am, he might wake again at 4/5 am and then sleep until morning.

   Would you be open to trying a feed when he wakes at 2/3 am to see if this helps him settle back to sleep more easily? I am not sure if you previously were feeding him at 2/3 am he was just not settling back to sleep. So sorry if I got this wrong.

What do you think of these suggestions? Are there some that you think are possible to implement?

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Katerina,

No worries at all.

It does sound like there have been some changes in her schedule in the last few days.

I’m sorry but I am a little confused. Are you able to write down what her day naps now look like? So the time that they occur and then how long she is napping for each nap?

Also, you mentioned that in the past you tried to shift her bedtime from 7pm to 8pm to see if that helped shift her morning wake-up time. When you did this, did you keep her bedtime at 8pm for more than 3 nights to see if there was a shift in the wake-up time?

It’s great that you worked out that when she wakes at 5/6am and you give her some water she falls back to sleep. Does this happen every time you do this or just sometimes?

Sorry again for asking more questions!

Emma

[Emma H]

No worries!

[Emma H]

Hi Ana,

I’m so glad to hear that some of the recommendations are already making a positive difference! The “reset” of sleep pressure can indeed have a big impact, and I’m happy to hear that it made sense to you. It’s often a tricky one to spot in the moment.

I’m excited to hear how the rest of the week goes with these small tweaks.

Keep up the fantastic work!

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Maddie,

It’s often hard to see day-to-day improvements when you’re in the thick of it, but it’s helpful to be reminded of the progress you’ve made. It can definitely help keep you motivated!

It’s perfectly okay to climb the settling pyramid if she fusses immediately when you put her down. The key is to ensure she completes the last step by herself, which reinforces her self-soothing skills. Your approach is spot on.

It’s fantastic that she’s starting to self-soothe during naps and soon after bedtime.

Moving her into her own room is a big step, and it’s normal to feel mixed emotions about it. Moving her crib a bit further from you in the meantime is a great transitional step. Many parents find that both they and their baby sleep better with this arrangement due to fewer disturbances. Using a monitor will help you assess her needs while still giving her the space to self-settle.

If she’s been unwell, it’s natural for her to need more comfort and for her sleep to be disrupted. It sounds like you’re handling this well by giving her the extra cuddles she needs. Once she’s feeling better, you can gradually return to your regular sleep routines, and she should start stringing together longer stretches of sleep, particularly in the first part of the night.

Keep up the great work! She’s already showing she can self-settle, so continuing to give her opportunities to practice will only strengthen this skill.

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Ana,

It’s so good to hear that the swaddle and pyramid work well for her bedtime. The reason this approach is effective at bedtime and not during the day is that her sleep pressure and circadian rhythm are working together to help her fall asleep. The fact that she has started to have a longer stretch of sleep at the beginning of the night also indicates that her circadian rhythm is starting to have an impact on her sleep, which is great.

At 8 weeks, the Period of PURPLE Crying might be peaking, which can make it tricky to get her to nap in the afternoon. During this fussy period, babies often find it challenging to fall asleep and may have very short naps, often preferring to cluster feed and be held.

Given that afternoon naps might be challenging, you might have more success with getting her to nap in the crib at the beginning of the day.

Here are a few things you can do to encourage her to nap in her crib:

1. Follow the Wake, Feed, Play, Sleep Routine:

   • At this age, you’ll notice that she is starting to stay awake after a feed. This is a good time to establish the wake, feed, play, and sleep routine. Often, a baby wakes from a nap, feeds, plays, and then shows signs that are often mistaken for hunger. We feed them again, and they fall asleep while feeding. This ‘sleep’ is very brief but enough to lower their sleep pressure, making them less tired and extending their wake window. To avoid this cycle, follow the wake, feed, play, and sleep routine. After she has been awake and starts showing tired signs, swaddle her, take her to her bedroom, complete her sleep routine, and then use the settling pyramid to help her fall asleep.

2. Embrace the Short Naps:

   • At this age, short naps (lasting around 20 minutes) are normal and can vary from nap to nap and day to day. If she falls asleep while feeding and wakes when you transfer her to the crib, her sleep pressure might have lowered, causing her to stay awake for another wake window (45 + minutes) before falling back to sleep. In these situations, if she wakes up and you can’t settle her back to sleep within 10 minutes, start the next wake, feed, play, and sleep routine.

3. Start Waking Her at a Consistent Time:

   • To help mature her circadian rhythm and encourage a consistent time for the first nap of the day, start waking her within a 30-minute window in the morning (if you haven’t already).

4. Settle Her in the Crib for Morning Naps:

   • Given that she is likely going through the peak of the Period of PURPLE Crying, afternoon naps might be more challenging. To address this, focus on using the settling pyramid for morning naps. When she shows tired signs, follow these steps:

     1. Take her into the bedroom and complete the sleep routine: swaddle her, turn on the white noise machine, and sing a lullaby while holding her.
     2. Lay her down in the crib while she is drowsy but still awake. Avoid feeding her as part of the nap routine to prevent her from falling asleep while feeding, which can lead to short naps (as she is likely to fall asleep briefly while feeding) and lower her sleep pressure.

     Once she is in the crib, use the settling pyramid techniques as needed to help her fall asleep.

Does this seem doable for you and your husband?

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Maddie,

First off, I want to say you both have done an amazing job helping your little one learn how to fall asleep in her crib. Just 13 days ago, you began the ‘watch and listen’ step outside the room and successfully settled her to sleep in her crib for her nap for the first time. Now, she is taking most, if not all, of her naps in her crib and settling to sleep using the settling pyramid for both naps and bedtime.

It’s fantastic that her naps have started to lengthen again too!

Since this ability to fall asleep in her crib for naps and bedtime is new, she might need a bit more time to get used to it before she starts dropping the overnight feeds. However, it does sound like she’s making progress, especially with that six-hour stretch of sleep the other night, which she hasn’t done since the beginning of April.

I still expect that with a bit more time, she will naturally start to reduce her overnight feeds. To help her along, you can try the following:

1. Complete the Watch and Listen Step Outside the Bedroom:

   • Are you still completing the watch and listen step while you’re outside the bedroom? If not, it might be worth trying this again now that she is comfortable being placed in the crib after the sleep routine.
   • Remember, if she calls out but there are pauses between the call-outs, this doesn’t necessarily mean she needs you. It could be her way of saying, “Hey, this is different!” or her way of settling to sleep. Babies can take up to 20 minutes to fall asleep, so if she calls out but there are pauses, give her the space to fall asleep without you in the room.
   • However, if she calls out and there are no pauses, that indicates she needs you. At this point, enter the room and move up the settling pyramid. Ensure you move back down the pyramid so she completes the last step of falling asleep on her own.

2. Use the Settling Pyramid for the First Third of the Night:

   • Babies often start to have longer stretches of sleep in the first third of the night because this period primarily consists of deep sleep (NREM Stage 3/4). As the night progresses, sleep is dominated by lighter sleep stages (NREM stage 2 and REM sleep). This is the part of the night that we want to first reduce the feeds and help her fall asleep using the settling pyramid instead.
   • When she goes to bed at 7:30/8pm and wakes anytime before 12am, pause and watch her on the baby monitor to see if she is truly awake or just transitioning between sleep cycles. If she is awake, go in and use the settling pyramid to help her fall back to sleep.
   • For wakes in the first third of the night, consider asking your husband to settle her. She may find it easier to fall asleep without a feed if she can’t smell your breastmilk. You might also consider temporarily moving out of the bedroom for a few nights to avoid her smelling the breastmilk. If this isn’t possible, or you prefer to settle her to sleep, that’s completely fine.
   • If you don’t feel up to this, you could continue to feed her for the next few weeks and see if she naturally starts to have longer stretches of sleep at the start of the night. If after a few weeks, she continues to wake, you can implement this step then.

3. Consider Your Bedtime:

   • Since she is sleeping in your room and tends to wake every 1 1/2 – 2 hours, think about the time you and your husband go to bed. The noise of you entering the room, getting ready for bed, and getting into bed may accidentally rouse her from sleep.
   • For example, if she falls asleep at 8pm, she might enter a lighter sleep stage and briefly wake around 9:30/10pm. If you or your husband go to bed around this time, you might accidentally wake her. You might need to adjust your bedtime to avoid this.

I hope this helps!

Emma

[Emma H]

Hi Diana,

Thanks for the answers!

Based on what you’ve shared, there could be a few reasons for the sudden change in his sleeping patterns:

1. Learning to Crawl: When babies start learning to crawl, it can affect their sleep, making it harder for them to fall asleep and causing more frequent wakes overnight.
2. Having Too Many Naps: Another possibility is that he’s having too many naps during the day. He might be ready to drop that third nap. It’s easy to mistake boredom for tiredness and continue putting him to bed at his usual time. However, if he’s ready to drop this nap, it can result in changes to his sleep patterns. For example, he might fall asleep initially but then wake up soon after because he’s not truly tired enough to stay asleep. This can lead to shorter naps and more frequent nighttime wakes.
3. New Sleep Cues: Another factor could be the introduction of a new sleep cue. Often, when babies start having trouble sleeping, we introduce new habits or techniques to help them fall asleep. For example, you might begin to hold him until he falls asleep. While these methods can be effective in the short term, they can lead to your baby becoming reliant on them to fall asleep. This means that when he wakes up during the night, he may not be able to fall back asleep on his own and will need the same sleep cue to do so. This dependency can cause more frequent nighttime wakes, and shorter sleep stretches.

Since he’s waking every 1-2 hours overnight, it sounds like he might be relying on being held to fall back to sleep.

Here are some suggestions to help him sleep for longer stretches:

• Try transitioning to two naps a day. Reducing the number of naps can help consolidate his sleep, leading to longer, more restful periods of sleep both during the day and at night. Additionally, stretching out his wake windows during the day can build up enough sleep pressure for him to sleep more soundly. Here’s an example schedule for transitioning to two naps per day:
  • If he wakes at 6 am, his first nap could be around 9-10:30/11 am.
  • The second nap could be around 1-2:30/3 pm.
  • Bedtime might initially need to be at 6:30 pm and can be adjusted later as he becomes more settled with just two naps.

• Reteach Self-Soothing: To help him sleep longer overnight and have longer naps during the day, he needs to relearn how to fall to asleep on his own. At this age, staying in the room after placing him in the crib can be confusing and upsetting since he’s more aware of your presence. So instead of staying in the room, you can try the following:
  • Pre-Sleep Routine: Complete your pre-sleep routine.
  • Place in Crib and Leave: After finishing the pre-sleep routine, place him in his crib while he’s still awake. Walk out of the room and close the door. Then, keep an eye on him using a baby monitor. (So what do in the Live Example: Reading Cues at 5 Months of Age video)
  • Watch and Listen: Observe and listen to him on the monitor. If he calls out, but there are breaks between the cries, he’s likely trying to settle himself. Give him a little time to do so without rushing in right away.
  • Respond if Necessary: If his calls get louder and more continuous without breaks, go back into the room to soothe him.
  • Move Up and Down the Pyramid: Use the settling pyramid method as needed, and move back down the pyramid as he settles so that he completes the last step of falling asleep on his own. This might mean you need to pick him up and put him back down a few times.
  • Consider the Timing: Reteaching him how to fall back to sleep on his own can be challenging when you’re also caring for a toddler. You might find it more manageable to focus on this at bedtime when another adult can entertain the toddler (and this might also be easier as sleep pressure and his circadian rhythm will work together to help him fall asleep). Alternatively, you could start this process on a weekend when another adult can help.

Is this something you could try?

I understand it might be frustrating to hear that he needs to relearn this skill. However, it might be comforting to know that this process should be quicker than the first time you did this with him. Plus, you already know he can do it! Once he relearns how to fall asleep on his own, his naps should lengthen, and the number of overnight wakes should decrease.

Let me know if you have any questions or need further help!

Emma