WRB Milestones: Rolling Over- UPDATED TO REFLECT THE NEW AAP RECOMMENDATIONS

March 23, 2018 by Well Rested Baby

WRB Milestones: Rolling Over- UPDATED TO REFLECT THE NEW AAP RECOMMENDATIONS

Chances are that your baby will start to roll from his back to his belly around 4 months of age. As rolling over is your baby’s first move towards becoming mobile it is a very exciting milestone. You will likely catch one of those first rolls on video and dutifully ooh and ahh over this first big physical leap. Then one night you check your monitor and……uhhhh your baby who was sleeping soundly on his back is now on his belly!

Red rover, red rover…turn your baby right over? We all know the safest place for a baby to sleep is on their back. While you should ALWAYS leave your baby on his back when you place him in his crib, what should you do when he starts to roll onto his belly during sleep? The initial reaction is to run in and flip him over, which according to the new safe sleep guidelines IS the correct thing to do if he cannot yet roll from belly to back. In this case, you’ll want to offer your baby TONS of supervised, awake tummy time and encourage him to learn to roll from belly to back. With practice babies learn this new skill quite quickly! To reiterate, the new guidelines do state that a baby has to be able to roll from front to back and back to front by themselves before they can be left to sleep on their belly.

As soon as you are confident that your baby can roll from back to belly and from belly to back independently you should actually resist the urge to flip her over or it WILL become a game of red rover as your baby won’t have the chance to learn what to do and will instead expect your assistance each time. This is one of those times in parenting where you just have to let them be to figure it out for themselves. You can watch on a video monitor for peace of mind and within a night or two max they will figure it out. One of three things will happen:
1. They will learn to sleep comfortably on their stomach.
2. They will learn to roll back over.
3. They will learn not to roll over in the first place.
If your rolling dervish is still making you a bit concerned, talk to your pediatrician or read this FAQ sheet from the Safe To Sleep Campaign – it’s the 7th question down. Then try to relax and be thankful that they are just rolling and not trying to climb out of their crib….for now!

*Please note, if your little roller is still swaddled, it is time to take it away for safety sake. In a matter of a day or two, they will learn to sleep without it cold turkey. If you have an early roller or your child still has their startle reflex, consider a transitional wearable sleep sack which is safe for rolling. Our favorite is from Zipadee-Zip.

What You Need to Know About Preventing SIDS

October 24, 2017 by Well Rested Baby

It’s safe to say that from the moment our babies first enter this world we want to do anything and everything to keep them safe and healthy. This primal instinct to protect our children is activated seemingly instantly, so it’s no wonder Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) can be terrifying to new parents. Although tremendous progress has been made in identifying ways to reduce the risk of SIDS it is still unknown what causes it. Some studies have suggested that infants who die from SIDS are born with brain abnormalities or defects, but to date there is no screening test that identifies babies who have these abnormalities. What we do know is that a child’s sleep environment can either increase or decrease the risk of SIDS, as can other environmental factors. Just as we cannot always prevent a car accident from occurring but we wear a seatbelt to ensure our chances of survival in the event an accident occurs, we don’t want to obsess about the risk of SIDS but we do want to take all the precautions we can to reduce the risk of SIDS and sleep-related deaths. Yes, that may mean avoiding the latest gimmick on the market even if it does promise extra sleep.

Here are the Dos and Don’ts of safe sleep:
The “Don’ts”

• Do NOT co-sleep (i.e., sleep in the same bed or sleep surface)
This is a big one and a common mistake. Don’t make it! Evidence is growing that bed sharing increases the risk of SIDS. While it may seem cozy, warm, and inviting, NEVER co-sleep with your baby. Sleeping on soft surfaces (i.e. mattresses, armchairs, couches) with or without blankets is a significant risk factor for SIDS. Co-sleeping also poses the risk of entrapment and suffocation. Some studies suggest that room sharing can reduce the risk of SIDS because the parent is nearby; however, studies do not support bed sharing as a safe practice. Some caregivers will feel better about being nearby to monitor baby so if room sharing with your baby allows you to feel less anxious then it is a good decision for your family.
• DO NOT use at home monitoring devices that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS.
I know as a parent you might want to do everything you can to protect your baby but I wouldn’t recommend home monitoring devices that claim to reduce SIDS. They are proven to be unreliable, too sensitive, and thus disrupt sleep needlessly.
• DO NOT use hats or allow baby to overheat.
Dressing children in clothing that can cause them to overheat also poses a risk. The optimal temperature for sleep is somewhere in between 65-70 degrees depending upon how the child is clothed. Studies show that allowing children to overheat can cause them to enter a deep sleep that is difficult to arouse from. We do not want to dress children too warmly and we never want to cover their heads. According to the Safe to Sleep Campaign, SIDS risk is higher for infants who sleep with their heads covered than for infants who sleep without their heads covered.
• DO NOT smoke or let anyone else smoke around your baby.
• DO NOT buy pillows, positioners, hammocks, or SIMILAR ITEMS that promise extra sleep. Most, if not ALL these items, are discreetly labeled as not intended for unsupervised sleep. This is because a baby should not be sleeping on a soft surface as noted above. The safest place for a baby to sleep is on a firm, flat surface such as a crib mattress.
• DO NOT Put anything in the crib with baby.
Up until the age of one a child’s crib should not contain anything other than a pacifier. (No pillows, blankets, sheepskins anywhere in his sleep area.) Keep soft objects, toys, and loose bedding out of the sleeping area. The only lovey we endorse before the age of one is the muslin lovey square from Aden and Anais. Instead of loose blankets, use a swaddle for a little one who still has a startle reflex and choose a sleep sack or wearable blanket for your older baby. These wearable items will keep baby safe, cozy, and warm. Finally, while crib bumpers look pretty, they impede the circulation of air within your baby’s crib. (Even mesh ones that promised to be “breathable” are not recommended.)

The “Dos”

• DO provide a firm sleep surface that is covered only by a fitted sheet. Your child’s mattress should be firm and your crib sheet should be fitted.
• DO offer a pacifier.
Studies show that pacifiers reduce the risk of SIDS for all babies. We do not want to attach the pacifier to anything however and we do not need to replace if it falls out.
• DO Breastfeed
Breastfeeding is recommended and is associated with a reduced risk of SIDS.
• DO immunize your child.
Evidence suggests that immunizing children reduces the risk of SIDS by 50%.
• DO put baby down on his back for naps and nighttime sleep – ALWAYS. Make sure all caregivers know to do so as well.
• DO make sure your little one gets plenty of supervised awake tummy time to facilitate development.

We want to do everything we can to keep our children safe; no matter how tired, exhausted or sleep deprived. There are safe ways to get everyone in the family the sleep they need and deserve without the use of unsafe props or unsafe sleeping practices. If you want to learn more about how to create healthy sleep habits the safe way from the start we are here to help!

Lauren Stauffer is a Family Sleep Institute certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant and owner of Well Rested Baby. She offers a host of services including in person, phone, email, and Skype/FaceTime consultations that can be tailored to meet any family’s needs and schedule. Please email her at lauren@wellrestedbaby.com to schedule a consultation.

Circadian What?

January 8, 2016 by Well Rested Baby

Circadian What? The Science Behind The Timing of Your Baby’s Naps

Some kids seem to be natural sleepers, easily taking lengthy naps each day, while others need a bit more assistance to get in the daytime sleep that they need. However, all children can take good, restorative naps if given the opportunity. The key to helping babies achieve their best nap is having them nap at the correct time of day. When sleep occurs is more important than the duration of the nap.

The Sciencey Stuff
We all have biological clocks called circadian rhythms, which are controlled by the rotation of the earth on its axis. These clocks create an internal timing mechanism for sleep based on dark (night)/light (day) cues. Sleeping in sync with these rhythms provides the best quality and most restorative sleep your body can achieve. It is also easiest to fall asleep and stay asleep at these times. Therefore it is important to be aware of your child’s circadian rhythms and schedule their naps accordingly, as this is the best way to ensure they get the sleep they need. A one-hour nap at the correct biological time is actually more restful than a two-hour nap outside of this window. The timing of these “sleep waves” changes as we age, but they are a constant for all children of the same age, varying only slightly from person to person.

Want to Relate?
An easy way for adults to relate to the power of these rhythms is to think about something like jet lag. While traveling outside of your time zone, most of us have a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep, and even if you do manage to get your usual amount of sleep, you still wake not feeling as rested. That is what it is like for a baby who is not napping in sync with their circadian rhythms.

So When Do These “Magical Sleep Waves” Occur?

For babies four months and older who are taking two to three naps a day: the first nap should start between 8:30-9 a.m. The second nap should start between 12-1 p.m.
For toddlers who are taking one nap a day: this nap should start between 12:30-1 p.m.
Bedtime is also impacted by these rhythms. The best practice is to allow our children to fall asleep in sync with melatonin onset and in a rested state. This translates into a bedtime for babies and toddlers within the range of 5-8 p.m.

Remember that these are the times that you want your child to be asleep, so be sure to allot extra time for them to fall asleep. For example, if it takes your baby 15 minutes to fall asleep, you want to make sure that she is in her crib 15 minutes prior to the time you want her asleep.

Please note: Babies under four months do not yet have circadian rhythms, as they are just starting to develop at about that age. For these younger babies, be sure to watch the clock to keep their awake periods short, while also watching them for their sleepy signs. The key with these little ones is getting them to sleep before they become overtired.

This article appeared in Macaroni Stork – click here for original article

Amy Lage is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a Family Sleep Institute certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant. She is founder of Well Rested Baby. She offers a host of services including in person, phone, email and Skype/FaceTime consultations that can be tailored to meet any family’s needs and schedule. Please email her at amy@wellrestedbaby.com with any questions. Be sure to follow WRB on Facebook and Twitter too for more great sleep tips!

How I Do Gently Teach My Child to Self Soothe?

August 26, 2015 by Well Rested Baby

How to Teach Babies and Toddlers to Fall Asleep With Fewer Tears?

I was recently asked how to teach baby to sleep on his own without using the “cry out” method:

No parent likes to hear his or her child cry. From the time they are born, we do everything we can to prevent them from crying. We nurse, we bounce, we rock, we swaddle, we burp — anything we can muster to prevent our precious little ones from crying. Then comes the day…duhm, duhm, duhm…when you realize you can no longer bounce, or nurse, or rock etc. your baby to sleep. It dawns on you that your child (and you!) is not getting the sleep that he needs because he lacks the ability to put himself to sleep. But when the time comes to teach him to become a healthy independent sleeper, it is often hard to fathom the idea of allowing him to cry. Thankfully there are several methods available to teach a child to self soothe, as we as sleep consultants strive to come up with plans to match every parenting philosophy. In fact, there are more ways than I can list in a question & answer forum. And while there are many ways to teach a child to sleep — some gentle and some aggressive — there simply is no way to have zero tears. I am not trying to change your mind and push you to utilize a “Cry it out” method. I understand not wanting your baby to cry, but I think that it is important to be clear about what you can expect from the beginning.

Let’s discuss that for a minute: This concept of a “no tears” solution. When most parents come to me, all that their child has known thus far is being helped all the way to a sleeping state. When you decide that it is now their job to do this for themselves, they are of course going to protest. And babies communicate by crying. No matter how gentle you are in teaching them this new expectation (that they are now responsible to fall asleep on their own) they are going to protest with a few tears. It is important to understand that going in — THERE WILL BE A FEW TEARS no matter what. They are not “I need you tears,” or “I am hurt tears”, or “I am hungry tears,” they are “I would like your company as I fall asleep tears.” I respect all parenting philosophies and certainly understand not wanting to allow your baby to “cry it out” alone in his room. There are ways other than the CIO method that allow you to be with your baby and soothe them as they learns this new skill, but they will inevitably shed some tears in your presence.

Ok, so now that we are clear on your expectations let’s get back to your question — what other ways can you teach a baby?

The Younger Baby

For babies under 4 months of age, it is possible to teach them how to self soothe simply by putting them down awake whenever it is time to sleep. You go through your soothing routine and then put them in their crib, sleepy but awake. If they fuss it is ok, give them a minute to see if they can settle themself. If their fussing escalates to tears, pick them up and comfort them and then put them down again awake. Repeat. For this to work it is critical that they go into their crib awake so that they can learn to fall asleep on their own. They may fuss for a minute or two each time, but if you consistently allow them to try to do it for themselves — they will actually learn fairly quickly!

The Older Baby or Toddler

Teaching children older than 4 months is a bit more complicated as they have already learned a set of rules surrounding going to sleep and you will have to teach them a different set of expectations so that they will now fall asleep on their own. As I mentioned, there are a plethora of ways to effectively teach your child this skill. Check out a few books on the topic and utilize one that matches your ideals, or hire a child sleep consultant who will create a custom plan for you that is in line with your beliefs. No matter how you choose to go about teaching your baby, the most important part is being consistent. Babies and toddlers learn from our example, so if you switch back and forth trying things many different ways they will not understand what you expect. You will need to commit to following your plan to the T for a solid two weeks. This means you cannot give it a go for three days and declare that it is not working. Remember your child had many months to learn the current way of doing things so you need to give them some time to learn the new routine. And again, consistency is everything!

Amy Lage is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a Family Sleep Institute certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant. She is founder of Well Rested Baby. She offers a host of services including in person, phone, email and Skype/FaceTime consultations that can be tailored to meet any family’s needs and schedule. Please email her at amy@wellrestedbaby.com to schedule a consultation. Be sure to follow WRB on Facebook and Twitter too for more great sleep tips.

The WRB Sleep Cheat Sheet

August 6, 2015 by Well Rested Baby

No matter your child’s age, there are 5 key elements that if applied consistently lead to healthy sleep! Here is our tough-love, no nonsense, guide to getting your child’s sleep on track and keeping it there:

I became a pediatric sleep consultant after having a terrible time getting my first child to sleep. After researching for tips and advice and coming across conflicting information, I was still at a loss for what to do. After 9 months, I finally hired a sleep consultant and within two days my “terrible sleeper” was suddenly an incredible sleeper. It turns out that all along she (like all babies) had this ability, we just had not taught her. So what’s the secret? I introduce the WRB Cheat Sheet, 5 Simple Rules to get your baby’s sleep on track.

Rule #1 — Your Baby Needs to Sleep in His Crib. Period.
Unfortunately, as I learned babies are not fashion accessories that we should just expect to fit into our social calendar. The sooner you can come to terms with this the better. Life would be much easier if we could tote our kids anywhere, at anytime and expect that they will get the sleep they need, but unfortunately that’s not the case. Babies and toddlers will achieve their very best sleep in their bassinet, crib, or bed, and it should be your goal for them to do the majority of their sleeping in this consistent location. Yes, very little babies have the amazing ability to sleep through anything, but once they reach about 2 months old they start to become social beings and have a much harder time blocking out what’s going on around them. Sleeping at home in their own darkened room will make sure there are no distractions. Also, babies and toddlers have better quality, more restorative sleep when they are sleeping in a stationary location like their own bed. Vibrations or motion during sleep (think strollers and car seats) force the brain into a lighter sleep state and reduce the restorative power of the nap. It’s similar in comparison to the sleep that you get on an airplane: ok, but not really restful. A nap on-the-go here and there is fine, but most naps should be taken in your child’s bed. This does make you a bit of a slave to your house but ask anyone who has kids — that first year flies by. Before you know it you will be out and about and personally, I would rather stay in and have a well-rested child than be out with a cranky, overtired baby.

Rule #2 — Your Baby Needs to Nap at the Correct Times
Naptime should follow your baby’s biological clock. We all have internal clocks called circadian rhythms that make us feel drowsy at certain times. It is easiest at these times to fall asleep and get our most restorative sleep. These times change as your child grows older. If you can base your child’s nap schedule so that they sleep in sync with these rhythms they will be able to achieve their best sleep. While it is sometimes daunting to follow a schedule, it will provide you the confidence to know exactly when your child will need to sleep and that he is getting the sleep that he needs.

Rule #3 — Insist on An Early Bedtime
Bedtime should be early enough to ensure that your child goes to bed before they become overtired. A child who is overtired has a harder time falling asleep and staying asleep. This is because when we get overtired we release the stress hormones cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline. This is a primitive fight or flight response, which is intended to keep us going. While this was probably helpful to cavemen, it is not when it kicks in for your baby and he gets a “second wind”. When this response occurs on a regular basis these hormones actually build up in your baby’s system and then cause him to wake-up in the middle of the night or early in the morning. Although it sounds counterintuitive, an early bedtime WILL NOT cause your child to wake earlier in the morning. In fact, early bedtimes help children to sleep later as they are better able to self soothe and consolidate sleep without the presence of these hormones. In short, an early bedtime allows babies to achieve longer stretches of better quality sleep. As an added bonus, it provides more time for you to unwind and have “you” time in the evening. What parent doesn’t need that?

Rule #4 — A Consistent Routine:
This one is so simple to achieve, yet so important! Babies and toddlers crave routine in their daily schedules as it helps them know what to expect. They follow patterns and your cues, so if you create a consistent soothing routine before sleep times then they will know to expect sleep to come next. Your soothing routine does not need to be anything complicated — maybe a book and a nice soothing song — but it needs to be consistent and should always end with your child going into bed sleepy, but awake.

Rule #5 — Teach Your Child to Fall Asleep
If your child relies on you to be with them until they are fast asleep, how will they know how to put themselves back to sleep when a sleep cycle ends during nap time or when they wake at night? Self-soothing is a skill that every child must learn to be an independent sleeper. Once your child is on the correct schedule and is falling asleep before he becomes overtired, self-soothing will come much more easily. There are lots of methods for teaching your child to self-soothe. Some methods involve more tears but work very quickly and some have little or no tears but take a bit longer. They all accomplish the same end goal — teaching your child to fall asleep on their own. This is one of the best skills you can teach a child as it enables them to become well rested, independent and better able to handle the opportunities and challenges each day presents.

This article also appeared on the Zipadee Zip Blog – http://www.sleepingbaby.com/blogs/news/18517181-5-simple-rules-to-get-your-babys-sleep-on-track

Amy Lage is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a Family Sleep Institute certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant. She is founder of Well Rested Baby. She offers a host of services including in person, phone, email and Skype/FaceTime consultations that can be tailored to meet any family’s needs and schedule. Please email her at amy@wellrestedbaby.com to schedule a consultation. Be sure to follow WRB on Facebook and Twitter too for more great sleep tips.

4 Month Sleep Regression?

July 6, 2015 by Well Rested Baby

Nope, 4 month leap forward!

At least once a week I receive an email from a panic stricken parent of a 4 month old stating something similar to this:

“My son turned 4 months old last week and his sleeps seems to have fallen apart. He was sleeping for a stretch of 8-10 hours at night and now he is suddenly waking every 2 hours. My friends have told me he is going through the 4-month sleep regression. How do I get my good sleeper back?”

What these parents are experiencing is a change that all babies go through around 4 months of age. While many refer to it as the “4 month sleep regression”, it is actually a sign that their child is growing and maturing and making an exciting leap forward. A sleep regression is defined as a cognitive, physical and/or emotional development that disrupts a child’s normal sleep pattern. A child younger than 4 months actually has not developed any sleep patterns – so it is not possible for a regression to have taken place! Up until now the baby’s daily needs have been random: he has slept when he wanted to sleep and eaten when he wanted to eat. Now suddenly his body is developing biological rhythms that tell him when he should be sleeping.

We all have internal clocks called circadian rhythms that are genetically controlled. These biological clocks have evolved from daytime (light) and nighttime (dark) cues. These biological rhythms make us feel drowsy at certain times and sleeping in sync with them will produce the most restorative and best quality sleep possible. As we age these times shift. Up until this point, the baby’s brain was too immature to sync with this internal clock. For this reason, his body had an easy time sleeping anywhere and at anytime. Now that his brain has started to mature, he is in need of a schedule that works with this rhythm – including a bedtime that fits in and allows him to sleep before he is overtired.

So what’s the correct schedule for a 4 month old? I recommend a schedule where the first nap is starting between 8-9am, the second nap is starting between 11:30-12:30pm and the third nap starts about 90 minutes after he wakes up from nap two. As naps are just starting to develop, you will need to watch your baby for his sleepy cues and then get him down within these windows. Remember, at 4 months old the baby’s circadian rhythms are just starting to develop. They will continue to evolve over the next few weeks; therefore you will see some inconsistency with napping. Some days will be great and others will be all over the place. You will need to be consistent with your approach and put your baby down for his naps in these biologically age appropriate windows – while not allowing him to become overtired. Having him on a schedule where he is sleeping during his biological sleep waves will allow him to achieve his best quality sleep, however he will still need to learn some self soothing skills. If you have not started already, this is a good time to allow him to learn to put himself to sleep.

Bedtime should roll right into this schedule and be about 90 minutes after your baby wakes up from his third nap. So if he napped from 3-4pm, bedtime would be at 5:30pm. It is a common misconception that putting your child to bed this early will cause them to wake early. This is not true. An early bedtime that occurs before a baby can become overtired, actually allows them to sleep longer and later into the morning. It is very common for babies this age to start sleeping 12-13 hours a night at this point if they go to bed early enough.

I understand that this change can be frustrating as it has caused your baby’s sleep to seemingly take a step back, but I can assure you that this is a necessary step to getting him on a consistent schedule and allowing him to learn to be a great independent sleeper.

This article originally appeared in Brewster Macaroni Kid. Click here to view article.

Amy Lage is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a Family Sleep Institute certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant. She is founder of Well Rested Baby. She offers a host of services including in person, phone, email and Skype/FaceTime consultations that can be tailored to meet any family’s needs and schedule. Please email her at amy@wellrestedbaby.com to schedule a consultation. Be sure to follow WRB on Facebook and Twitter too for more great sleep tips!

3 Tips for Happy and Healthy Sleep for Your Entire Family

May 17, 2015 by Well Rested Baby

Baby, toddler, preschooler, 3rd grader, highschooler, adult. No matter your age, sleep is one of our most important biological needs. As my favorite sleep guru Dr. Marc Weissbluth has said “Sleep is to the brain as food is to the body”. Our bodies regulate sleep in much the same way that they regulate eating, drinking, and breathing. This suggests that sleep serves a similar critical role in our health and well-being. I want to share 3 easy steps to ensure your entire family is getting the sleep that they need so “health and happiness abound.”

1. Know How Much Sleep is Needed And Insist On it
The amount of sleep our bodies require changes as we age. Very young babies sleep a lot – 16-20 hours a day (which makes perfect sense as their main objective is growing their brain and body). Many parents are surprised that at 12-18 months, their kids still need about 14 hours of sleep per day. Toddlers and preschoolers require 12-13 hours of sleep per day and school age kids still need 10-12 hours. There is a whole lot of growing going on, and remember – sleep is required for brain growth and development. And if you can believe it, highschoolers still need 9 hours of sleep per night! Knowing how much sleep your child needs to be happy and healthy will allow you to insure they are getting that sleep. For children who are still napping, ensure that naps are happening in sync with their circadian rhythms and that bedtime is occurring before overtiredness can set in. Children who are no longer napping, will need to achieve all of their sleep at night. As we can not count on our kids to sleep-in in the morning (don’t we wish!!), we need to make sure bedtime is early enough to achieve their total needed hours of sleep at night. For example: if your child needs 11 hours of sleep at night and they wake at 6:30am – they need to be fast asleep by 7:30pm. That is asleep, not just getting into bed. This goes for parents as well. To be healthy, well functioning adults we need quality sleep too!

2. Make Sure Bedrooms are Conducive to Good Sleep
Most of us know the ABC’s of a proper sleep environment for our babies and toddlers – a dark room (black out blinds and no sources of light) free from distractions (mobiles, toys, music), with white noise and a temperature between 65-70 degrees. Once our kids get older, we often forget about creating a bedroom that promotes good sleep hygiene, but it is just as important. No matter our age, our bedrooms should be very similar to the environment that you created in your nursery. This means that TV’s, smart phones, computers, and tablets should be turned off and left in the livingroom!

3. Routines Really Are Important
Pre-sleep routines are a necessity whether you are 4 months or 40 years old. Routines help our bodies to unwind and train our body and brain that sleep is forthcoming. For young children, bedtimes should be a bit flexible based on the quality of naps each day (on a poor nap day bedtime should be earlier, and on a good nap day a bit later). For older children, teenagers and adults, bedtime should be at about the same time each day.

Amy Lage is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Family Sleep Institute certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant. She is founder of Well Rested Baby (www.wellrestedbaby.com). She offers a host of services including in person, phone, email and Skype/FaceTime consultations that can be tailored to meet any family’s needs and schedule. Amy, her husband Jeff, their 4 year old Stella, their 2 year old Harley, and their two dogs Jackson and Cody live in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts. Please email her at amy@wellrestedbaby.com with any questions. Be sure to follow WRB on Facebook and Twitter for more great sleep tips!

Milestone Mayhem!

April 27, 2015 by Well Rested Baby

How & Why New Skills May Impact Your Baby’s Naps

Check out my latest article in this weeks

Macaroni Stork – click here!

The Science

I love to share my favorite nap fun-fact with parents of babies: during your baby’s first year+ of life, his morning nap and his afternoon nap actually serve different biological purposes. Yes, they both help your tired little bug rest up, but the morning nap is mentally restorative in nature and the afternoon nap is physically restorative. How do we know this? According my favorite pediatrician Dr. Marc Weissbluth, this occurrence is evidenced by the fact that “there is more REM sleep in the morning nap compared to the afternoon nap”. And we know from research that REM sleep is directly related to brain maturation and restoration and that non-REM sleep is replenishing for the body.

Practice Makes Perfect

I have seen further evidence to this fact in my practice. For example, I often receive emails from parents of 11-12 month old babies at their wits end because their amazing napper has boycotted his afternoon nap for 6 straight days. Right away, without knowing many of the details, I can almost always assume their baby is on the cusp of mastering standing, cruising, or walking. You see, not only do the two naps serve two distinct purposes, but they also tend to be when babies practice their new skills. If your child is going through a cognitive leap, or mastering a fine motor skill, often the morning nap is impacted, as that is when your child chooses to go over their new skill. And when they are mastering a new gross motor skill, they practice during their afternoon nap. Working on new skills during sleep times makes much more sense than one would initially think – after all, naptimes are the one time a day your baby gets to be truly alone with his thoughts. You may or may not find all this fascinating, but if you’re still reading this then you’re surely wondering: when can you expect these blips in your child’s naps and what should you do when they occur?

Common Times for Naptime Crazies

Disruptions to the morning nap: Assuming your baby is on an age appropriate schedule and has self-soothing skills, if his morning nap takes a sudden turn, it is likely that he is going through a cognitive leap. The first time I usually see this phenomenon come into play is around 5.5-6 months as baby enters “The Wonder Weeks” Leap #5 – “The World of Relationships”. In short, during this leap he is learning the spatial relationships between items. As you can imagine this is a very big concept for such a little person to comprehend and voila – they fall asleep for their morning nap very late as they roll around pondering this new concept or sometimes the nap is skipped all together. Personally the most trying cognitive disturbance for both my daughters happened around 9 months when they were learning about cause and effect. My older daughter would stand in her crib and toss out her binkies instead of sleeping and my younger daughter would toss her prized lovey and then call and call for it’s return. And still for other babies of this age, they simply just stand for long periods of time rather than lying down (read this for more). Fortunately this only lasted a few days, as I was able to stay consistent and leave them be to figure out that they would not get these objects back once they were thrown. But don’t get me wrong, it still stressed me out. Speech and language development are another big one in the for your baby’s morning nap to be impacted and are common again at around the one year mark.
Afternoon Nap Nonsense: Again, your child’s afternoon nap can be impacted by new gross motor skills. The first time we usually see this phenomenon is when your baby learns to roll from back to belly. They usually master this first great gross motor skill quickly if you can leave them be to work it out on their own (read this for more on rolling over). The next big one is crawling and then of course pulling up to stand, cruising and the biggie – walking. Walking is the granddaddy of frustration, as often times it causes them to fully skip their second nap for a week plus as they work through the new skill.

Tips To Get Through These Leaps

It can be incredibly frustrating when your great napper suddenly struggles, but it does make it a bit easier to know that it is happening because they are working on a new skill. What can you do to ease through these periods? Nothing. Literally – you should do absolutely nothing. Keep offering the naps at the correct times (or a bit earlier so they can work on this skill and still fall asleep before becoming overtired). Keep leaving them in their crib for the full duration of naptime – whether they sleep or not. And as tempting as it may be, do not go in and try to lie them down, roll them over, or verbally coax them into going to sleep. This will simply prolong the nap boycott by 1.) Not allowing them to work through the skill on their own or 2.) By stimulating them with the interaction of you coming and going. Further, for older babies, your intervention will become a game, as they will keep doing whatever it is that gets you coming in and telling them not to do. So again, keep their schedule and routine consistent, stay out of the room, leave them be to work on it on their own, be consistent and their naps will come back just as quickly as they went awry.

Amy Lage is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a Family Sleep Institute certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant. She is founder of Well Rested Baby (www.wellrestedbaby.com). She offers a host of services including in person, phone, email and Skype/FaceTime consultations that can be tailored to meet any family’s needs and schedule. Please email her at amy@wellrestedbaby.com with any questions. Be sure to follow WRB on Facebook & Twitter too for more great sleep tips!

Your Baby’s Perfect Nursery

April 16, 2015 by Well Rested Baby

Your Child’s Ideal Sleep Environment

Are you expecting a little bundle of joy and looking for advice in planning your nursery? Or perhaps you are looking to revamp your child’s room to create the optimal sleep environment? Here are some tips to have everything in place so your baby’s room can be the perfect nursery and all you dreamed it would be:

Think Cave Like

Hmmm cave and newborn, two words that don’t really work together. They do when it comes to sleep! A baby sleeps best in a dark, cool and damp room. Well not damp exactly, but its great to run a humidifier especially during winter months. The ideal sleep temperature for your baby’s room is somewhere between 65-70 degrees. I suggest shooting for 68 degrees. Also, make sure to include black out curtains on your windows. The darker the better.

Toys Belong in the Toy Bin

Mobiles are cute and touted as a must have above your baby’s crib, but they are a distraction from sleep. When your baby is in his crib, sleep is our only goal. If a mobile was an intricate part of your nursery plans – consider using it as a decorative accent over your rocking chair or as a stimulating diaper changing activity over your changing pad. Your baby’s crib should be free of stuffed animals and toys including mirrors and light up musical toys marketed as soothing devices. Yes, that means no Glow Worms.

Trade Your Lullabies For White Noise

We have all seen movies with babies drifting off to sleep with soft lovely music playing. That may work for Hollywood babies, but for real babies music played during sleep is a form of stimulation and doesn’t allow the brain to rest as it tries to process the information it is hearing. Instead, consider playing white noise that will actually aid your baby in his sleep. However, music played prior to bed, during your child’s soothing routine, is acceptable and has even been found to assist in the relaxation process.

For Safety Sake

Remember that safety is always a priority when it comes to your child’s sleep environment. Yes bumpers look pretty, but they impede the circulation of air within your crib. And coordinating quilts look great in Pottery Barn Kids ads, but save them for your child’s first big kid bed. Your child’s mattress should be firm and your crib sheet should be fitted. The crib should also be free of all blankets and pillows. Instead of loose blankets, use a swaddle or a Zipadee-zip for your little one who still has a startle reflex and choose a sleep sack or wearable blanket for your older baby. These wearable items will keep them safe, cozy and warm.

Click here for the original article featured in Macaroni Kid

5 Reasons Why Your Child Is Not Sleeping Through the Night!

April 15, 2015 by Well Rested Baby

Our article “5 Reasons Why Your Child Is Not Sleeping Through the Night!” featured in the inaugural edition of LADY SAVANT: The Little Black Book for the Savvy Mom

Spring will be upon us soon – before we know it buds will be forming on the arms of the trees and crocuses will be popping up out of the hardened ground. Many of us will embark on a massive spring-cleaning to rid our homes of the staleness of winter. While you are at it, why not do some housekeeping on your family’s sleep? If you have a child who is not sleeping well at night, put fixing it on your “to-do” list. To many a tired parent, sleeping though the night may sound like a luxury item or a far-fetched goal beyond their reach. But in reality, the fix is easier than you think. In my pediatric sleep practice, I have worked with hundreds of families and found that one (or a combo) of 5 things is always amiss when this milestone has not been met by a child who no longer requires a night time feed. Ensure these items are in check, apply them consistently, and you and your child will have mastered the art of healthy sleep and will sleep fitfully through the night.

To Sleep Well at Night, Your Child Needs To Sleep Well During the Day:

To ensure good night time sleep, your child must also be getting healthy daytime sleep. Many parents assume that without naps their child will be more tired and therefore more apt to sleep at night, but it’s actually the opposite. As sleep is cyclical, quality naps need to be in place in order for your child to achieve a good night’s sleep. Without adequate daytime sleep, your child enters their night in an overtired and stimulated state that will not allow their body to sleep in long, restorative stretches. So how do you make sure great naps happen? By scheduling naps to happen in sync with their body clock or their circadian rhythms. We all have an internal clock that tells our bodies when we should be asleep and when we should be awake. If we sleep in-sync with these clocks, we have our easiest time falling asleep, staying asleep, and can actually get in our best quality sleep. So when do these magical sleep times occur? For a baby age 4-18 months who is on two naps a day, we want them falling asleep for their morning nap in the 8:30-9am window and for their afternoon nap in the 12:30-1pm window. For a toddler 14 months or older who is on just one nap a day, this nap needs to begin in the 12-1pm window.

Bedtime:

The key to a good bedtime is that it happens before your child can become overtired. When we become overtired, our bodies release the stress hormones adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol in an effort to keep us going. As adults, we call this a second wind and often rejoice at its occurrence – whoo hoo we can keep on trekking without another double cappuccino and then easily drift off to sleep for the night. But for a baby, toddler or small child, these hormones act as a high dose of stimulants and make it very hard for them to fall asleep for the night. If going to bed overtired is a nightly occurrence, these hormones build up in the child’s blood stream. When their sleep cycles shift during the night, this build up is present in their blood stream and they fully wake up instead of rolling right into the next cycle. Therefore, it is critical to know how long your child can tolerate being awake before they become overtired and have them fast asleep for the night before these hormones rear their ugly heads. As your child ages, they can of course tolerate being awake longer. Every child is different, but use this chart to gauge your child’s ideal bedtime.

Sleep Crutches:

A sleep crutch is something that your child relies on to fall asleep. When they wake briefly at night between sleep cycles, if their “crutch” is not present, they will not be able to go back to sleep on their own. For example, if you child only knows falling asleep at night with you rocking them to a sleeping state, when they wake at night they will expect that to occur to go back to sleep. All sleep crutches are not necessarily bad – if your child can use or recreate their crutch on their own, they will likely be proficient in falling asleep and staying asleep on their own. Take a pacifier for example, for an older baby or toddler who can find and replace it on his own – it should not be an issue (as long as there are rules in place against parental replacement). However, a pacifier likely poses an issue for an infant who does not yet have the motor skills to replace it on their own and instead requires a parent to replace it….all night long! A simple lovey that has mom or dad’s scent and that is involved in the child’s pre-sleep routine is a great tool for many babies and toddlers as it is simple for them to find and hold on to and is very comforting. The key is either allowing your child to soothe themselves completely on their own, or finding something that they can utilize without your assistance. Again, if your child relies on you or your presence to fall asleep at bedtime or naptime, they will rely on your when they wake at night. They need to learn to fall asleep on their own.

Environment:

We want to create the ideal sleep environment so that there is no question as to why they are waking up. Basically, we want to take the “what ifs” away. Is my child awake because he is cold? Because it is too loud? Too bright? He lost his blanket? To alleviate any of those questions – let’s just make sure the set up is right from the beginning! Your child’s room should be as dark as possible for all sleep – yes for naps too. Only use a night-light if it is truly necessary (please note, your child isn’t capable of being afraid of the dark until he reaches age two) and tuck it behind a piece of furniture so that it emits a glow and is not in direct view. His crib should be clear of any mobiles, toys, stuffed animals and distractions. For a baby older than one, a blanket is ok if he can replace it on his own or will not be cold if it is kicked off – otherwise use a wearable blanket to ensure his comfort. The ideal temperature for sleep is 65-70 degrees depending on how your child is dressed. Music is ok during the pre-sleep routine, but should be turned off before your child falls asleep, as music during sleep doesn’t allow the brain to enter deep sleep given that it is actively trying to listen. Instead, use white noise to block out ambient household and street noises. White noise should only be as loud as a running shower and should be at least 4 feet from your child’s head.

Consistency:

Consistency is key when it comes to teaching a child your expectations. If one day you expect them to fall asleep on their own and the next day you rock them to sleep – they will be very confused as to their sleep routine. Or if at bedtime your child has to sleep in their crib, but in the middle of the night it is ok to sleep in your bed – they will expect that they can always sleep in your bed (because babies and young children can’t tell time!). So you must come up with a consistent plan for your child’s sleep, which includes a consistent pre-sleep routine, a consistent sleeping location, and a consistent set of expectations for how they will fall asleep and stay asleep. Having this in place and sticking with your expectations will make it easiest for your child to understand that they have the skills to sleep on their own and that they should do so.

The Take away:

Sleep is a work in progress, as a child’s sleep overall needs will require alterations as they grow. If the five components above are in check, you will always have healthy sleep regimen is in place that will only require minor adjustments or small tweaks to insure that your child is always getting their best sleep and no major issues will ensue. As my husband likes to say – sleep is a marathon and not a sprint, there will be ups and downs but if healthy framework is in place, your child will always make it to finish line.