MSD Baby Sleep Coach

Article featured in- OC Family Magazine July 2016, Page 50 By: Michelle S. Donaghy A fter months without sleep, you’re ready to help your baby learn to sleep through the night.  Getting better sleep for your baby, and you, is one of the best things you can do for your entire family.  If your child is 6 month or older and still waking during the night, it’s time to make a sleep plan.   Sleep 101:  Sleep is learned!   Sleep is a learned skill and teaching a brand new skill to your baby is no small task.   But you want the best for your baby and are willing to help your child learn this life-long skill. Sleep Associations: What are they?   Do you rock or feed your baby until they are completely asleep?   If yes, this is your child’s sleep association.   Sleep learning begins with changing your baby’s sleep association. Here's how to create a plan: 1   New bedtime routine.    A calm and pr...

Many families are confused by the term drowsy but awake - what does it look like and how awake should their child should be at bedtime.  So let's break it down starting with why your child should be 'relaxed but awake' when they go down for all sleep.  Why is it so important for your child to be awake when they go down for sleep?  As you've heard me mention in previous blogs, sleep is learned in stages  (click here for more information on that topic)  and bedtime is the easiest time to learn how to put yourself to sleep independently.  Therefore, it is a critical first piece of the sleep puzzle if you want your child to be able to fall back asleep during the middle of the night and stay asleep through the early morning hours. What does drowsy but awake I look like? Your lil one should be relaxed, have a full belly, a dry diaper, be warm and loved but awake.  This means: their eyes are open they have not fallen asleep with a b...