MSD Baby Sleep Coach

We are parents, not perfect - I love that saying from a TV network.  I wanted to share with you four common sleep mistakes many parents make that will definitely affect your child's sleep and their ability to sleep through the night.  I see these mistakes over and over when I work with families one on one, so I thought I would share them with you along with tips on how to avoid them so that your child is set up for a better nights sleep. Four common sleep mistakes and how to avoid them: 1. Putting children to bed too late! Set a regular bedtime (and, if appropriate, nap times) that you stick to.  Don't wait until your child is rubbing his eyes, yawning, or whining — that's probably too late. Put him to bed earlier. Even 15 to 20 minutes of extra sleep can make a difference.   NOTE: If you need help with finding appropriate nap times and creating an age appropriate schedule  click here. While every child is different, the National Sleep Fou...

Sleep Myth #6: Every time my baby wakes overnight, s/he must be hungry - FALSE! Babies who wake during the first few months are more likely waking from hunger, but older babies (over 4-6 months) who wake frequently (every 1-2 hours), may not be waking from hunger. Ask yourself whether your baby can be soothed in other ways. Also, ask yourself whether your baby is going to sleep from an awake state at bedtime (without being nursed or rocked).  This is the first step to longer stretches at night.  *Discuss with your baby's doctor how many night feeds they need in that 10-12 hour stretch at night.    Sleep Myth #7:  If your child wakes before 6:00 am, put him/her to bed later - FALSE!   Often, putting your child to bed later makes them rise earlier.   Review my blog on Early Rising , look at the four causes of early rising to see if you can identify why your child is waking so early in the morning. Sleep Myth #8:  If you keep y...