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To hear our experience in the NICU with all three of my children, click here. Leaving the Hospital with a Preemie I’ll never forget the day the neonatologist told me that my twin girls were officially ready to leave the NICU to go home. I was thrilled and excited, but also TERRIFIED. How would I be able to care for my twins without all these machines and wires keeping track of their breathing, blood pressure and oxygen levels? How would I know if something was wrong, if there wasn’t a nurse coming in every 3 hours to check temperatures, vitals and track feedings? These were some of the common questions running through my mind when I was preparing to bring my twins home from the NICU. Fears I had about bringing my twins home from the NICU Visiting my twins daily in the NICU took its toll on me. I would visit my twins for 12 straight hours at a time. Once I was back home, I would constantly hear all the beeps and noises from their room in my head and it was hard to tune them out and relax. In one way it haunted me, and in another I felt comfort in knowing that if anything at all was seemingly off, it would be caught in a matter of seconds. At home, I wouldn’t have a nurse checking in on them and I wouldn’t have those machines as a security blanket. At home, it would only be my own judgement as a first-time mother to twins. Getting settled at home with preemie twins Once at home I remember our first night home like it was yesterday. I barely slept and continuously leaned over to make sure the twins were breathing. The girls woke up every 3 hours, just like they did in the NICU and as scary as it all was, it was also very exciting to have them finally home. We were free. They were ours and healthy enough to be out in the real world. I felt so much relief. if you’re making the transition home from the NICU and wondering if gets easier, I am here to tell you it does! Starting a routine with preemie twins The NICU would NOT send your baby(s) home if they were not ready. My twins were supposed to be home a few days before they were discharged. They had a small setback in which the neonatologist decided to err on the side of caution and keep them a few more days. We were thankful that we could have full confidence that they were ready to be home with us. Listen, don’t obsess over the NICU care times.  Your baby is ready to be home. Yes, you need to make sure they are getting enough calories and monitor their well-being, however, it’s OK to get on your OWN schedule. In the NICU you were used to feeding and doing a temperature check every 3 hours, however, I am here to tell you that your feeding times at home will be different than in the hospital and that’s OK! Follow your baby’s cues to be fed and changed on demand. A schedule will emerge soon enough. Your pediatrician is now your parenting expert to guide you through the next steps of helping your baby thrive. If you want to learn more about what life is like with newborns, sign up for our Newborn Guide. The guide is full of information on just what to expect with a newborn and how to encourage those long stretches of sleep at night. It even has lessons on multiples. Having knowledge is really empowering and can confidently give you access about how to build a foundation of safe sleep for your babies. For updated safe sleep guidelines from the AAP, click here. Remember to keep your baby(s) WARM! In the NICU your baby(s) was likely in an isolate for some period of time. Your child was also likely having his or her temperature checked regularly. Your baby may need one extra layer of clothing than what you have on. At our first pediatricians’ appointment after being discharged from the hospital, I was shocked to learn that my son (also born premature) had a temperature of 96.0. The pediatrician sent me home with strict orders to wrap him in blankets and take his temperature again in 2 hours. If his temperature did not go up, I would have had to take him back to the hospital for an evaluation. Learn from me and bundle your baby even if it’s the Summertime! I was so concerned about making sure he didn’t overheat in August, that I discounted the fact that he was a little guy just under 6lbs. When baby is sleeping use a newborn swaddle or a receiving blanket snuggly swaddled over your baby's pajamas. Do not use any loose blankets and clothing when baby is asleep. Preemies & germs It's smart to be cautious about germs when bringing a premature baby home. Your baby has an immature immune system which means it’s easier for him or her to get sick. Do not feel bad about limiting visitors and not going out to public places in the very beginning. There is only so much control that you have here and you may have older children at home. Keeping hands clean after using the restroom and when entering the house from outside or after visiting a public place will be super important to limit germ exposure. Preemies have access to early intervention resources Most premature babies automatically qualify for early intervention services to aid in your baby’s development. This is free in many states and definitely a good idea to look into. Both twins had torticollis and a physical therapist from Early Intervention came to our house weekly to do specific exercises so that we could avoid having them be in helmets. We love the account Baby Begin on Instagram! They educate parents on plagiocephaly, giving parents the confidence to intervene from an early age to correct a flat head. In conclusion, this is a huge milestone for your baby and family. It seems scary to think about all the big changes coming up when bringing your baby home, but always remember you are the perfect parent for your child and you are doing a great job. If your mental health has struggled during this time, always reach out to a healthcare professional for an evaluation. Stellina Ferri is the author of this article. Stellina is a certified pediatric sleep consultant and mom of three. She supports families through the journey of better sleep as a consultant with Tweet Dreamzz Sleep Consulting. She lives in the Boston, MA area with her family. Book a free call with Stellina!

Let’s be honest: It’s not a vacation. You’re just parenting in a different location! It’s very unlikely you’ll get sleep-ins and fine dining, but you know what? Memories will be made. My number one piece of advice is mindset and expectation, and a reminder to do things outside your comfort zone like traveling with your kids. That's how we grow as individuals and parents. I can speak from it first-hand. If it were up to me, 5 years after becoming a mom, I would likely have not gone anywhere with my kids. BUT, my husband is a super adventurous, get out of your comfort zone, kind of guy, so that’s not what happened. My one best tip for traveling with kids is to be prepared! Be prepared to feel stressed. Be prepared to pack your entire house up. Be prepared to lose sleep Be prepared to enjoy yourself and laugh with your family. Things to purchase to help make traveling with kids a little easier I'm not going to get into the nitty gritty details of packing the nail clippers and diaper cream, but I will give a shout out to my favorite big ticket items to make sleep easier when traveling with toddlers and babies. The Slumber Pod. The Slumber Pod is an excellent product for families who travel frequently, and/or have siblings sharing a room with a baby/young child. We have a Slumber Pod discount code to share with you! Use code TWEETDREAMZZ$20 at checkout! If you have a trip coming up in a few months, order it now. Stock isn't always reliable because it's super popular! If you have twins, you'll need to place two ordrers to utilize the Slumber Pod discount code for each. Utlize babyquip.com if it is available in your area. Baby Quip is a life saver. They have people located all over who stock and store everyday baby/kid items. We’ve always rented pack n plays from baby quip in addition to strollers, beach items and even a table & chair set that worked perfectly for our Airbnb. The consultant works with you to setup and take down the items you’ve rented and most time the product is there and waiting for you when you arrive. Portable blackout curtains. The best I have found so far are the Sleepout Blackout Curtains. We just recently used them on a trip to Florida and they worked like a charm and were easy to install and take down. We have a Sleepout coupon code to share that will give you 10% off your order! Use code tweetdreamzz at checkout! Road trip with kids Stop frequently! I suggest adding on at least 2 total hours into your trip for stops. Young children become very restless in the car and often cry, and everyone is miserable. Be very hesitant to let your child hold a tablet for extended periods as it could cause car sickness. Instead install a table holder like this one. I don’t recommend to “drive straight through”. Instead add an additional 1-2 days to your trip to stop and stay overnight to sleep/rest. I don’t think it’s worth it, especially with young kids, to skip an entire night’s sleep for everyone. Dozing in the car for you isn’t restful and can likely start your vacation off on the wrong foot. Pack a bag for each child to keep inside the cabin of the vehicle with change of clothes and comfort items. Road trip naps with a baby If your child is a baby and naps several times per day, I recommend to let them get their first nap of the day done in the crib and then leave immediately once the baby is up and fed. A tired baby may cry a bunch in the car before ever finally falling asleep, so you may as well get one good nap in that day. Sometimes parents may try and line up the road trip during baby’s nap time. There are pros and cons to this strategy. If you know your baby will doze off fast and sleep well, okay sure, go for it! But many times, our baby’s will fight sleep in the car and then once asleep out of exhaustion will only nap for less than 1 hour (oof!). Tips for airplane trip with kids Babies: comfort item from home, change of clothes (for all of you), plenty of diapers, formula and don’t forget your breast pump. I have a horror story about the first time I flew to Florida with my twins. Baby wear if you can and get up and move around the plane every so often as to keep baby from getting restless. Families with at least one child are qualified for family boarding. Every airline is different, but on Southwest Airlines, that means all families can board after the A group boards. You’ll notice a line start to form once the pre-board passengers have boarded. Be sure to gate check your stroller, etc with the customer service desk and then hand it off to the employee before you step on the plane. Ages 18 months to 2 years can be the toughest age to fly with in my opinion. I recommend using their car seat on the plane so they can physically be strapped in. I realize it’s very difficult to lug it through the terminal, but the rewards will pay off when you have a child that age. How to get good sleep with your kids on vacation Recreate your environment from home as best as you can. Black out the windows. I recommend this investment (use code tweetdreamzz at checkout) for travel or stop in the dollar store and buy black trashbags + painters tape. If you are in a hotel, bring some chip clips to fasten the curtains closed. Use a sound machine (this one takes batteries) Incorporate their bedtime routine Bring a comfort item or crib sheet that smells like home. How to manage time zone change when traveling with kids Rule of thumb- If you are experiencing time zone shifts fewer than 3 hours, adopt the destination time zone on day 1. Wake your kids up close to the same clocked time as possible in addition to following the clock for bedtime. It may just take 1 day or so to settle given how much activity your family is likely doing. Travel wears us out! For international travel with kids or bigger time differences like 4+ hours. Consult your pediatrician for possible short term melatonin supplementation for your older kids to help adapt to the new time zone. Younger babes, you’ll just have to ride it out and get on the new time zone ASAP. You may find that naps will be erratic at first, but should settle when night time is in line with the new time zone. Blacking out windows, using a sound maching and following their bedtime routine will be your go-to three things to remember. Lindsay Loring is the author of this article. She is a certified pediatric sleep consultant and mom to twin girls. She lives in the metro St. Louis area with her family. Find out more here on how work one on one with Lindsay!

Dropping your child's nap completely is a long game. Sometimes up to a year long. Children will start dropping their nap as early as 2.5 years and keep it as late as 5 years old. There is no right or wrong age as so when it starts to drop or fully drop. 💡 Average age to really focus on intentional dropping of the nap can happen around 3-4 years old. Reasons why parents may want to help their child drop their nap. 1. Your child outright refuses to nap and it's stressful. Follow their lead; incorporate "quiet time" instead. Start small with a toddler color clock to reward/praise verbally for 15-30 minutes in their room with a quiet toy or book. You can then gradually increase time in the room up to 1-2 hours. 2. Your child still naps, but has a very hard time falling asleep at bedtime. This scenario causes overnight sleep to be short and not-restorative, which keeps the nap welcome. The cycle repeats. Naps are not a replacement for night sleep. If night sleep dips below 10 hours, I recommend to start the transition and drop the nap according to the schedule below. 3. Early morning - like your child wants to start their day at the crack of dawn; like 5am or before! This is a clue that their nap is encroaching on their ability to sleep at night. Their early morning is a product of their sleep totals being met. This is sometimes the hardest habit to get past as it makes for super long days and a crabby kid. 4. Preschool naps- Daycares and preschools in the United States are required to offer a 1-2 hour rest time. It's incredibly likely that your child will feel tired after their lunch and see all their peers resting quietly. It's the perfect recipe for a snooze. My twins are 5 years old, and are in preschool. They do not nap anymore and I did everything I could to discourage them falling asleep at their rest time. I've talked to their teacher several times about tacticts to keep them from sleep. Turns out, she's great and willing to work with me. She has moved my twins closest to her desk to keep an eye on them and remind them that mom doesn't want them to sleep, haha! I send activities in their backpacks like sticker books, coloring books and puzzles. It works really well and they RARELY nap at school. Be an advocate for your child! Their teacher may also be willing to wake them early or put them down last to help reduce sleep duration and times of sleep. Checkout this article I wrote on preschoolers sleep needs and expectations. Sleep totals by age *Information provided by the National Sleep Foundation* The roadmap to dropping your child's nap completely will take time and can look like the following example. 👉🏻 Not offering a nap every 3rd to 4th day. So, you child may be napping 4-5 days a week. On days they don't nap, bring bedtime about an hour earlier. This means, if lights out is currently 8pm, bring bedtime to 7pm. 👉🏻 After many weeks or a couple months of that, move to skipping it every 2nd or 3rd day. Your child then may be napping 2-4 times per week. Getting to a point of skipping it every other day will help their bodies adjust to the cortisol and overtiredness that can build up. 👉🏻 The end goal is to arrive at offering it in the same sequence as above. That would look like your child napping 1-3 times per week. Until it's completely gone. How to avoid cat naps or car naps late in the day These will inevitably happen sometimes, more-so if there isn't enough night sleep being offered. I recommend 11.5-12 hours overnight sleep when nap is being skipped. Try to keep your child engage in the car with conversation or their favorite music. If they fall asleep, try and wake them up after 15-20 minutes as to not interfere with bedtime. Will your child ever transfer from the car to their bed? Probably! One good thing that I experienced in our 1-0 nap transition was the ability to transfer my twins from car to bed! Yep, it seems like an urban myth some parents talk about, but I was able to experience it all last summer. My twins were 4 and we would spend weekends at our lake house. They wouldn't nap all weekend, and by the time Sunday evening rolled around, they were spent! We would have dinner around 5:30pm, then change into pajamas and pull-up and pull out of the driveway around 6:30 pm to make the 45 min drive home. They would be asleep in minutes and sleep all the way home, I would carry them up to bed (stopping at the potty first) and they would snuggle back up to sleep and sleep until the morning. Sometimes my sensitive twin would be cranky and sweat when woken up, but it wouldn't last long. Sleep & Behavior Three and four year olds have a lot going on developmentally, which makes this transition even more stressful. Every child is different and their over-tiredness will build at different rates. My favorite parenting coach and expert is Janet Lansbury. I find it extremely helpful to pop in my AirPods and listen to a short episode of her podcast Unruffled about child behavior. I find her voice so soothing! Remembering that an early bedtime is your secret ingredient just as much as time will ensure your child s tays as rested as possible. An overtired child has even less control over their emotions. I know I feel like a loose cannon when I am tired. Things to remember when dropping your child's nap completely. It will take TIME. Be patient and strategic with your approach, if needed. Night sleep is king! Offer early bedtime. Keep a diary of how much your child sleep in 24 hours, when dropping the nap, their total sleep may go UP for a short while. Lindsay Loring is the author of this article. She is a certified pediatric sleep consultant with Tweet Dreamzz Sleep Consulting. Lindsay is a mom to twins and lives with her family in the metro St. Louis, MO area. She has personally coached hundreds of families including 80+ sets of twins. Need personalized help? Book a free call with Lindsay!

How to prepare for premature labor with twins On March 8th , 2021 my twins were unexpectedly born 6 weeks early. I was 34 weeks pregnant when my water suddenly broke at 3 a.m. My husband and I rushed to the hospital and were told once we got there that after my c-section, the girls would be automatically brought to the NICU due to their prematurity. Being a first-time mom, I was already nervous about so much. I tried to be as prepared as possible for the twin’s birth. I already knew I would be having a c-section, so I dove headfirst in researching different recovery methods. I joined several twin groups and got several tips on specific twin products that could make life a little easier. I even hired some help in advance in order to prepare for the challenges that come with taking care of two babies at once. What to expect after twins are born early I felt like I was prepared for a lot, however I was not prepared for the girls to be taken away from me immediately after birth. This just wasn’t something that crossed my mind. Making it past the critical 32-week milestone of a twin pregnancy made me feel like I was going to make it to term, and the girls would have a normal birth. Little did I know that baby A was going to switch positions and break my water earlier than expected. Luckily, our NICU stay for the twins was milder than most. The girls were in the NICU for 11 days. They were monitored mostly for temperature control, feeding and growing. I feel beyond lucky to have had these be the only struggles our girls encountered during their stay. On day 7, the doctors tried to take the twins out of their isolates to see if they could handle normal room temperatures. Unfortunately, their temperatures plummeted, and they had to be put back into their isolates for another 3 days. Luckily, they gained the strength they needed and were able to handle being in regular cribs a few days later. I feel very fortunate to have had the NICU be a positive experience for the twins. The NICU nurses are like angels living on earth. Every NICU nurse that we encountered had a calm demeanor and positive attitude. It truly made a big difference in our experience. NICU stay with singleton son Fast forward 17 months later and my son was also born early (he was born at 36 weeks) and I found myself in the NICU again. This time for a different reason though. My body created an immense amount of scar tissue due to my previous c-section. The baby was experiencing decelerations in triage, so I was quickly wheeled up to the operating room for yet another emergency c-section. This one more emergent than the last. My son’s NICU stay was much shorter than the twins, but more nerve-wracking as it was for an actual medical issue (not for just being born small). Thankfully, the doctors were able to deliver him in just the nick of time which saved us from a lot of potential issues. As I was wheeled up to the NICU to visit the baby for the very first time, I felt a sense of familiarity. I had been there before, I knew which turns to take, where the cafeteria was and the nearest restroom. As much as I was upset that he also was going to encounter a stay in the NICU, I also had a sense of relief. I knew that that my son was exactly where he needed to be and that he was going to get the best care, outside of my own, for however long his stay would be. Once home, I was happy to have a resource such as this one to navigate the first several months at home. It showed me how to establish a routine and what to expect with a newborn at home again. 4 tips for surviving the NICU: Utilize the nurses- The NICU nurses are different than the Labor & Delivery nurses. They are trained specifically in taking care of premature babies as well as babies with certain medical conditions. They are going to be your best resource for anything NICU; newborn related. Participate in rounds – everyday around the same time, the doctors will come into the room and discuss your baby’s condition and progress. This is the best time for you to be able to voice any concerns and ask a medical doctor any questions that you may have about your baby. Take advantage of feeding support – Whether you decide to breastfeed or formula feed, the NICU has a team that is there to assist you. Don’t hesitate to ask your nurse to make an appointment for you so that you can learn as much as possible before your baby is discharged. Celebrate the wins! While it can be upsetting to see your baby hooked up to several cords and machines, it is important to celebrate any win no matter how small. Your baby gained half an ounce – amazing! Your baby is no longer in an isolate? WOOHOO! Your baby passed the car seat challenge? AMEN! If your baby must endure a NICU stay, I want you to know that at that moment, even though you wish you could be the one holding them, they are getting the EXACT care that they need at that time. Have faith that during those moments, that is where they need to be in order to thrive. A positive mindset is imperative and will help you get through those tough days/nights in the NICU. Read about how we settled into a routine once home. Stellina Ferri is the author of this article. She is a certified pediatric sleep consultant and mom to three. She lives in the Boston Massachusetts area with her family. Follow us on Instagram!

You may be reading this in haste as your maternity leave is coming to a fast close, and you just aren't ready to leave your baby. Getting a plan in place and expectations around how hard it can be when going back to work will help you transition into this new reality and routine with your baby in daycare. One that can be the best of both worlds! Honoring yourself and your new self as a mother. Starting Daycare Post Covid The covid pandemic changed things a bit. Health guidelines are stricter than they used to be, and with masks no longer in place, everyone's immunities have taken a hit. I imagine most schools and daycare centers are back to a contact drop-off and pick-up, meaning we can walk our kids inside and check them in. Praise! Guidelines for daycares and schools around illness require the child to be fever free for 24 hours without medication and no vomiting or diarrhea. Having sick littles is the worst. Every single time my children are sick, I wish to trade places with them every single time. Having sick children puts strain on our mental health, our anxieties and our abilities to show up at work or caregiver roles. This is not meant to scare you, but just to know to keep your realities at the forefront. There is nothing harder than seeing your children sick during cold and flu season because of school and daycare, but each sickness is their immune system creating its coat of armor. Returning from maternity leave and starting daycare Get acquainted with your pump if you are nursing! Plus, be sure you have gotten your little one used to drinking from a bottle. This will help eliminate any added anxiety on top of what you are already feeling. 1-2 weeks before your return, start keeping a daily log of what goes on with your baby; feeding times, sleep periods and duration, diaper changes, bowel movement habits and more. This way, you won’t be rushed or put on the spot when your new caregiver asks about your baby’s schedule. Be advise that public daycares typically have parents fill out a log of sorts for their infant at each morning drop-off. It will ask questions like, when did they last wakeup?, when did they last eat?, and when was their last diaper change? It’s important to know that most state licensed daycares are required to follow parents’ instructions for infants 0-12 months. So, in essence, what you say goes! It’ll be no surprise that you are feeling anxious and sad about leaving your baby all day, but knowing the caregiver is following your instructions can be comforting. The transition can be tough! Ask them to send you snapshots throughout the day or drop in on your lunch break for a quick snuggle. Daycares will always have babies sleeping in bare cribs to reduce the occurrence of SIDS. If you are anxious about your baby not yet sleeping in a crib, practice introducing it one nap at a time. Even a 30-minute nap will help your baby get comfortable sleeping in that space. How to manage baby's sleep schedule when you have to leave early for work. Commutes are common and long ones are even more common. Or, maybe you work a flex-schedule and need to leave early. If you have to wake your baby at 6 or before, then early, early bedtime is key. Make this known to your caregiver and ask that they work with your child to get down for their nap first. Depending on age, the class could have 10-14 children, and that’s a lot of bodies to get settled and laid down! This is also helpful when your child ‘moves up’. At that point, they will be the youngest in their class and their sleep needs are different. Your child would benefit from getting settled for their rest time first. Keep in mind that an 11-hour in crib time is key even if that means they go directly to bed after dinner. Your child needs and craves that restorative sleep.. Don’t worry it won’t be this way forever! How to manage short naps at daycare or no naps at all at daycare. Yep. I said it. It happens, but the good thing is it usually doesn’t last long. But before you worry yourself, know that so many older kids( only taking 1 nap) fall asleep on their first day. It’s something about the peer pressure! I remember sending my 15-month old twins to daycare for their first day and thought, “There is no way in hell they will lay down on a cot and sleep with the lights on”. But, what do you know? They both slept an hour. Now, that wasn’t nearly as long as they needed, but I was ecstatic that they fell asleep at all. Now, over a year later, one of my twins continues to take 1.5-2hr naps (Monday & Friday) and my other twin is hit or miss. Some days she can sleep an hour and other days its 30-45 minutes. I take into consideration that I know she will be tired and give her grace when she acts out. Even if I can get her to bed 15-minutes early that night, its helpful. Tips for your Baby's Sleep at Daycare Now, younger babies need a more intentional approach. They can’t miss multiple naps a day or things could get ugly. Even if your child is out of the infant room, take note of how naps are and ask all the questions. You are their parent and who is going to ask if you don’t? Be an advocate for your child. Setup a meeting with the direction and ask for what you need. Often times at daycare centers, the teachers are rotating and have days off. If the daycare is in the loop, you will have more success. If your baby was taking really good independent naps at home, expect that they can attain that at daycare, as well. Talk to the room leader about the nap routine and what happens when your baby wakes prematurely. Did they introduce a new prop like rocking or feeding to sleep? Ensure them that your baby does not need those things at home to take a good nap! Following Eat-Play-Sleep can happen at daycare too. Older kids may skip the nap entirely. BUT, it’s typically not the case because ‘everyone else is doing it  They see all the other kids laying down to rest and will in turn fall asleep. Some find that their older kids actually nap better at school. Your baby is just learning to self-settle or is just one of those babies who needs to let out a few cries before falling asleep This is all normal! Let the room leader know about this and that you are comfortable with 5-minutes, for example, of crying. Suggest your little one be put down first if they say this is disrupting the other children. Again, totally normal and is developmental. Your baby falls asleep on the short car ride home from daycare. This actually could be a good thing, because then your baby will be alert enough to eat dinner and maybe even some quiet playtime. For babies, 4-7 months old, falling asleep in the car will be very common. When it happens, let them sleep for at least 15-20 minutes. Then proceed with your schedule as normal following an age appropriate wake time. If your baby is older than 7-months, a 3rd nap isn’t advisable. . Click here for suggestions on the 3-2 transition. Mirror the new schedule of daycare. Sometimes this can be important. If you know your child will be taking 1 nap at school but is still taking two at home. Start the steps at home to reduce down to 1 nap a day. If you’ve been hanging onto the third nap at home, but you know it’s time to drop it, adopt the new schedule 1-2 weeks before your child starts. This will be one less change for them to adapt to. In recap, here’s what you can do to set your child up for success at daycare/nursery! 1. Do your research- Ask ALL the questions. Are sleep periods flexible? Will they allow items from home? Can you bring a sleep sack and sound machine? Will they follow your schedule and routine? These questions are ideal for babies younger than 1-year old! 2. Set reasonable expectations- Take a deep breath and try to accept the fact that there will be an adjustment period. Sleep won’t be as good as it was at home, but the disruptions can be temporary. There are things you can do to help make up for the missed sleep like, super early bedtimes and longer nap periods on the weekend. 3. How is your child falling asleep? If things haven’t settled or gotten better in a couple weeks, be sure to ask about the routines and process around nap times. Did they introduce a new prop? If sleep periods are only lasting 30-minutes, it’s likely that their routine has been altered in some way. If not corrected, the disruptions can have long term effects on your child’s sleep. If you are prop-free at home, expect the same from. Your caregiver! If you have returned to daycare but sleep and routine has been disrupted, schedule your 15-minute evaluation call with me today! Lindsay Loring is a certified pediatric sleep consultant with Tweet Dreamzz Sleep Consulting. She is a wife and mother of twin girls. She lives with her family in the St. Louis, MO metro area.

Hey mom, hey dad. Is your newbie baby sort of on a routine? That's so cool right? It's kind of like one day it just started to happen, and the blurry newborn days were over. Okay, sweet. But, what's next? The first comfortable place baby's schedule lands is on a 4-nap schedule. Usually, in those instances, wake windows are around 90 minutes each across 4 naps throughout the day. Two to three chunkier naps and a 4th cat nap. Bedtime may be a little on the "late side" during this time. You'll know your baby is on a routine because you notice dedicated times throughout the day when your baby is awake and engaged. It no longer seems like your baby's day is just one long string of naps and dozing off. If you're reading this, your baby is likely 3-5 months old. Three months old is the super early side to transition to three naps per day and 5 months old is the super late side to be transitioning to 3 naps per day. If your baby is 4 months old, it's the perfect time. So what signs are there to let you know if it's the right time to drop from 4 to 3 naps per day? Signs your baby is ready for 3 naps per day Bedtime has become late. Like, really late. Your baby may only have something like 10 hours of sleep time dedicated to overnight sleep. As a certified pediatric sleep consultant, I recommend nothing fewer than 11 hours in bed overnight. All of the naps your baby takes are short; 30-45 minutes. Your baby wakes up really early for the day which causes their first nap to start inside the window where bedtime sleep should still be taking place. Age. The sweet spot for this transition is usually somewhere inside the 4th month. It's not always easy to know when your baby is ready to drop a nap. Especially at this early age when over-tiredness is still a thing. Signs of over-tiredness included: inability to sleep, excessive crying, rubbing eyes, falling asleep in the car or stroller almost immediately and more. To prevent over-tiredness as best you can, following wake windows is where you want to be. What are wake windows? Wake windows are the time your baby is awake in between sleep periods; either between naps or between naps and bedtime/morning time. The slash below signifies a nap and the number is the wake window in hours. Your baby's wake window starts as soon as they wake up. It includes the time they spend awake doing activities like eating and playing. 4 month old sleep schedule Starting out, a 3-nap schedule may look like: 1.75/2/2.25/2.25-2.5 wake windows between naps and bedtime. 5 month old sleep schedule A more settled 3-nap schedule may look like 2/2.25/2.25/2.5 wake windows between naps and bedtime. 6 month old sleep schedule And finally, a maxed out 3-nap schedule may look like 2/2.25/2.5/2.75 wake windows between naps and bedtime. It makes sense, then, that your baby's night will become longer in the beginning of the nap transition and get shorter at the end (or when it's settled). It will get shorter again as you start their NEXT nap transition! I'm hoping that's not too confusing! Once in practice, it will make more sense. Just understand that your baby's sleep needs are always changing, and it's hard to stay stagnant with wake times within the first year. If you'd like to get a sneak peek of what's to come, checkout my schedules throughout the first year and a half! What is the 4-month sleep regression and why does it happen? Something else that coincides with this nap transition is the 4-month sleep regression. YEP. You may find yourself feeling like something just isn't working with your baby's sleep like it used to. It's likely that their sleep stages are now matured (that of an adult), and now night wakings are more frequent and independent naps are non-existent. If you want guidance on the fastest way out of the 4-month sleep regression, download my bedtime guide or my bedtime guide for twins. Inside those guides are my best tips for putting baby down for independent sleep in a safe space like a crib or bassinet. With these tips, you can crawl your way back out of the 4-month regression and back to longer stretches of sleep! Key takeaways for the 4-3 nap transition: What age does it happen: 3-5 months old. Understand the signs of an upcoming nap transition: take note of the need for a schedule change; short naps, late bedtimes and early morning wakings. Educate yourself on the 4-month sleep regression . Start keeping track of your baby's wake windows. Lindsay Loring is the author of this article. She is a certified pediatric sleep consultant and mom to twin girls. She lives in the metro St. Louis, MO area and helps families all over the world get better sleep after kids.

Hey Mom, Hey Dad, I am happy you are here. You may be reading this because you’ve searched late at night on how to night wean your baby or maybe you aren’t there yet, but you just want to be prepared for when the time is right. When is the right time to wean your baby of night feeds? I say, whenever YOU are ready, AND you have the green light from your pediatrician. There will be some trackers they will look at like, weight curve and number of wet diapers and bowel movements throughout the day. Next time you visit the ped and are curious about how to wean night feedings, just ask. Ask at your next appointment or send them a quick message or email in your child’s chart. When to wean night feeds There are different thresholds of what is the right amount of ounces in 24 hours. Typically, with my clients, I like to at least see 24 ounces of formula or breastmilk during the day. This will include about 4 daytime feedings plus the bedtime routine feed for a total of five daytime feedings. Again, ALWAYS check with your child’s pediatrician before night weaning. How to night wean a bottle fed baby First, always start with an independent bedtime routine. Not sure that that looks like? Feed first in the bedtime routine, keeping baby awake for the full feed. Then, go through the rest of the bedtime routine steps like hygiene routine and ritual like book and a song. Lay baby down in bed wide awake.  Allowing your baby to have full ownership of their falling asleep process will greatly reduce their night wakings and need for a feed/sleep association. Many times, babies who are eating overnight are not eating anything substantial. It’s more the act of bottle in mouth as the avenue to more sleep. Not the calories themselves. Once an independent sleep routine is established at night, give it about 7 days to see where your little one is landing with the timing of the feed. Is it half-way through the night? Great! Hold them to their ‘personal best’. Any wakes outside of the feed time will be managed with the same method (or even more hands-off) as you did at bedtime. You’ll give them at least 10 minutes before entering the room, then assess that they are physically well before implementing a sleep training strategy until they are back asleep in their crib. IF it’s feed time, then you will go to them immediately upon any elevated crying, offer the feed, watch for long productive swallows to stop, then place baby back down in bed, ideally awake. This is the first stage to night weaning. Reducing ounces overnight for a bottle fed baby If you are ready to drop those middle of the night ounces altogether, you gradually reduce ounces down to 4 or less ounces total, and then once you are there, you would use a sleep training method to help baby back to sleep without eating. Once down to 4 ounces or less, a cold turkey approach can be used. Keep in mind, if you have an independent sleeper at bedtime, these overnight wakes will go smoother. Check in on your baby periodically to help them soothe if they are upset. You can anticipate a few rough nights as baby gets themselves back to sleep without eating, but those calories should transfer to daytime and the feeding is now replaced with restorative sleep. Once night weaned, don't look back! Are night weaning and sleep training the same thing? Nope, they aren’t. Sleep training and night weaning aren’t mutually exclusive. Which means, they can both exist. Sleep training is the path you take to independent sleep, such as going down for bedtime wide awake without feeding or rocking. When independent sleep is established, you will likely see longer stretches of sleep for your baby, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t wake to be fed. Sometimes, babies will naturally wean themselves. Cool right? They just start connecting all their sleep cycles and stop signaling during any wakings! But, wait. As a sleep consultant, I am here to tell you that that is not the majority of babies. MOST babies will need an active weaning approach from their parents. Going that route is okay too. Does night weaning mean better sleep? Most of the time, yes. In my experience as a sleep coach, when there are night feeds present, there are night wakings still present, as well. Babies cannot tell time, nor does their digestive system know that it is time to rest. They may have other wakeups they struggle with due to a night feed being present. What if your child takes a SIGNIFICANT amount of calories/ounces overnight? This is really stressful. It’s almost as if their digestion is reversed. What happens throughout the day has an important impact on nights. Start following an EAT/Wake/Sleep pattern, EWS. There are many benefits to eating directly after baby wakes, instead of right before baby sleeps. For one, it takes an incredible amount of energy to focus on the task of eating. If baby is eating near their next nap time and at the end of their wake period, their energy stores are super depleted. Baby will become drowsy and/or fall asleep half way through the bottle or breast and miss out on those calories they could have eaten if they were fully awake. The cycle with that will continue to repeat itself, and it will also sabotage your baby’s ability to take a long, restorative daytime nap. This process will allow your baby to then eat better during the day and less at night. If you have to cut ounces down overnight deliberately, that will help as well. How to night wean a breastfed baby Jump into independent put down at bedtime first. Offer last nursing session about 30-45 minutes before your baby’s wake window is ending, and KEEP THEM AWAKE, then move to the next part of their bedtime routine, such as bath and a book. When night wakings are happening for feed time, take baby out of the crib and sit in an upright chair with a red light night light on. Allow baby to actively eat big, consistent swallows, then when those slow, unlatch baby who is ideally awake and place them back in bed. When you are actively weaning, you will have baby nurse for less and less minutes over the course of about a week. If after a week, they are still waking and signaling for a quick latch, you can feel confident to choose a sleep training method that fits your family dynamic. How to wean a dream feed? I am not a fan of the dream feed. We know that our BEST sleep is the first half of the night, so by disrupting that sleep for your baby, it may not be as effective as you think. Instead, try to split your baby’s night in half and then offer the middle of the night feed. This will make it much easier for them to handle those longer stretches when you are ready to fully wean. If you require a full night’s rest, 6-8 hours or more. Think about taking turns with your partner when it comes to feeding overnight. Is night weaning your baby too overwhelming? Try not to stress. There are consultants like me here to help. I work one on one with families to sleep train, night wean, nap train and overall help you feel LESS stressed about your child’s sleep. In return, your family becomes more rested overall. Lindsay Loring is a sleep consultant with Tweet Dreamzz Sleep Consulting. She is a mom to twins and lives in the St. Louis, MO metro area. Lindsay helps families all over the world make sleep a priority. Book your free call here.

You are here because sleep for your 2 year old was going great, or let's say good, and now it's not. Nothing has seemed to change on your end, but a lot has changed with your toddler. Don't stress, your 'good' sleeper can return. I will walk you through some scenarios and questions to ask yourself. By the time you are done reading, you will have a better idea if it is in fact the 2 year sleep regression and the best path forward to sleep-filled nights. Let's start out with what your 2 year old's sleep schedule should look like: 2 year olds need about 12-12.5 hours of sleep TOTAL in 24-hours. Yep. They aren't an infant anymore and their sleep needs continue to drop every few months. The majority of 2 year olds still need a daily afternoon nap to adequately fill their sleep needs. The sweet spot for their nap to start is 1PM. It will ensure they get a proper lunch before going down, and that they have enough sleep pressure to take a longer nap. If you find that your 2-year old wants to wake for the day at 5AM, I strongly suggest not to reinforce the early morning by offering a nap that's too early in the day. It will be hard at first to get this shifted; take baby steps (15-30 minutes every few days) until you meet the target of 1PM. Ideal 2 year old sleep schedule 6:30-7am > morning wake 1:00-2:30-3pm > nap 7:30 > bedtime Fostering some crib 'autonomy' can be crucial for happy bedtimes and nap times. Let your little one hang out in their crib for 5-10 minutes after they wake up. This time is still viewed as restful, and maybe you weren't done with completing a task around the house. You can start this early with your babies, even. Use an excited, happy voice to greet them and lots of hugs to show them waiting is a good thing! Delay any instant gratification straight out of the crib. Wait at least 10 minutes before offering a feeding or milk and move to a bright lit area of your home to signal that sleep time is over. Reasons the regression happens. 1. Schedule isn't right. See above! If you are are subject to a daycare schedule, don't worry. Just be sure to move nap time to 1pm on the weekends. Also, it never hurts to have a conversation with your child's caregiver to ask if they can be the last one put down for their nap. Many times this regression can just be us asking too much sleep time of our kids. Shortening their crib time with more intentional wake time can work wonders. 2. Bedtime routine has become limitless. What I mean by that is there is too much gray area for your child. They are allowed to ask for countless books and seem to stall going to bed at every corner. The steps of the routine have become blurred and too lengthy. I recommend a short, 30 minute bedtime routine to take place in their room. 30-35 minutes before lights out, head upstairs to their room Grab their clothes and diaper and proceed to take a bath Get dressed and brush teeth + comb hair With lights on, sit on the floor or chair to read for 5 minutes (setting a timer can be super helpful). Setting a time period will help your child understand the limit and boundary and they will feel less likely to exert any unwanted feelings of 'control'. Place in bed and turn lights out. Monitor any crying with comfort checks at your discretion. The important thing is your child falls asleep in their bed without your assistance. Bedtime is a big deal for them at 2 years old, and part of the regression can involve separation anxiety. Keeping the routine familiar will help with this. 3. Separation anxiety. Depending on your child's personality, they will go through spurts of feeling anxious at bedtime and other times throughout the day when you are away from them. This is perfectly normal and part of childhood. There are ways to help your child feel more secure when you aren't around. Continue to follow the previous tips above as part of it. The other part is to be consistent. What does being consistent mean? It means, going back to the basics of sleep training. Will there be some crying? It's likely. Think of sleep as a non-negotiable, just like a daycare drop off, for example. Your child will be upset and cry, but communicate that you will see them in the morning and you love them, same with daycare drop off. The first couple days might be hard, but quickly, your child will be confident again to fall asleep independently. Starting new unsustainable habits are very confusing to your child. They will not understand why sometimes they get rocked to sleep or come to your bed and other nights they are expected not to get those things. If sleep training worked for your family a year or more ago, it can work again now. Dong a sleep reminder or reset is what's needed! Remember, moving your toddler to a bed is not the answer. Impulse control just doesn't exist yet and you will have a wandering child in your house which can be unsafe and stressful. The crib is a tangible boundary that they still need :) A few things you can do now that you couldn't do before. Introduce a toddler pillow. My favorite one is linked here. Purchase a Hatch sound machine and use a sleep approved color to let your child know when it's time to sleep and when it's time to get up. Following these tips here will get your back on track with a toddler who loves their bedtime routine and sleeps all night! If you need one on one assistance, I work directly with families as a coach and guide to better sleep. Lindsay Loring is the author of this article. She is a certified pediatric sleep consultant who is a sleep expert for babies, toddlers and twins of all ages. She lives in the metro St. Louis, MO area with her family. Tweetdreamzz.com

As a new parent or even a second time parent, it's natural to wonder what the "secret" is to getting your baby to sleep. It's no surprise, as we weren't taught anything at the hospital and our pregnancies were spent preparing for arrival..not after we bring them home. So, let's talk about it. I did some research to find out what parents are typing in their search bar in desperation when their babies aren't sleeping. It's a little wild, honestly. And before you continue reading, SPOILER.. there is NO secret product to baby sleep. Some may aid or slightly improve (as long as they are safe) but there isn't a one-size saving grace product for all families. Products that are marketed to tired parents. 1. A fish cat toy that will pat your baby to sleep. You guys, just no. This is not safe and almost laughable. But, I do understand that you may be reading this out of desperation. Please save your money and do not buy this. 2. Baby Oilogic Slumber & Sleep oils and sprays. A 'magic' spray will not be enough to make your baby stay asleep. Sure, I can get on board with some aromatherapies, but they are not all you will need. They are great for cueing to your child that it's time to sleep, but a lot more is required within the routine. 3. Weighted sleep sacks I love a good sleep sack. Only because they are a wearable blanket (when worn safely) and another cue for your baby that sleep is coming. Weighted sleep sacks have become increasingly popular and marketed to tired parents giving them hope that it will 'fix all your baby's sleep problems'. The truth is, it will not. It can foster great sleep when paired with the tips I am going to give you below. 4. Boppy newborn lounger (recalled) 3.3 million Boppy loungers were recalled after 8 infants died from suffocation while sleeping in the lounger unsupervised. Truth moment here. We used the Boppy loungers for my twins. They ate in those things and even napped. They came in super handy when double feeding and were easily transported throughout the house. Did I ever make an unsafe judgment in my sleepless haze? Probably. I know it's difficult to not use these products that give us just an hour or two of sleep or rest. But, the bottom line is the numbers can't be ignored. Always follow the AAP's guidelines to safe sleep and pass on unsafe sleep products. 5. DockAtot It shouldn't come as a surprise that this product is also unsafe. And at that price, WOOF! I think it's unfortunate the way they market this product while making it seem so aesthetically pleasing to have that 'matchy' portable bed for all your lifestyle needs. But, REMEMBER, it isn't a bed. It's intended to be somewhere your baby can rest but be awake. Please do not let your child sleep in a DockAtot. What REALLY is the secret to a good nights sleep for your baby. In a nutshell, giving your baby ownership of their sleep process! Giving baby ownership can happen at any time really. Newborns all the way to school age. So, don't worry if you think you've 'missed the window' to have a better sleeping baby or child. What does 'ownership' of sleep mean. It means baby/child is falling asleep independently and without some 'thing' or person to assist with the process. When we fall asleep with outside assistance, the micro-waking after a sleep cycle ends turns into a full, signaled night waking. For an adult, that may mean turning the TV back on or adjusting our bedding. For a child, that could look like: needing to be rocked, bounced, fed, or find their pacifier again. It's not their fault, it's just all they know so far. Newborns have almost zero capacity to stay awake. So, the act of eating on the bottle or breast or being held in someone's becomes learned. If you wish to have an independent sleeper, the secret is to break all of those learned associations. Tips for fewer night wakings and an easier bedtime with your baby. Proper schedule: Your baby needs a certain amount of sleep and intentional wake time throughout the day. I love this graphic for reference. In addition, I have this blog for you. It walks you through nap transitions the first year and beyond. Environment: Once baby has their day/nights sorted, you can start their first and second naps of the day in their crib, in a dark room with white noise. Once baby is onto two naps a day, I recommend all naps in a cool, dark room in a crib. Bedtime routine: Humans need time to transition. A bedtime routine allows our brains to slow down and make ready for sleep. Up until baby is 1 year old, a bedtime routine will include a feeding (before bath) and the process will take about 30 minutes. Or, 45 minutes if you have twins. Soothing methods and consistency: If you want your baby to be an independent sleeper, I suggest to practice that expectation about 99% of the time. Only when baby is sick, do I recommend to completely jump ship from your usual routine. I've created a 4-Step Guide to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night. It contains my BEST tips on how to achieve that independent sleep process with your baby. It's no surprise that I don't include any magic products to assist your baby in their falling asleep process. What I do stress is that it does take dedication and confidence on your part. Reading through all of this may feel like baby sleep is overwhelming and unattainable. I get that. I've done all the research and applied what I know in real life, day after day..with my own children and my client's children. If you need help implementing independent sleep with our baby, I am here to help. I work with singletons and twins ages newborn to 7 years. Book your free call to find out just how possible sleep for your family really is. Tweetdreamzz.com/booknow Lindsay Loring is a certified pediatric sleep consultant and author of this article. Lindsay lives in the Metro St. Louis, MO area and helps families all over North America achieve easier sleep routines. Lindsay is the owner of Tweet Dreamzz Sleep Consulting and is an expert in twin sleep.

It may seem like a switch has flipped and your easy/good sleeper no longer knows how to sleep. Don't worry, there are reasons why it's happening and things to do to get your 18-month old back to sleeping well. First, why does this particular sleep regression happen? It's equal parts separation anxiety and change in sleep needs. Object permanence and what we call FOMO (fear of missing out) are here to stay and it becomes hard for our tiny toddlers to see you go each night and at nap time. They now realize that hanging with Mom and Dad is way more fun that taking a nap or going to bed. So, your once smooth bedtime routine may now be met with resistance and tears. My best advice for this? Stay the course. Continuing to be calm, reassuring and firm is the fastest way out of this regression. Don't veer from your previous routine even if that means tears (from both of you). Instead, choose a comforting technique that works for you or one that you've used in the past. A common method would be to do 'pop-ins'. It looks like waiting a designated amount of minutes, I recommend 10, and then popping back in with a quick verbal reminder. What else may be causing your toddler to have a sleep regression? Decrease in sleep needs. As you can see below, there is an hour less sleep needed around 18-19 months old. It can affect every child differently, and at different times. But on average, it happens at 18-months old. Total sleep needs are going from 13-13.5 hours in 24 hours to 12-12.5 hours in 24 hours. My favorite schedule for 18-months old. 6:30/7 wake 12:30-2:30 nap 7:15 bedtime It's okay if we ask for more crib time than sleep time is needed. The most important part is the timing of when sleep is asked for. By moving nap to 12:30, it will allow extra sleep pressure to build for nap AND for bedtime. Quick tips: 🔅Push nap forward 30 mins to 12:30 🕧 🔅Keep bedtime simple but be sure to dedicate time to a family ritual like reading or singing. Don't entertain stalling or crying. 🔅Stay confident and patient. 🔅 Make sure lights are still on throughout bedtime routine and no drowsiness is induced before into crib time. 🔅Reach out if you need extra help. Many times, a 30-minute phone call could be all that's needed to get back on track. Email me at lindsay@tweetdreamzz.com for a special link to book a tune-up call 📞 Only available for kiddos who have a great independent sleep foundation built. Lindsay Loring is a certified pediatric sleep consultant. She is a Mom to twin girls and lives in the Metro St. Louis, MO region. Lindsay helps families all over achieve more predictable bedtime and nap time routines for their children. Book your free one on one call with her now!

Did you know that sleep consulting services are HSA and FSA eligible? Sleep training is covered by insurance when you have access to a health savings account provided by your employers particular insurance plan. That’s right! What is an HSA: Health Savings Plan? More and more employers these days are moving to a high-deductible HSA/FSA health insurance plan. That means that typically at the beginning of each year, you are given seed money towards your deductible. In addition to the money your employer gives your family, you are also about to contribute to that account each paycheck. And the best part? That money doesn't expire! Most HSA plans are managed by a money management company and will have thresholds on when you can invest the money. Otherwise, it will sit in cash waiting to be used for doctors visits, medications or to hire a sleep consultant. What is an FSA: Flexible Spending Account? On the contrary, an FSA DOES expire and is typically more limited than an HSA. Your bank card attached to the account only allows purchases for item/services that are coded to be accepted. Other types of purchases will need to be submitted for reimbursement, such as a sleep consultant. Either type of account is eligible to be used for sleep consulting services because as a sleep consultant, my main goal is to address sleep deprivation, sleep hygiene and sleep environment which are all allowable within the health savings plan that you have. How to use your FSA/HSA funds for Sleep Training I make the process easy to utilize these funds. I have my invoices coded to reflect that the expense is eligible. So, all you have to do it pay with the debit/credit card that is linked to the account and SAVE your invoice. For an HSA account, keeping the receipt is all you need to do in case of audit. For FSA, you may need to submit the invoice via your your health savings portal and wait for reimbursement. So, instead of buying two cartfuls of band-aids at the drug store, think again about how that money can benefit your family in the form of sleep training. I am so happy that employers are recognizing that working Moms and Dads need sleep to return to work. How else are we expected to function and be productive?! They recognize that sleep deprivation is a thing for new parents... about time! It's simple. My invoices and services are coded to be eligible as an expense. You literally don't have to do anything different! Keep a copy of my invoice should your tax records need it and use your FSA/HSA credit or debit card to pay online. Easy peasy! If this sounds like something your family needs (sleep). Book your FREE evaluation call with one of our sleep consultants here We work with babies and toddlers plus school-age children to establish easy sleep routines that keep the entire family rested. Start by taking a look at our sleep plan offerings.

Short naps are so frustrating. They cause anxiety and moments of helplessness on everyone's part. Eventually your baby WILL grow into a toddler and their sleep cycles will naturally elongate. But for now, there are things you CAN do to help your baby to take longer naps. Reasons why babies take catnaps. 1. Naps are not timed correctly. When your baby takes a nap is directly related to their age. Following age appropriate wake windows OR times on the clock, for older babies, will set your little one up for success to take a restorative nap. Apps like Huckleberry don't help you trouble shoot short naps. Meaning, it could possibly tell you your 9 month old needs 4 naps, because naps are short. This is not what you want! You'll want to spread those naps out and have your baby napping less frequently to build sleep pressure for two longer naps. 2. Naps are happening too early in the day, which means all the daytime sleep is stacked too close together leaving a long wake window before bed. Are you stuck in an early cycle? It may seem impossible for their first nap not to start at 8AM since they have been up since 5, but the cycle can be broken! For older babies, 6 months+, mirror their nap from your desired wake time. So, if you want baby to start their day closer to 7AM, start their first nap closer to 9 or 9:30. Leave baby in crib as close to 7AM as possible, as the crib time and lack of light can still be considered restful. Here are my best hacks to correct early mornings! Quick tip: Inch their first nap forward about 15 minutes every few days until you achieve the new nap time. Is baby super cranky? Take them outside or add extra high chair time during previous fussy periods. By moving everything forward, you will close the gap between last nap and bedtime.. You want this!! 3. Naps are short because baby is falling asleep assisted. Yep. It's all too familiar. Your baby was once a newborn who had very little capacity to stay awake. So the environment of being held, rocked and fed likely always induced sleep. But now, maybe you are back at work or have other children at home (or just want a break) so holding and nursing and bouncing just to get a nap doesn't work for you anymore. You know what? Your babe CAN learn to sleep a different way. A way that puts themselves in charge of how/when they fall asleep and how long they sleep for. When baby goes to sleep from a state of drowsy or with a feeding, they will complete one sleep cycle, then stir, then become fully awake. Baby will look for those 'things' to be recreated so they can continue to keep sleeping. When they wake and those things aren't present, they will signal to you to bring them back in the form of crying. Are you ready to tackle independent sleep? Work on it at bedtime first. Your baby's body will be producing sleep hormones at that time which will make the process MUCH easier and chances of success are higher! You can start with nap training the very next day (as long as bedtime was a success) or you can get a few nights under your belt before working on naps. Want a copy of the perfect bedtime routine? I got you! Suggested bedtime routine. 4. Naps are short because it's time to drop a nap! Baby is in a nap transition. It takes A LOT of sleep pressure to fall asleep. So, if baby is age-ready to drop a nap, this will increase sleep pressure (duration) for the naps that remain. So, plain and simple. There just isn't enough sleep pressure for baby to take a long nap. It may seem like a difficult task, especially if your baby is stuck in an overtired cycle. But, many times, it works to push past the tired cues and crankiness to make it to the new nap time. Parent-led nap transitions are perfectly acceptable. Read my blog on nap transitions here. 5. Leaps & Milestones! Naps can be short because babies are humans they have off days. I advise to look for a trend of 7 days+ before changing anything as far as schedule or timing. Independent routines can always be started when you are ready which will help those bumps in the road become less 'bumpy' Even if baby is an awesome self-settler and the schedule is right, short naps can happen from time to time. The popular sleep regressions like the 8 month regression, 12 month regression, 18 month regression and so on, line up with gross motor skill developments like crawling, pulling up, walking and at close to 2 years old, a HUGE language burst! . Key takeaways when troubleshooting why your baby is taking a short nap. Naps are not timed correctly. Naps are happening too early in the day Baby takes short naps due to sleep dependencies Baby is in a nap transition and it's time to drop a nap. Leaps/Milestones/Regressions I 100% understand how frustrating short naps are! All we want is for our babies to sleep well and get the rest they need to grow and be content. My sleep plans work for parents who are home to implement nap training, as well as those who have their children in daycare. It's not a deal breaker if you don't have full control of your baby's naps. Most daycares will be happy to follow your instructions if it means your baby will nap longer and their arms are free :) If you want full on support to improve your baby's sleep, Lindsay at Tweet Dreamzz Sleep Consulting will show you how. Book your free call with her here! Lindsay Loring is a certified pediatric sleep consultant who specializes in babies, toddlers and twins. She is a sleep consultant in the Metro St. Louis, MO area serving families worldwide. Visit www.tweetdreamzz.com