FIVE ELEMENTS FOR CREATING AN IDEAL SLEEP ENVIRONMENT CHECKLIST

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WHEN IS A GOOD TIME TO CONTACT YOU REGARDING MY BABY'S SLEEP?

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The best time is before baby arrives! That way you armor yourself with all the knowledge about sleep development, when and how to shape sleep, before you are sleep deprived.

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The second best time is prior to six weeks adjusted age.

 

However, if your baby is already here and you are past that time frame, hope is not lost! You can still help your child get the best sleep possible at an early age.

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DOES THIS MEAN I WON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH EXHAUSTION?

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No, It does not. This depends on each person's situation and individual baby. However, generally the first few weeks are  a hurdle to get through. It is normal to experience little shut eye during that time. Babies are born with an immature circadian rhythm, meaning sleep is unorganized and unpredictable.

 

However, you can armor yourself with knowledge regarding newborn sleep development so that you can set realistic expectations, know what to implement early on to make the future a little easier, and understand when and how to create the components conducive for sleep. Increasing your chances of reaching better nights of rest sooner rather than later.

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DOES THIS MEAN I CAN GET MY NEWBORN SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT?

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This depends what sleeping through the night means to you.

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The answer is maybe. Some babies will drop all night feedings by eight weeks on their own. I highly advise that you set yourself up for realistic expectations that this might not be the case. I generally do not see night feedings naturally drop until about six to nine months for babies who are able to independently fall asleep.

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Now for some sleeping through the night means an 8-hour stretch. For others it means their child only wakes to feed and is able to sleep the rest of the night. These are absolutely realistic expectations for a newborn who is gaining weight appropriately and is eight weeks or older.

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DOES THIS MEAN I CAN GET MY NEWBORN ON A SCHEDULE?

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First, let me define what we mean by the term schedule in the Stork Community. Schedule means that a child wakes, naps, and goes to bed at specific times on the clock.

 

With that definition in mind, the answer to this question is, "Maybe." But to set realistic expectations, let's say no. At least not right away.

 

You will see a pattern for your child's wake window, but you won't see a schedule start to form until about sixteen weeks adjusted age. This is often around the time that people refer to as the "4-month sleep regression." However, I like to call this a "sleep leap" as your child's circadian rhythm is maturing with the architecture of the sleep cycles changing. It can take up to about six months adjusted age for a schedule to consistently take place. However, note that you can shape sleep overtime with your newborn, making the unfolding of the schedule more noticeable and possibly occur earlier.

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DOES THIS MEAN I HAVE TO LEAVE MY NEWBORN TO CRY?

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No. However, it does not mean that your newborn won't make any noises and will never cry. 

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ISN'T THIS THE SAME THING AS SLEEP TRAINING?

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That depends on what you consider sleep training.

 

Many people call this sleep shaping. Part of that process is becoming attuned to your baby's needs. You provide food when your baby is hungry. Sleep shaping is providing the opportunity for your baby to sleep when tired. By providing your baby with occasional space instead of interfering with the sleep process due to every random noise, you allow your child to practice those sleep skills early on in life.

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However, I do consider this sleep training as my definition for sleep training is "CATRing to your child's age." This means achieving age-appropriate CONSOLIDATION of sleep for the age-appropriate AMOUNT of time at the age-appropriate TIME of day and all three of these occurring REGULARLY. Basically? Sleep training is providing your baby with the components and opportunity to learn how to fall asleep and connect sleep cycles in their sleep space.

 

We won't treat a newborn the exact same as we would an older infant or toddler because we can't expect the same given where they are developmentally with sleep. However, we can do certain things to start building a strong sleep foundation in order to achieve healthy sleep for your newborn.

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WILL I HAVE TO WITHHOLD FEEDINGS FROM MY BABY?

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No way, José. We want to make sure your baby is getting the calories needed to survive and thrive. However, part of this process is staying attuned to your baby's needs. It will require that you pay attention to your newborn's feedings and wake windows so that you are not mistaking a hungry baby for ...a tired baby ...a hot baby ...an uncomfortable baby needing to be repositioned ...a bored baby. This is where understanding sleep development comes in handy!

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WHEN IS A GOOD TIME TO START SLEEP TRAINING?

 

Really, anytime. However, the official time that most people choose to full on sleep train is around sixteen weeks (adjusted age) or older as the circadian rhythm becomes more developed, allowing a more set schedule.

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THE MOST COMMON MYTHS OR MISCONCEPTIONS I HEAR ABOUT SLEEP TRAINING.​

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Myth 1: Sleep training means no more night feedings.

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Myth 2: Sleep training means cry it out.

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Myth 3: Sleep training will ruin your parent-child relationship.

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Myth 4: Sleep training will damage your child.

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Myth 5: Exhaustion is just part of parenting within those first few months and years and you just have to accept it.

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Myth 6: Sleep training is selfish.

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Myth 7: "My baby is more difficult than others and won't be able to do it."

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Myth 8: "My baby doesn't need as much sleep as most babies."

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Myth 9: Your baby will start sleeping through the night when they are ready. Just be patient.

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Myth 10: Sleep training means choosing a sleep training method.

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If you have further questions or would like to discuss my answers, please, feel free to reach out. To chat, book a 15-minute discovery session by clicking here.

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