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We all know that infant sleep changes as our babies grow. One of the biggest struggles that parents have is knowing how to anticipate those changes and how to respond to and recognize them when they do come. Here are some tips for responding to your baby's developmental sleep changes:
1. Follow their lead. If the book says that your baby should only be sleeping three naps a day but they still seem like they need four, that’s okay. The number of naps for each age is average. That means that your babies could be on the outside of that average. They could be the one who transitions from four naps early or transitions from four naps late. Trust your gut and follow their lead.
2. Watch for the cues. If you start to put your baby down at their normal naptime and they’re not acting tired or they cry significantly more than usual that is a sign that they’re ready to extend their wake window. I recommend starting by extending their wake window for 15 minutes and seeing how they do with that. If they’re still not ready to go down after 15 minutes extend them to 30 minutes, etc.
It can be difficult to notice subtle cues that your baby's sleep needs are changing when you're used to a certain routine and you expect your baby to be okay with that routine. Try to keep an open and curious mind about your baby. When they're having a difficult day don't write them off as being difficult, but ask yourself why it's difficult. Look more closely at the way that they're acting. What times of day are difficult? What makes it worse? What helps?
3. Know that all sleep-wake windows are averages.
This means that on average most six-
month-old babies have 2 to 3-hour wake windows. Do some six-month-old babies have an hour-and-a-half wake window? Absolutely. Do some six-month-old babies have 3-and-a-half-hour wake windows? Also, absolutely. Nothing is wrong with your baby if they don't exactly fit what you're reading online.
4. Be ready for trial and error. So much of navigating baby sleep involves trying different methods and seeing what works. You may have a great idea to help your baby adjust their sleep but it just doesn't work. That's okay. Now you know. Take what you learned and try your next idea. I recommend trying each new strategy for at least two days, depending on how your baby responds.
It may be that your baby seems ready to extend their wake windows but a couple of days later they seem like they want to go back to their previous nap times. That is very normal. It doesn’t mean that you were wrong, it just means that they went through a little bit of a developmental growth spurt and now they’re settling back to their normal. Keep a curious mind and be ready to adapt as your baby needs.
It can be extra challenging to identify your baby's needs when you're sleep deprived and burnt out. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. If a family member or friend can step in to watch the baby while you nap that can help you regain a little bit of yourself. And if you're still struggling with your baby's changing sleep, reach out for a consultation or sign up for a group session. Cheers,
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