The Baby & Toddler Sleep Podcast with Chasing Sweet Dreams

Will solids help my baby sleep better? I have been asked this question many times in my 1:1 packages.  So I decided to write about this in detail.

In the news was a study published in the Journal of American Medical Association Pediatrics which concluded: “the early introduction of solids into the infant’s diet was associated with longer sleep duration, less frequent waking at night, and a reduction in reported very serious sleep problems.”

Hold the phone…… So starting solids earlier helps your baby sleep through the night?

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Here are 10 things I’ve learned doing sleep consultations and talking with Moms at different outreach events.

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he 12 Month Sleep Regression: Fact or Fiction? Let's Find out

You thought you had it made!  After working so hard on sleep during your baby’s first year of life, you had finally reached a point where your baby was sleeping 11 – 12 hours a night of uninterrupted sleep.

Feeling rested yourself, you thought, “yes, I can do this!”… and then it hit, the 12-month sleep regression and your baby started waking up either more at night or very early in the morning.

The most common causes of a 12-month sleep regression are:

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You reached the point where you had to do some sleep training.  You could no longer rock, hold, or nurse your baby to sleep. Those multiple night wakings were killing your vibe, and if you had to sit in a dark room and hold your baby for naps one more time, you were going to lose it.

You reached the point where you knew you had to do some sleep training for a nap to get your child and you more sleep.  Perhaps you invested in personal sleep coaching help or read an informative blog overviewing the different sleep teaching methods (coming soon).  Regardless, you have invested your time and/or money on changing your life and getting your little one more sleep.  Now how do you leave the house and risk messing up that heavenly nap schedule?

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It’s a common issue – your baby won’t sleep in their bassinet. But why is that, and what can you do about it? In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the reasons why babies might not want to sleep in their bassinets, and suggest some solutions to help get them back on track! So if you’re struggling with this issue, listen on for some helpful tips.

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There may be a time when you find yourself up in the middle of the night for hours with your baby who just won’t sleep! A split night is easily distinguished from other situations where your baby may be up during the night: it usually only involves one long waking, it happens every night or every few nights, and most babies will be in a good mood during the long awake stretch, and no amount of comforting, nursing, soothing or sleep training will get your baby back to sleep quickly. A split night is largely a biological issue, arising from a dissociation between the sleep drives. Many babies will actively try to sleep by changing position, finger-sucking, or snuggling a lovey. The issue for these babies is not that they don't know how to sleep, but that they can't fall asleep. As a result, sleep training will not fix a split night issue. If it sounds like your baby is having a split night, listen up!

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Decoding your baby’s night waking pattern can be very helpful if you are trying to make improvements in sleep.  Understanding if your baby is hungry, overtired, not tired enough, waking out of habit, or simply uncomfortable is very important so that you can troubleshoot appropriately. This blog describes five common types of night waking: False Starts, Difficulty Falling Asleep, Frequent Night Waking (Every 60-90 mins), Frequent Night Waking (every 2-3 hours), Frequent Night Waking (every 10-20 minutes). Note that your baby may have more than one type of waking in a single night.

Is your baby or toddler about to transition to a new daycare or school? Will your child soon be cared for by a nanny or relative after having been cared for exclusively by you? It can be scary to face the fact of handing your little one to a new caregiver, especially if you've worked hard to build positive associations with sleep.

The good news is that babies and toddlers are very adaptable and incorporating new caregivers into your child's sleep routine often isn't as difficult as you might expect. In order to make the transition as easy as possible for your child, take a proactive stance by working with your caregivers to teach them how you normally do things. That said, you shouldn't worry if your caregiver isn't able to do things exactly the way that you do. The goal of this blog is to provide you with the tools that you need to help your child get the best quality sleep with new caregivers.

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As toddlers and preschool-aged children grow and develop emotionally, they begin to attach meaning to their experiences. Much of this development is positive, like feeling proud when finishing a puzzle or feeling happy to see a familiar friend at the playground. The development of fears is a natural part of this process and it can also be a good thing. For example, when a child learns that something can cause harm, a mild fear can lead to avoidance of danger. However, sometimes children develop fears that lead to bedtime anxiety and sleep disruption. From a parenting perspective, it can be very difficult to balance the desire to provide your child with support at night and the maintenance of consolidated, independent sleep.