As a certified sleep consultant and a mother, I know firsthand, early morning wakes up can be frustrating at any age and a tough habit to break for some babies and toddlers.

The definition of early morning waking is when your baby wakes between 4:00 – 6:00 am. Waking after 6am is considered waking for the day and waking before 4 am is considered night time wake up. The preferred wake time for babies is 7am, however, depending on their age and your family dynamics 6am for some families, is acceptable.

We all have sleep drive, this is the feeling of being tired and ready for sleep. Sleep drive builds up during the day because our circadian rhythm is optimal for sleep and the conditions are perfect for your brain and body. This is when we need a break and are ready to sleep and the time of day our body expects to go to sleep.

A baby’s sleep drive is very low between 4:00 - 6:00 am. We all slightly wake up multiple times during these early morning hours and we have learnt to go back to sleep. This is a skill your baby has to learn and may need our help.

For adults, sleep is an essential part of overall health. Getting enough sleep offers many physical benefits, while NOT getting enough sleep can interfere with work, driving, your sense of wellbeing and it is well documented that can lead to increases the risk of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, depression and effects on memory. If you are sleep deprived, it’s most likely your child is also sleep deprived and may be irritable, grumpy and struggling with settling for naps during the night or early morning wake ups.

Why does my baby or toddler wake up early?

Reasons your baby is waking early in the morning:

• The most likely reason is being overtired – contrary to what most parents believe waking early can be a sign of not enough sleep.

• The morning nap may be too long.

• The morning nap is too early and can, in fact, cause and then reinforce an early wake up as your baby needs to

• wake earlier to be ready to have a longer sleep.

• The afternoon nap is too late, this can really interfere with bedtime.

• Bed time too late – putting your child to bed later is not the answer to solving early wake ups.

• Light entering the room as the sun comes up.

• Social interaction – entering the room and engaging with your child.

As you can see there are a multitude of reasons why your baby or toddler is waking too early, so what can you do to solve this?

• A long gentle predictable ritual transition to bedtime, or a wind down period is recommended and keep this consistent every night. This should be no less than 10 -15 minutes. Have the house quiet, no TV, perhaps soft relaxing music, read a book or sing songs. Create a gentle and calming environment.

• Ensure their sleep schedule is age appropriate and at the correct times. Our circadian rhythms dictate the times of day that is best for babies to have their naps as their hormones and body temperature are at the optimum level for good sleeps so settling will be easier, there is reduced stress and crying, longer sleeps are more likely and your baby is will be happier.

• These nap windows fall 9 - 10am, 12 -2pm and 6 – 7 pm.

• Make sure they are getting enough sleep overall.

• Early bed time is essential.

• Hold off on feeding before 7am.

Fortunately, for most babies and toddlers, this is a stage they go through and our children won’t sleep badly forever. If you feel like you have tried everything and nothing is working for you and you’re feeling sleep deprived and exhausted, reach out and ask for professional help. At Mother in touch baby sleep consultant we look at your individual child and develop a strategy to help all the family sleep well.

Wishing you all the luck towards getting your sleep back!

As a certified sleep consultant and a mother, I know firsthand, early morning wakes up can be frustrating at any age and a tough habit to break for some babies and toddlers.

The definition of early morning waking is when your baby wakes between 4:00 – 6:00 am. Waking after 6am is considered waking for the day and waking before 4 am is considered night time wake up. The preferred wake time for babies is 7am, however, depending on their age and your family dynamics 6am for some families, is acceptable.

We all have sleep drive, this is the feeling of being tired and ready for sleep. Sleep drive builds up during the day because our circadian rhythm is optimal for sleep and the conditions are perfect for your brain and body. This is when we need a break and are ready to sleep and the time of day our body expects to go to sleep.

A baby’s sleep drive is very low between 4:00 - 6:00 am. We all slightly wake up multiple times during these early morning hours and we have learnt to go back to sleep. This is a skill your baby has to learn and may need our help.

For adults, sleep is an essential part of overall health. Getting enough sleep offers many physical benefits, while NOT getting enough sleep can interfere with work, driving, your sense of wellbeing and it is well documented that can lead to increases the risk of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, depression and effects on memory. If you are sleep deprived, it’s most likely your child is also sleep deprived and may be irritable, grumpy and struggling with settling for naps during the night or early morning wake ups.

Why does my baby or toddler wake up early?

Reasons your baby is waking early in the morning:

• The most likely reason is being overtired – contrary to what most parents believe waking early can be a sign of not enough sleep.

• The morning nap may be too long.

• The morning nap is too early and can, in fact, cause and then reinforce an early wake up as your baby needs to

• wake earlier to be ready to have a longer sleep.

• The afternoon nap is too late, this can really interfere with bedtime.

• Bed time too late – putting your child to bed later is not the answer to solving early wake ups.

• Light entering the room as the sun comes up.

• Social interaction – entering the room and engaging with your child.

As you can see there are a multitude of reasons why your baby or toddler is waking too early, so what can you do to solve this?

• A long gentle predictable ritual transition to bedtime, or a wind down period is recommended and keep this consistent every night. This should be no less than 10 -15 minutes. Have the house quiet, no TV, perhaps soft relaxing music, read a book or sing songs. Create a gentle and calming environment.

• Ensure their sleep schedule is age appropriate and at the correct times. Our circadian rhythms dictate the times of day that is best for babies to have their naps as their hormones and body temperature are at the optimum level for good sleeps so settling will be easier, there is reduced stress and crying, longer sleeps are more likely and your baby is will be happier.

• These nap windows fall 9 - 10am, 12 -2pm and 6 – 7 pm.

• Make sure they are getting enough sleep overall.

• Early bed time is essential.

• Hold off on feeding before 7am.

Fortunately, for most babies and toddlers, this is a stage they go through and our children won’t sleep badly forever. If you feel like you have tried everything and nothing is working for you and you’re feeling sleep deprived and exhausted, reach out and ask for professional help. At Mother in touch baby sleep consultant we look at your individual child and develop a strategy to help all the family sleep well.

Wishing you all the luck towards getting your sleep back!

As a certified sleep consultant and a mother, I know firsthand, early morning wakes up can be frustrating at any age and a tough habit to break for some babies and toddlers.

The definition of early morning waking is when your baby wakes between 4:00 – 6:00 am. Waking after 6am is considered waking for the day and waking before 4 am is considered night time wake up. The preferred wake time for babies is 7am, however, depending on their age and your family dynamics 6am for some families, is acceptable.

We all have sleep drive, this is the feeling of being tired and ready for sleep. Sleep drive builds up during the day because our circadian rhythm is optimal for sleep and the conditions are perfect for your brain and body. This is when we need a break and are ready to sleep and the time of day our body expects to go to sleep.

A baby’s sleep drive is very low between 4:00 - 6:00 am. We all slightly wake up multiple times during these early morning hours and we have learnt to go back to sleep. This is a skill your baby has to learn and may need our help.

For adults, sleep is an essential part of overall health. Getting enough sleep offers many physical benefits, while NOT getting enough sleep can interfere with work, driving, your sense of wellbeing and it is well documented that can lead to increases the risk of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, depression and effects on memory. If you are sleep deprived, it’s most likely your child is also sleep deprived and may be irritable, grumpy and struggling with settling for naps during the night or early morning wake ups.

Why does my baby or toddler wake up early?

Reasons your baby is waking early in the morning:

• The most likely reason is being overtired – contrary to what most parents believe waking early can be a sign of not enough sleep.

• The morning nap may be too long.

• The morning nap is too early and can, in fact, cause and then reinforce an early wake up as your baby needs to

• wake earlier to be ready to have a longer sleep.

• The afternoon nap is too late, this can really interfere with bedtime.

• Bed time too late – putting your child to bed later is not the answer to solving early wake ups.

• Light entering the room as the sun comes up.

• Social interaction – entering the room and engaging with your child.

As you can see there are a multitude of reasons why your baby or toddler is waking too early, so what can you do to solve this?

• A long gentle predictable ritual transition to bedtime, or a wind down period is recommended and keep this consistent every night. This should be no less than 10 -15 minutes. Have the house quiet, no TV, perhaps soft relaxing music, read a book or sing songs. Create a gentle and calming environment.

• Ensure their sleep schedule is age appropriate and at the correct times. Our circadian rhythms dictate the times of day that is best for babies to have their naps as their hormones and body temperature are at the optimum level for good sleeps so settling will be easier, there is reduced stress and crying, longer sleeps are more likely and your baby is will be happier.

• These nap windows fall 9 - 10am, 12 -2pm and 6 – 7 pm.

• Make sure they are getting enough sleep overall.

• Early bed time is essential.

• Hold off on feeding before 7am.

Fortunately, for most babies and toddlers, this is a stage they go through and our children won’t sleep badly forever. If you feel like you have tried everything and nothing is working for you and you’re feeling sleep deprived and exhausted, reach out and ask for professional help. At Mother in touch baby sleep consultant we look at your individual child and develop a strategy to help all the family sleep well.

Wishing you all the luck towards getting your sleep back!

This is one of the most common questions I hear from parents. “My baby wakes several times during the night for a feed. When can I drop the night feeds?”

No two babies are alike they all come in this world with their own sleeping pattern. Some babies are born good sleepers while others need your guidance. But somewhere between the ages of 4 and 6 months, most babies get enough calories during the day to sustain them for five or six hours at night.

Being realistic in your approach will help you during hard times. Remember with your help you can encourage your baby to develop healthy sleep habits.

It will take more effort and time but it will happen and the rewards are endless.

For a normal healthy weight baby by 6 months of age night feeding is not required. If you are unsure check with your doctor or maternal health nurse regarding your baby’s growth and age to determine if you should continue night feeds.

In his book Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems, Paediatrician Richard Ferber says unnecessary night feedings may actually cause sleep problems. According to Ferber, if a baby wakes up to eat several times during the night, a very wet nappy or digestive problems may cause them to wake up and then want to feed more, creating a vicious cycle.

Paediatrician William Sears, emphasizes the benefits of night feedings for strengthening the bond between parent and child. Sears urges parents not to rush to night weaning as long as the feedings aren’t too disruptive to the family.

If you’ve recently gone back to work and are less available during the day, your baby may want to feed at night as a way of reconnecting with you. And you may notice that your baby wakes up more often when he’s teething, catches a cold, or is going through a developmental leap. Remember that your baby is still young and has a tremendous need for comfort, closeness, and reassurance – particularly from you.

I often hear “my baby is hungry through the night”. This may be the case and how do you tell if they are actually hungry and need their night feed? Firstly, if you notice their first morning feed they are not take a full feed, this is a sure sign they are ready to drop the night feed. A baby will self-regulate their caloric intake and if they have no feeds during the night they will take the necessary calories they require during their waking hours.

No baby or adult sleeps consistently for 12 hours without intermitted wake ups. As adults, we have learnt to roll over, or get up to go to the toilet, and fall back to sleep.

 The aim is to allow your baby the opportunity to link their sleep cycles and to self-settle without your involvement.

However, what is age appropriate and without doing a full evaluation of your baby and family’s situation this is a guide on how many feeds between 7pm and 7am to get the well-deserved sleep you both aspire to.

Practical tips for dropping the night feeds

• Be sure your baby is healthy and has a normal healthy weight gain.

• Make sure your baby gets plenty to eat throughout the day.

• Offer extra feedings in the prior to bedtime.

• Avoid night-weaning during times of transition or illness.

• Have a plan of the times you will feed and gradually eliminate the feeds or reduce the volume, one at a time. Gently soothe and comfort your baby when they wake to feed, and explain that it’s time to sleep.

If you try to eliminate feedings and your baby cries inconsolably for several nights in a row, go back to your normal routine and try again in a week or two.

Sleep when your Baby Sleeps” Everyone knows this classic tip but we all know that is not possible….. your baby, on the other hand, is programmed to take naps.

 A babies daytime sleep and nighttime sleep work hand- in- hand with each other; the better a little one’s daytime sleep the better their nighttime sleep. Without napping during the day, a baby will become overtired. When a baby becomes overtired their bodies produce a hormone called adrenaline which helps them fight fatigue. Once that hormone kicks in, it is much harder for a little one to settle down and fall into a long, deep restorative sleep.

Understanding what is age appropriate for your baby to nap during the day is reassuring for parents that their baby will get the sleep they need so as not to be unsettled and overtired at bedtime. Being overtired can cause your baby to wake often throughout the night.

There are many different ways to teach your baby how to sleep better and success is defined differently for each family. Some babies sleeping habits become more consistent and predictable over time and your baby may fall into a fair pattern, however, if that’s not the case, you can gently encourage your babies emerging routine. Babies thrive on consistency and this will assist in them falling into a good sleep pattern.

 Our circadian rhythms dictate the times of day that is best for babies to have their naps as their hormones and body temperature are at the optimum level for good sleeps so settling will be easier, there is reduced stress and crying, longer sleeps are more likely and your baby is will be happier.

These nap windows fall 9 – 10am, 12 -2pm and 6 – 7 pm.

The morning nap to begin between 9 – 10 am. Treat this morning nap as a short nap of about 30 – 60 minutes to get them through to the longer lunch time sleep which is more restorative.

We do the longer lunch time sleep because this is where your little one is genetically programmed to get a deeper more restorative sleep. They reduce their sleep deficit in the middle of the day rather than at the beginning so that they are less likely to be over tired by night time. This is the sleep that remains when they finally drop the morning sleep which is around 16 – 18 months.

Power Nap

For a baby up to 6 months of age, they will need a very short power nap between 4 – 5 pm. This is to prevent them from becoming overtired before bedtime.

Ensure your baby has an optimum sleep environment

Dark Room

Their room must be very dark. The reason is because babies start to produce their own melatonin, the sleep hormone, from around 8 – 12 weeks of age and it is far more readily produced in darkness.

White Noise

White noise is recommended and encouraged to have playing for all their day time naps. This is very effective all the way up until about 12 months old. It needs to be quite loud and a constant sound to be effective, like a vacuum cleaner or heavy rain, and it needs to play continuously for the duration of their naps.

Swaddling

Swaddling is recommended until between 4-6 months of age or when your baby is rolling from back to front. The reason for this is your baby has the Moro reflex or startle reflex which is normally present in babies up to 3 or 4 months of age. The baby feels as if they are falling and they fling their arms out and the startle can wake them up.

Be sure to always place your baby on their back to sleep, and clear the bassinet or cot of blankets and other soft items.

Ideally, naps should be taken in the same place every day—consistency will make it easier for your little one fall and stay asleep. Usually, that place is where the baby sleeps at night, either in a bassinet or cot.

Avoid holding, rocking or feeding your baby to sleep.

In the early months of life, this may be the only way your baby is able to fall asleep and it is entirely normal. After around 3 months of age if your baby tends to fall asleep in your arms or while feeding, do something gentle right afterward such as changing their nappy or reading a short story to ensure you put your baby to bed drowsy, but awake. Drooping eyelids, eye rubbing and fussiness might be signs that your baby is tired. The longer you wait the more overtired and fussy your baby may become and the harder it will be for them to fall asleep.

Consistency is key

Putting your little one down for their naps at the same each day will go a long way to helping establish great naps. With a consistent schedule, you are likely to have fewer issues getting your little one to sleep well. When settling them down for a nap, having a routine is very important. A wind down period prior to a nap takes just a few minutes and helps indicate that nap time is coming next.

Don’t feel bad if some days are more challenging than others. Remember to look and listen for the signs that your baby is tired and try to keep their nap routine consistent.

The Curse of the Newborn Witching Hour!  And how to break it

It is 5pm and it starts. Your newborn baby is fussing and there appears nothing you do will help to settle them. Sounds like the witching hour has arrived again.

In European folklore, the witching hour is the time of the day when demons, monsters or other horrifying supernatural creatures are at their most powerful and wicked. Some people call it the baby’s “arsenic hour”, which sounds horrifying.

The witching hour can be described as a fussy period that almost all babies go through. It tends to happen around the same time every day and most frequently occurs in the late afternoon and evening hours (5 p.m.- 12 a.m.). The witching hour often begins between weeks 2 and 3. It will peak around week 6, and then decline around the 3-month mark. The worst thing is that the term “Witching Hour” is misleading (like ‘morning’ sickness!)… this period often lasts 3-4 hours or more at a time!

What Causes the Witching Hour?

I’m sorry to say, but there really are no known causes for it. Colic and reflux is often to blame.

Many parents feel sure, and may be told by healthcare professionals, family or friends that the baby must have ‘wind’ or painful ‘colic’ when they cry inconsolably. The accepted definition of colic is over 60 years old and applies to a healthy baby aged under 3-months who:

• cries inconsolably for more than 3 hours.

•  3 days out of every seven.

•  more than 3 weeks.

Colic is sometimes applied to any unexplained, persistent crying, usually assumed to be gut-related. There is, however, no scientific evidence that colic exists as a physical problem, or that wind is painful. The idea that babies cry for a long time because the wind is ‘trapped’ is not well supported by the research or physiology. The baby who gets rid of wind (one end or the other) and then stops crying may have taken in the wind by crying rather than wind causing the crying.

Possible causes for this fussiness include:

Overtiredness: Babies sometimes have a hard time developing a good sleep pattern, and over time that sleep debt will build up until they’re actually pretty miserable.

Overstimulation: Babies can easily become overstimulated due to all of the sights and sounds around them. While your baby isn’t necessarily taking part in all of the action, it still has an effect on her, which in turn can cause fussiness.

Prolactin levels drop: This could be contributed to a natural dip in mum’s prolactin levels (your body’s milk making hormone) as the day progresses, resulting in a slower flow. As the milk flow is slower, the baby may become frustrated, and as the milk volume is lower, the baby may want to feed more often. Be assured, this is a normal occurrence in breastfeeding. Feeding your baby often during these times ensures that you will have a good milk supply.

Tips

• Ensuring their awake time between naps is age appropriate to reduce that sleep debt from building up.

• Start with a regular feeding and nap schedule which is age appropriate. This will allow you to stop second guessing and reassure you that your baby is getting the sleep they need and they are not hungry but it is just a fussy period which is entirely normal.

• This is the time of day to offer frequent feeds or cluster feeding, as it offers comfort and allows them to relax and calm down.

• Skin to skin with your baby is also a great way to help calm and regulate their little system. Doing skin to skin is like a baby reboot! Skin to skin isn’t just for moms, dads can do it as well.

• Using a baby carrier allows baby to still be close to you, but frees up your hands to do other tasks. Dimming lights, slowing down the hustle and bustle of household activities, and switching to a low-key routine can often help those babies who are easily over stimulated.

• Bath time is often done around this time as it is calming and relaxing. Most newborns love being in the water, it is familiar to them, as they were surrounded by water in the womb.

• Take up the offer of help from family and friends

• Don’t blame yourself. This time does pass and research suggests babies become calmer, with less crying, after 3months of age.

When your baby arrives in the world, we think of how cute and tiny they are. With their adorable faces and innocent smiles. It is hard to not marvel at the miracle of life. But many parents are not prepared for the lack of sleep and the struggle they may face. The earlier you introduce healthy sleep habits the easier it will be. The older your baby is before you start the more likely you are to get protesting and tears.

There are many different ways to teach your baby how to sleep and success is defined differently for each family. There is no one size fits all approach to baby sleep. Some infants’ sleeping and feeding habits become more consistent and predictable over time and your baby may fall into a fairly predictable pattern, however, if that’s not the case, you can gently encourage your baby’s emerging routine. The most important part of sleep training is finding the method that works best for you and your baby. It depends on what you are comfortable with and how your baby responds to the different techniques.

Before you even think about sleep training your baby make sure you have an;

• Optimal sleep environment – a dark room, white noise and a firm swaddle.

• An age-appropriate routine.

• Regular naps and feeding schedule.

• A consistent bedtime each night and waking time each morning.

You can introduce a feeding and nap schedule and bedtime routine with a predictable wind-down period from 6 wsleeping through the nighteeks of age. This will encourage a predictable pattern which will help their set circadian rhythm and hormones.

Between 4 and 6 months, your baby is most likely ready for sleep training. While all babies are different, most babies at this age are capable of sleeping through the night. For some, this may be a six-hour stretch and for others, it may be 12 hours.

Sleep Training Techniques

Shush-Pat

The Shush-Pat is a good ‘no cry’ approach to teaching them to sleep with assistance and suitable from 6 weeks to 7 months of age.

Pick Up/Put Down

The pick up/put down approach is suitable for a baby over 3 months. It is reassuring and instils trust that you have not abandoned them, you are there to comfort them while they are learning to fall asleep. You pick them up for 1 minute. The pickup must be a boring pick up. The minute they stop crying put them back down in their cot. Repeat this process until you can see signs that your baby is settling and leave the room.

Gradual Withdrawal

This is a gentle sleep training method that lets you be a comforting presence as your child learns to put themselves to sleep. This sees you gradually reducing your involvement in your child falling asleep so they stop relying on you and instead learn to fall asleep on her own. You start our right by their side and over a 2week period gradually move further away until you will be able to leave the room.

Spaced Soothing

Spaced soothing is suitable from around 5 months. This is where you gradually teach your child how to fall asleep without your assistance through a series of incremental check-ins. Over time, you increase the amount of time between your check-ins. This allows your child space and time in which to practice falling asleep without using sleep associations.

Silent Returns

This is suitable for toddlers aged around 2 years. It is literally you silently returning your child back to bed when they get out of bed or go into your bed. You want these interactions to be as boring as possible – no threatening, no bargaining, no discussing. This will help discourage your child from repeated attempts to engage with you by getting out of bed.

All Sleep Training takes hard work, determination and consistency is your secret weapon!