How We Got Our Babies Sleeping 10 to 12 Hours Per Night With These 5 Simple Steps!

Are you tired? Exhausted? Overwhelmed? Feeling like you are running on fumes and wondering when this will ever end? Does it feel like your baby (ies) sleep schedule is disastrous and non existent? Well, guys, we have been RIGHT where you are and we know how terrible it feels!

 

We felt like we had no control of our lives because we had no idea when our babies were going to sleep, how long, etc and boy oh boy did we have major anxiety. We Finally would get them to sleep and would tip toe out of their room praying they wouldn’t wake up. Sound familiar??!

 

We don’t want you to have to struggle anymore, OR we want to help you before you do! Sean and I did research after research and read a sleep book and FINALLY were able to get our girls sleeping by implementing these few tips and tricks I am about to tell you. Now, our girls are sleeping 10-12 hour nights!

 

We are confident this can happen for you guys too by using these FIVE simple strategies! You will be able to feel in control of your life again and feel human, too J

 

Alright, lets get started on getting your baby(ies) sleeping!

 

First..sleepy cues! Oh, sleepy cues. Do you know your baby’s sleepy cues? If not, that’s okay, but learn them! They are so crucial to your baby sleeping, AND sleeping well for that matter! If you miss these little cues (which we did plenty) it can turn rather ugly because then baby is overtired.

Some sleepy cues are:

• Yawning
• Eye Rubbing
• Zoning out
• Cranky
• Ear tugging
• Lack of interest in activity

 

Some signs of overtired are:

• Excessive crying
• Red eyes
• Amped up or wired behavior

 

When babies are overtired, their bodies become stressed and thus produce a hormone called cortisol (Waldburger & Spivack, 2007). When this is released, it is equivalent to you or I drinking caffeine because it is a stimulant, and your child will have trouble going to sleep, staying asleep, and will most like wake up before their “wake time” (Waldburger & Spivack, 2007).

 

How to avoid this? The MOMENT you notice your baby displaying their sleepy cues get them off to sleep!

 

Ever hear of wake windows?? No? That’s okay, I never had either! Once I learned what it was I wish I knew of it from the beginning. And really, it makes perfect sense as to why it is so important. The number one mistake parents make when it comes to sleep is keeping their baby awake too long.

 

**Before we get further with wake windows, it is important to know that babies need a consistent bedtime AND wake time. Most babies do well with a bedtime between 7pm and 8pm. And, most babies should get at least 11 hours of sleep each night so their developing brains get adequate rest and so they are able to function well the next day (Waldburger & Spivack, 2007)! To select a daily wake time, count 11 hours from the time your baby goes to bed. (Ex-your baby goes to sleep at 7pm their daily wake time is 6am)

 

Wake windows are determined based on your baby’s age, and it is the amount of time they should be awake between sleep time. While these are guidelines, they are not rigid, and can be flexible. That is another key thing to know. Flexibility is so important! If your baby is showing sleepy cues before their wake window, put them to sleep!

 

Check out this table we used from Cherish Your Sleep, for your baby’s specific wake window!

 (Cherish Your Sleep, March 2, 2015)

Routines…oh how I love routines! Babies need consistent routines for sleepy time. Whatever routine you decide to implement, each part of the routine needs to be done in the SAME order every time for both naps AND bedtime. This way, it is a predictable indicator for your baby to know that “oh, okay, it is time for me to sleep!”

 

Nap time routines should take roughly 15 minutes prior to sleep, and bedtime 30 minutes (Waldburger & Spivack, 2007). ALL bedtime activities must take place in the baby’s room also, so they associate their room with sleep (minus a bath, obviously!).

 

Some of these activities could be:

• Bath
• Reading books
• Listening to music
• Diaper change and jammies
• Nursing or a bottle
• Night time prayers

 

**Note that because this routine is consistent and repetitive, anyone should be able to do this for you! That is one perk…. bedtime does not have to be “screwed up” if mom and dad are not around for it!

 

Transitional Object…AKA a lovey!!

 

Speaking from experience, when Sean and I transitioned our babies into their own room from ours one baby did excellent while the other cried and cried and CRIED the second she was put in her crib. I am not exaggerating when I say two solid weeks we were awake basically all night because our baby would not sleep unless we held her.

 

Talk.about.stressful!!! Hit close to home for anyone?? Well, in our desperate researching for answers we found that transitional objects help a baby feel secure when not near their mom or dad. Babies have separation anxiety, which is why something they can hold that smells like you helps them TREMENDOUSLY!

 

A 12x12 inch breathable lovey was all it took for our precious babe to sleep, and sleep ALL night to boot! We were so torn and against giving this to her as it is not technically safe sleep, but rather parental discretion.

 

One night we took one of the muslim blankets and cut them in 12x12 inch squares and put it over our faces for a substantial amount of time. Realizing we could breathe just fine with it, we gave it to her. IT.WAS.MAGIC. And we couldn’t believe how well this small square worked!

 

We felt terrible that for so many nights not only we were sleep deprived, but our baby was too, and had we given her this from the beginning that never would have been the case.

 

Last but not least, sleep aids!

 

Black out curtains, white noise, room temperature=KEY. Guys, these are seriously ESSENTIAL for your baby’s sleep!!

 

Black out curtains make the room look like nighttime all.day.long. Who seriously wants to sleep when it is sunny and bright? Or stay asleep for that matter? Not any baby I have ever met! You want to make sure that ZERO light can creep in to possibly wake your sleeping babe! To them, light= get up and play!

 

White noise. Pretty self-explanatory right? Well, it wasn’t for us!! We thought babies needed quiet to sleep and what they need is the total opposite! Babies are used to hearing loud noise in mamas belly, so that’s so peaceful and comforting to them. Not only that, but it blocks out barking dogs, ringing door bells, phones ringing, outside noise, etc. White noise makes for zero disturbances to your soundfully sleeping baby!

 

Room temperature. Okay, Sean and I seriously were cooking our children like rotisserie chickens out of fear they would be cold. Guys! It was preventing them from sleeping and once we learned how crucial the right temperature is for your baby’s sleep, we felt pretty crummy. For a baby to sleep comfortably, their sleep environment must be between 68-72 degrees F. Makes sense, who honestly could sleep well in 80 degree weather?

 

So, there ya have it! Our FIVE simple tips and tricks for getting YOUR babe to sleep 10-12 hours a night. Yes, that’s right! Implement these and I know you will see a huge difference!

 

As always, e-mail with any questions!!