Darkness

When do I teach my baby day and night?

Your baby knows day and night at around 8 weeks of age as they start to produce their melatonin, the sleep hormone, and this is far more readily produced in darkness. This hormone is crucial to your baby's settling and sleeping well.

Should my room be dark for daytime naps?

The fact is that babies find the dark extremely comforting and it will be a lot easier for your baby to settle and sleep in a dark room. Especially if your baby is over 2 months old as the dark promotes the release of melatonin.

White Noise

Does white noise work?

Babies have what are called “sleep arousals”, usually about every 20 to 45 minutes.

When they hit their sleep arousal at the 20-minute mark they are unable to fall back into a deeper sleep and thus their nap is over. White noise helps babies gently navigate these arousals to get longer, more restorative naps. It also helps to block out the noise of life (older siblings, doorbells, garbage trucks, etc.) that can interfere with naps and night sleep.

White noise is effective up until about 12 months old but can be particularly helpful for newborns as it simulates the womb environment. It needs to be very loud to be effective, like a vacuum cleaner and it needs to play continuously for the duration of naps and overnight sleep.

Swaddling

Swaddling is the art of snugly wrapping your baby for warmth and security. It calms your baby – and helps them settle and sleep longer.

Swaddling is effective for two reasons:

1. It emulates the confined feeling of being in the womb.

2. It prevents your baby from waking themselves up because of the startle reflex (also known as ‘moro’), which remains strong until around 4 months.

I recommend an arms-down swaddle – with a large wrap or commercial swaddle.

Sleep regression refers to a period of time, usually lasting about 3 to 6 weeks, during which a baby or toddler, who has been sleeping well, suddenly begins waking up at night, taking shorter naps, or skipping naps without any apparent reason. Parents often find themselves caught off guard as they think they have resolved all sleep-related issues, but suddenly, they are back to dealing with constant night wakings or nap refusal. Sleep regressions can occur at any age, but the most common ages are:

4 Month Sleep Regression

At around 3 to 4 months of age, a baby's sleep pattern undergoes a developmental change. At this stage, they start sleeping in stages and cycles similar to adults. The impact of this change on their sleep quality depends on how they fall asleep. If the baby has learned to fall asleep on their own, self-settle, without any assistance from you, this shift in sleep cycles may not affect their sleep much. However, if the baby is fed, rocked, or assisted in sleeping, they are more likely to experience frequent night wakings and short naps.

6 – 9 Month Sleep Regression

Between 6 and 9 months of age, babies start to become more mobile. They may be crawling or walking, and they may also be constantly teething during this period. At this stage, babies typically transition to taking two naps per day. However, it's common for separation anxiety to peak during this period, causing babies who once went to sleep peacefully to suddenly stand up and reach for their parents, refusing to follow their usual nap routine. Additionally, the transition from three to two naps can result in overtiredness, making it temporarily harder for babies to settle and sleep well.

18 month Sleep Regression

As toddlers reach the age of 18 months, they undergo another round of developmental milestones, which often leads to a period of sleep regression. During this time, toddlers go through a nap transition and adjust to staying awake for longer periods. This can cause them to become overtired. This period can be particularly challenging for parents because children start to test boundaries and become more independent. You may find that your toddler's new favourite word is "no". As a result, bedtime can become much more difficult as your child begins to experiment with their own ideas and may not go along with your established sleep routine. It's worth noting that sleep issues may even arise before this period, as a 12-month sleep regression is also common.

2 Year Regression

Many parents of two-year-old face two main sleep issues: nap refusal and bedtime battles. At this age, toddlers typically need longer periods of awake time to feel tired enough to sleep. This means they may resist settling down for naps and bedtime if they're offered too early. Additionally, their desire for independence and testing of boundaries can make bedtime a power struggle, especially during a toddler sleep regression. The emergence of two-year molars can also make it tough for toddlers to sleep, particularly if they're had sleep-related issues in the past.