It’s no surprise that getting our babies and even toddlers to sleep can be a tough mission. Add in the concept of building a long lasting sleep routine they adhere to consistently, and it can feel nearly impossible. That’s why we tapped Nanit Lab experts, Dr. Natalie Barnett, vice president of clinical research at Nanit, and Dr. Maristella Lucchini, senior clinical researcher for some expert advice. In asnwer to questions of Nanit parents, they reveal how establishing a consistent sleep schedule is the key to everyone’s health and happiness. By setting up a predictable bedtime routine, you can help regulate your baby's internal clock, making it easier for them (and you!) to enjoy restful nights. Plus, a solid sleep schedule can bring some much-needed sanity and routine back into your life.
Newborn sleep routines
Q: At what age do you suggest starting a sleep routine for a newborn? Not sleep training, as I know that is not usually until four months. But I’m wondering if there is anything we can do from newborns to four months which will make sleep training easier or maybe even not need any sleep training.
A: You can start implementing a bedtime routine anytime. Choose 2-3 things that you can do consistently each night to indicate that it’s time for bed. For example, change the diaper, give a short massage, feed, and then bed. Or, you could do a bath, feed, book, and then bed. Your newborn will likely still fall asleep during feeds, which is normal and developmentally appropriate. You can gradually get them used to sleeping on their backs in their crib at night and around 3 months, gradually start to have them fall asleep in the crib by themselves at the beginning of the night.
– Dr. Natalie
Q: My baby is 7 weeks old and I’m trying to get him on a consistent bedtime schedule. He also cries every time I think he’s asleep when I go to lay him down and when I pick him back up he falls right back to sleep in my arms. Any suggestions?
A: Hi, congratulations on your little one! At 7 weeks old, your baby is still very tiny and not completely aware of the night and day rhythm. Although it’s beneficial to include a bedtime schedule early on, don’t be surprised if your baby is still not very "compliant." Around three months is when most babies start to show a circadian rhythm, meaning they understand the difference between night and day. Keep your consistent bedtime and try to develop a quick and predictable routine like a bath, feeding, diaper change, swaddle, song, or book, and then put him down. A swaddle might help keep him cozy and feel embraced even when you put him down. Try to put him down slowly and keep your hand on his belly for a little while so he can feel your touch, which might help him calm down. At this stage, things are still very unpredictable, but it won’t last forever!
– Dr. Maristella
Infant sleep routines
Q: My 7-month-old is a pretty good sleeper and sleeps through the night, but we have been dealing with early wakeups that derail the day and plan for 2 naps. She sometimes wakes up at 5:30 am or 6:00 am. I know 6:00 am is considered a normal wake-up time for a baby, but is there any way to help elongate those 5:30 am wake-ups? Her bedtime is between 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm depending on the last nap. Thanks!
A: You might want to consider transitioning to two naps if she’s still on three. That can help! Also, make sure there is no light creeping through. Try using black garbage bags over the windows for a couple of weeks and see if it makes a difference!
– Dr. Natalie
Q: Hi, I have an almost 8-month-old and I’m trying to get her on a consistent bedtime. She was doing really well, but we have started to transition to two naps a day and haven’t quite got the timing of everything down. Do you have any suggestions?
A: First, remember that every change requires some time to adjust, so take deep breaths and be aware that this is totally normal and will not last forever! All the great skills as an independent sleeper your child has developed so far are not gone, they just need a little reset. I would recommend avoiding a late nap. Make sure that there is enough awake time (like three hours) between the time your baby wakes up in the afternoon and when she goes to bed.
– Dr. Maristella
Q: My child is just turning 12 months (crying while typing that) and he has a solid routine with a bath, bottle, and bed around 7:00 pm. However, increasingly throughout the night he wakes up every few hours and only a bottle will get him back to sleep. He takes the bottle, snuggles a little, and goes right back to sleep. Any thoughts on how to get out of this pattern?
A: Hi, I also have a baby who is about to turn one. What a rollercoaster this past year! If your baby is starting to cruise around and walk, that can sometimes interfere with their sleep, making them more active and prone to waking up. If you know your baby is eating well during the day, as tempting as it is to give a bottle to help him calm down, this will reinforce his habit of waking and interfere with learning how to settle down. I would recommend trying to wait to give him the bottle. You could do that cold turkey, but be prepared for a few rough nights, or let him try to fall asleep for increments of 14 minutes before giving him a bottle. Good luck, you got this!
– Dr. Maristella
Toddler sleep routines
Q: My 20-month-old has always slept pretty well (7:00 pm to 6:00/7:00 am); however, the past 2-3 weeks he’s been waking up between 5:00 and 5:30 am. Nothing has changed in his routine, he goes to bed at 7:00 pm with his milk as normal. We have tried a later bedtime of 7:30 pm the past few nights, but he’s still waking up at the same time in the morning. Any idea on the reason behind this, please?
A: It’s possible that he’s napping too long. Try capping the nap at 1.5 hours and see how that goes. Then, you can give him the opportunity to get back to sleep at 5:00 am and choose a wake-up time before which you don’t go in. Make sure those windows are blacked out, even a crack of light can wake them and it can be hard to get back to sleep.
– Dr. Natalie
Q: My 2.5 year old daughter has been waking at 4:30am for a few months. We’ve tried everything - shortening her naps, letting her nap as long as she wants, moving her bedtime earlier (it was 8 pm and we moved it to 7 pm), rocking her back to sleep at 4:30 am, ignoring her, using a night light. She’s getting about 9.5 hours at night and probably 2-3 hours during the day. Before this happened, she was sleeping from 8pm - 6am. Nothing is working and we are so tired.
A: I'd like to suggest cutting back the nap to one hour max. I suspect she's napping too long during the day. You can also try leaving her in the crib until a set wake up time so hopefully she will learn that she needs to try to get herself back to sleep.
– Dr. Natalie
Q: It's like pulling teeth to get our 2 1/2 year old daughter to calm down enough to go to sleep. We have a good routine of getting pajamas on, brushing teeth, reading books, and saying prayers, but these last few weeks have been a nightmare. Now it takes on average an hour of trying to calm her down just to get her to lay back down. She tries stalling the process by saying she wants to be rocked or she wants her back rubbed. My wife will give in from time to time, but I’m afraid this is just going to form a bad habit. We just got a “bedtime chart” for her to put stickers on as we go through the routine each night, but so far that hasn’t worked either. Once she is asleep she’ll wake up at least once throughout the night and ask us to come in her room to “say prayers one more time.” Last night, she’d didn’t calm down until about 9:00pm (we started our routine at 7:30pm) and then she woke up about every three hours between then and 5:30am. Please help!
A: Has there been any changes in her nap schedule lately? It might be possible that she arrives at 7:30 pm already overtired. Maybe try to anticipate the routine to see if that helps. Also, if there are some things that seem to help to calm her down, like a back rub, incorporate them in the bedtime routine, so you are in charge of the duration, rather than ending up doing it because you're "giving in" out of exhaustion. I think that the multiple awakenings during the night are probably related to falling asleep in this agitated state, so if you can smooth the bedtime process, the awakenings will probably improve as well!
– Dr. Maristella
Establishing a sleep routine can be challenging, but with patience and consistency, your child is on their way to developing healthy sleep habits.
