“We didn’t realize we could change our son’s sleep patterns this early but Lily really helped us understand that it’s never too early to improve sleep and you don’t need to sleep train to do so. We are setting him up with some good sleep habits so when he’s ready, he will easily be able to sleep independently” -Anne
8 week old William was fussy and had a hard time settling in his bassinet for naps and at nights. He was waking every hour and cried for long periods in the evening. He would wake easily and had trouble staying asleep for long stretches.
William’s parents wanted to get him on a good routine and sleeping longer stretches at night.
Setting up some great sleep foundations for William was key as he was overtired, causing him to get fussy in the evenings. We also worked on his sleep environment and created a great space that would help him fall and stay asleep. At 8 weeks he was just starting to produce his own melatonin so we ensured that at least one nap was in the dark. Swaddling William made a huge difference and we also implemented some white noise.
Adjusting Williams routine to include age appropriate wake windows, the best environment-even for on-the go-naps because mom should be able to leave her house!, feeding to ensure William was not hungry and setting him up for a nice long stretch at night helped him (and parents) achieve a good night sleep.
Within two weeks William was familiar with his room and settled well in the evenings, he was comfortable sleeping in his bassinet and after a dream feed slept 8 hours at night!
Mom learnt some great settling techniques that helped get him relaxed before sleep. She realized that she could still snuggle and hold him for naps when she wanted to but that if he needed to be put down for sleep, that he would be comfortable and able to sleep on his own as well. We found balance. This gave mom more time during naps to catch up around the house, take a shower, watch tv or run errands!
Mom was also well rested and felt more energized. She was still breastfeeding for a dream feed and then again at 5/6am but she was now getting longer stretches or rest. William is growing, gaining weight and now a well rested little boy.
*permission given by parents but names changed to protect privacy.
