Baby Sleep

Question

Any sleep trainers/consultants not too ex to recommend? I dont need my lo to have an early bedtime, tbh we go to bed very late as a family but problem is, lo is now 10.5mo n still cant sleep independently. He has to be patted to sleep for naps n bedtime, he already has pacifier n a comfort object and we are following wake windows etc. Hes also still taking 3 naps a day, been trying to drop the 3rd nap for 3 months now and have yet to succeed. He is also still waking multiple times at night for milk He would take his bedtime as a third nap, so example he goes to sleep at 10pm, hed wake 30mins-1.5hr later and refuse to sleep back till 2am or later. Ive tried putting him to bed earlier/later and all the same 🥲 hed just force a 3rd nap in. His 2 naps are already 1-2hrs longMy no.1 was the complete opposite, she slept whenever it was time and through the night since newborn days 😵‍💫 #pleasehelp

Jan Samson · Answer

Hi mum, honestly some babies are just completely different even within the same family, so don’t compare too much with your no.1. Reading your schedule, it sounds to me like your LO may still be stuck between 2 and 3 naps and treating bedtime like a catnap, I had this before and it was so tiring. Before paying for a sleep consultant, maybe try stretching wake windows very slowly and cap daytime sleep a little if suitable, but give changes at least a week because sleep takes time to settle. If sleep continues to be very disrupted despite trying different routines, then no harm consulting a sleep consultant or PD just to get another perspective and save your sanity.

Sabrina Florentina · Answer

Oh mama, I feel you, my second was also a nightmare compared to my first who just slept on cue, so the comparison is real and it messes with your head! My neighbour brought her baby to Eunice Ang from Little Sleep Fixer and said Eunice was really practical about working around the family's schedule rather than forcing an early bedtime, which sounds exactly like what you need. From what I heard, she does a short discovery call first so you're not committing money before knowing if it's a good fit, and she focuses on gradually reducing sleep associations rather than going cold turkey, which felt more manageable for a 10-month-old. I'd also say be honest with whoever you engage about the 3rd nap situation and the false-start bedtime pattern, because those two issues together need someone who can look at the full picture, not just give a generic schedule, some mums found results quickly, though a couple felt it took longer than expected depending on how consistent they could be at home.