Ask the Expert: 🤱🏻💤⭐ Secrets to Raising an Independent Sleeper: Helping Baby Self Settle🎵 👶🏻🌛

I haven’t heard of anything that supports a baby to fall asleep immediately - other than baby being tired. White noise is useful if baby sleeps in an environment where there is a lot of external noise - white noise is intended to block out noise, helpful baby to sleep without distraction. I never advise introducing white noise unless there is a reason to.

There isn’t a recommended number of minutes or position at this age. It all depends on your child and your own tolerance. I would however advise you to consider how carrying/rocking baby if they fall asleep before you put them in their bed. If you put baby down awake, they will be more confident independent sleepers. I hope this helps but do email me if you want to discuss any more personalised support [email protected]

If baby was able to sleep independently before then they can do it again. I would remove the rocking and commit to putting baby in his/her bed without the carrying and rocking. Do this for a few nights and he/she will hopefully revert back to sleeping independently. I imagine you may have introduced rocking one night (perhaps he/she was unwell) and they’ve decided that they liked it and that’s how they want to sleep. If you want to discuss any more personalised support please message me [email protected]

This is very tiring - I feel your pain! The first thing to remember is that babies don’t have a circadian rhythm until they’re 4 months old - the dreaded four month regression so this is a very normal scenario. Having said that, there are things you can do to help sleep shaping ready for when they can do gentle sleep training (after the 4 month regression). Your baby is comfortable and used to being attached to you - which is so beautiful but as you say exhausting! I would advise you give him/her sleep time in lots of different environments (crib/stroller/with you) so they become familiar with different sleep situations. You can also try putting him/her in bed when they’re not ready to sleep but to play, using your voice and touch to make them feel comfortable. You want them to discover the sleep space and not find it unfamiliar. You can also try and put things in the cot/bed that smell of you. Hang in there - it will get better.

Hello - unfortunately I cannot comment on this as this isn’t sleep settling related. If you are concerned I would advise you to seek guidance from your general practitioner.

Is this daytime sleep or night time sleep? If day time then this is a good nap length so I wouldn’t be worried. If waking every two hours at night, it sounds like baby hasn’t learnt how to independently sleep. To achieve this, in every sleep situation you should put him/her into bed awake, and remove the carrying as the way they think they need to sleep. For more personalised support please do email me at [email protected]

This is very normal if your little one hasn’t learnt how to sleep independently of being breastfed. You need to support baby to realise they can fall asleep without being breastfed. To do this I would advise you to ensure that baby does not fall asleep on the breast - if they are feeding and fall asleep, wake him/her up (tickling/blowing on face/taking off the breast) and putting them down in their bed awake. They will of course protest initially - change if difficult for us all - but support them by being there using touch and your voice to comfort them - but over time they will learn the essential skill of self-settling. If you want to discuss ways i can support please do send me an email [email protected]

12-15 hours in a 24 hour period, with night time sleep being around 10-12 hours. If you put baby down late, she will be overtired which spikes the cortisol in her system, thus resulting in early wake ups. Best thing to do is to put baby to sleep as early as possible to avoid this. If you want any more personalised support please message me [email protected]

ENG Translation for Expert: For me, baby sleeps less in the morning then I train the baby to sleep longer at night just turn off the lights then breast feed baby to sleep next to me