Just when nap schedules and bedtime are falling into a good groove, your little one starts waking up more frequently, refusing naps, or suddenly acting like sleep is optional. If this sounds familiar, you’re among friends. Sleep disruption during this age is super common, but it can also be exhausting, to say the least.  Let’s dive into why this happens and what you can do to survive it.

There’s one sleep rule that I always enforce with my clients: Sleep should not be a source of constant stress. This blog is written as a guide for exhausted moms to break down and understand the most confusing aspects of baby sleep, so you can stop overthinking, start trusting your instincts, and work toward sleep routines that benefit the ENTIRE family.

Somewhere between two and six months, every baby goes through a lasting shift in their sleep architecture. Pair that with the whirlwind of developmental changes happening around the four-month mark, and sleep can feel a little (or a lot) chaotic. This is what’s often called the “four-month sleep regression”—but knowing what’s going on can make it all feel way less daunting.

Separation anxiety in babies can start as early as 4-5 months, is most common between 10-18 months, and usually eases up by age 3. Your little one might seem clingy (especially in new situations), get upset when you leave the room, become shy around strangers and resist separating at sleep times. While separation anxiety is a healthy sign of secure attachment, it can throw even the best sleep routines into tears for the whole family.

Nursing to sleep might be your baby’s preference, but it doesn’t always work for you and your family- and that’s ok. If you love breastfeeding your baby, just not constantly in the middle of the night, there is a path forward that honors your nursing relationship and quality sleep for the whole family.

Every child reacts differently when it’s time to say goodbye to the pacifier. For some, it's just a small bump in their routine that barely registers. For others, it’s a major adjustment that will lead to a few tough nights (or weeks) as they adjust to falling asleep in a new way. If you’ve been thinking about dropping the pacifier, but you’re dreading what your nights might look like afterward, let’s talk about why, when, and how you can make this transition easier for the whole family.

One of the most common (and exhaustive) sleep struggles I help my clients work through is a split night. Simply put, your little one’s sleep cycles aren’t aligned for consolidated nighttime sleep, so they’re wide-eyed and ready to play in the middle of the night.

At six months, your little one is becoming more aware of their surroundings, they’re grabbing, sitting up, teething, maybe crawling and they might be developing some separation anxiety too. All of these factors can contribute to your baby waking up through the night and having a difficult time settling back to sleep. So how do you get your six-month old sleeping through the night?

What is your gut reaction when you hear “sleep training”? It’s a divisive topic, I know, but as a baby sleep consultant, I feel a pull to demystify sleep training and ease your mind if you’re considering it for your family.

So, your toddler is starting to resist their nap, and you're wondering if it's time to let go of that daytime sleep. This is a big milestone for both you and your child, and it can be pretty nerve-wracking. 

How do you know it’s time to say goodbye to the nap? And maybe more concerning, how can you make the transition without everyone in tears by 5pm?

There’s nothing quite like starting your day at 5 AM, not by choice, but because your baby has decided it's time to rise and shine. If you’re whisking matcha before 6 AM, you know the struggle.