Bringing home a second baby is exciting — and it also comes with a big, important question: will what we’re doing now still work once the baby is here? When it comes to sleep, this matters more than most parents realize. Because there’s really nothing harder for a firstborn than seeing everything change overnight when the new baby comes home — especially the routines that help them feel safe, settled, and secure. And if part of you is already feeling guilty, torn between wanting to support your older child and knowing a newborn will demand so much of you, you’re in very good (and very normal) company.

Here’s the good news: there are a few smart, proactive things you can do before your new baby arrives that can make the transition smoother for everyone (including very tired parents).

1. If Your Firstborn Is Sleeping Well in a Crib, Keep Them There

This one is big, so let me say it clearly: do not rush your older child into a toddler bed just because you need the crib for the baby.

If your child is sleeping well in their crib, that crib is doing an excellent job. There is no prize for fixing something that isn’t broken. A few important reminders:

• Your new baby does not need a crib right away.
• A bassinet or pack‑and‑play is a perfectly safe and appropriate sleep space for many months.
• Transitioning to a toddler bed is a significant change, not just a furniture swap.

Moving to a toddler bed too early (especially during a time of big family change) often leads to:

• Bedtime battles
• Frequent night wakings
• Early morning wandering
• Nap battles

If your older child is happily contained and sleeping well, let them keep that win. Your future, sleep‑deprived self will thank you. And by the time baby actually needs a crib, your oldest will be more mature and developmentally ready for the transition to the big bed.

NOTE: if you decide to move your firstborn to a toddler bed before baby is born, make sure to do it several weeks before baby is due, so you have enough time to work through the transition before baby comes.

2. Take an Honest Look at Your Firstborn’s Sleep Right Now

Before the baby arrives, ask yourself one important question: Will we realistically be able to keep doing this once there’s a newborn in the picture?

This isn’t about judgment — it’s about planning.

Some common situations I see:

• Only one parent can do bedtime or respond at night
• A parent needs to lie down with your child until they fall asleep
• Bedtime takes 60–90 minutes (or more)
• Your child sleeps in your bed most or all of the night
• Your child wakes up frequently at night and needs a lot of support to go back to sleep

If this is working for now but you know it won’t be sustainable with a newborn, this is your window to make changes.

3. Make Sleep Changes Weeks — Not Days — Before Baby #2 Arrives

Timing matters.

Trying to change sleep habits after the baby is born often feels overwhelming and emotionally charged for everyone involved. Your older child is adjusting to a huge life change, and you’re running on very little sleep. Plus, we don’t want your older child to think that things are changing because of baby.

Instead:

• Start making adjustments several weeks (or even months) before your due date
• Introduce changes gradually
• Give your child time to adapt and feel successful

For example:

• If your child expects both parents to be present during bedtime, practice having one parent handle it
• If only 1 parent who can do bedtime, start having both parents take turns
• If you stay in the room until your child falls asleep, work toward stepping out earlier
• If your child sleeps in your bed, begin transitioning them to their own space before the baby arrives

The goal isn’t perfection — it’s predictability and sustainability.

If you are not sure how to approach this, reach out so we can do it together!

4. Remember: Supporting Your Firstborn’s Sleep Supports the Whole Family

Preparing your older child’s sleep ahead of time isn’t about forcing independence or rushing milestones. It’s about:

• Reducing stress during an already big transition
• Helping your child feel secure and capable
• Making sure you have the bandwidth to care for two children

When sleep is more predictable, everyone has more emotional capacity — and that matters so much during the early newborn days.

5. Make a Clear Plan for Childcare and Sleep When You Go Give Birth

Before baby arrives, take some time to map out exactly what will happen with your firstborn when you go to the hospital. If your child will be staying with grandparents, family members, or close friends, planning ahead makes a huge difference.

Practice makes this so much easier. Whenever possible, have your child spend time alone with that caregiver ahead of time. Let them get comfortable with the environment and that person. They can practice parts of the routine they’ll experience (dropping at daycare, doing bedtime, etc.).

Even better? Try a practice sleepover, which will help:

• Your child feel safe and confident
• The caregiver learn your child’s sleep routine
• You spot any challenges before it really matters
• You will feel calmer on the actual day!

A practice run can turn a potentially stressful separation into something familiar and reassuring — for everyone involved.

A Final Thought (From Someone Who’s Seen This A Lot)

Preparing for baby #2 isn’t about making everything perfect — it’s about making things manageable.

When your firstborn’s sleep is predictable and supported, you’re not just helping them rest. You’re protecting their sense of safety during a big transition, giving yourself more emotional and physical bandwidth, and creating a calmer foundation for those early newborn days.

This kind of planning isn’t selfish. It’s thoughtful. It’s loving. And it’s one of the most powerful ways to help your whole family thrive as you grow from three to four.

If you’re expecting your second baby and wondering how to make sleep work for everyone, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Reach out here and let’s do it together.

The post Before Baby #2 Arrives: How Supporting Your Firstborn’s Sleep Helps the Whole Family Thrive appeared first on Slumber Time Solutions.

Set your goals

Before you start, be clear on your sleep training goals. Are you aiming for your baby to sleep through the night, fall asleep independently, or take longer naps? Once your goals are set, choose a sleep training method that fits your parenting style and feels manageable within your shared space. Options include the SleepLady Shuffle, the Ferber method, more gradual approaches, etc.

Set up the bedroom

Creating a room that works for both you and your baby is key. Think about ways to minimize distractions and promote a sleep-friendly environment:

Crib

Move the crib as far away from your bed as possible. We want as much space as possible between you and baby. Even moving the crib to the end of the bed is preferable to having it by the side of your bed.

visual barrier

Create a “visual barrier” so that your child cannot see you from their crib. This becomes especially important when your child can stand up in the crib. Here are some ideas:

• Use a room divider
• Use furniture, large plant
• Hang a sheet
• Put a free standing coat rack and hang many things, etc.

Sound machine

Use a white noise machine to block out disruptions. You can also use a humidifier or a fan, but having constant background noise will reduce the chance of waking up each other when you are in bed and prevent baby from waking up when you come in and out of the room.

Dark room

Use blackout curtains to keep the room dark when baby is sleeping.

Sleep training at bedtime vs. middle of the night

At bedtime, use the sleep training method you chose as intended. For example, if you’re doing the Shuffle, follow the typical positions. If you’re using the Ferber method, leave the room between intervals as instructed. However, during middle-of-the-night wake-ups, you can adapt to the room-sharing setup. Instead of leaving the room completely, return to your bed to wait out the intervals, or, if you’re using the Shuffle, support your kiddo from your bed once you are further from the crib at bedtime. This approach allows you to remain consistent with the method while accommodating the realities of sharing a room.

More tips for success

Here are some other tips when room sharing:

• Consider sleeping in a different room for the initial stages of sleep training.
• Fake sleep: Pretend to sleep to signal it’s time for your baby to rest.
• Be patient: it may take a bit longer to see progress, but with consistency and repetition, your baby can learn to sleep independently!

Room sharing doesn’t have to mean sleepless nights. With a clear plan and a commitment to consistency, you can teach your baby to sleep independently while sharing the same space. If you need support to create a tailored plan for your unique situation, we can help. You can learn more here. Reach out and schedule an initial call to get started. Together, we can find a solution that works for your family so you can all get more rest!

The post The Ultimate Guide to Sleep Training While Room Sharing appeared first on Slumber Time Solutions.

Ah, the elusive baby schedule. One minute you think you’ve nailed it, and the next, it feels like you’ve gone completely off course. If you’re wondering, “When will my baby be on a schedule?” you’re not alone. Every parent dreams of the day their little one follows a more predictable schedule. The truth is that it will take some time. But here’s what you can expect and steps you can take to establish a schedule.

Newborn Stage

For the first few weeks, your newborn is definitely calling the shots. Every day may feel different. Some days naps will be short, some days naps will be long. However, don’t let baby nap too long during the day, as it could throw off their feeding schedule or nighttime sleep.

Wake them up after ~2 hours to make sure they don’t skip feedings and don’t do their longest stretches of sleep during the day.

Their sleep patterns are still developing, and trying to impose too much structure can leave you both frustrated. Instead, focus on building healthy sleep habits little by little. As your baby grows, you’ll notice some natural rhythms emerging.

6-8 Weeks

Around the 6-8 week mark, you might start seeing small glimmers of patterns. Your baby’s sleep cycles are maturing, and they may begin to sleep for longer stretches at night (yay!). You’ll likely notice that the first stretch of nighttime sleep is the longest, though they may still wake up frequently after that first sleep. If you can go to sleep when baby falls asleep, you will get the most uninterrupted sleep.

2 Months

To establish a more predictable schedule, we start with anchoring the day and the night with a more consistent wake-up time and bedtime. Based on your baby’s natural rhythms so far, pick a wake-up time and a bedtime “range”. For example, bedtime = 8 pm ± 30 min

Bedtimes often start pretty late for newborns, and then shift earlier over time. Pick a bedtime for now, and know that it may shift earlier.

You’ll need to time the last nap so your baby is ready for bed around the same time each night. But since babies are not robots, the timing of that last nap will vary, and that’s why we picked a “bedtime range” above. Adjust bedtime based on that last nap.

Similarly in the morning, wake them up around that time every morning. Having a more consistent bedtime and wake-up time helps regulate your baby’s internal clock, which can mean longer, more predictable sleep in the near future—win-win for everyone!

3 Months

Around 3 months, the first nap tends to become more predictable. Because your baby’s wake-up time is becoming more consistent, their first nap will likely follow suit, giving you a bit of predictability to start the day.

The rest of the day may still vary from day to day because the durations of the naps tend to vary. If the 1^st nap is long, the 2^nd nap will happen later in the day than if the 1^st nap is short, and so forth.

4-5 Months

As your baby continues to grow, expect their nap schedule to begin shifting. At this stage, babies usually take 4 naps per day but will gradually transition to 3 naps between 4-6 months. Your baby will be ready to transition to 3 naps as their naps lengthen and/or their awake windows get longer.

6 Months

By 6 months, babies usually have transitioned to 3 naps/day. Many babies are on a pretty consistent schedule by now. Naps are usually well-timed, and you can predict when they’ll be sleepy or hungry. You can make plans around or during naps and feel fairly confident it will work out!!

Final Thoughts

So, when will your baby be on a schedule? It depends on their unique personality, development, and needs. For some, it happens as early as 3-4 months, while for others, it may take closer to 6-9 months. It’s okay if your baby isn’t following the books; every child is different, and you’re doing great. Focus on healthy sleep habits and stay flexible—because sleep (and parenting!) is never an exact science.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the process, remember: you don’t have to figure it out alone. At Slumber Time Solutions, we’re here to help you navigate the tricky world of baby sleep. Whether your baby is a newborn or 9 months old (or older!), we can guide you toward better sleep for your entire family. Ready to get started? Let’s chat and create a plan that works for your unique family!

The post From Unpredictable to More Regular Days: When & How Your Baby Will Settle Into a Schedule appeared first on Slumber Time Solutions.

In the first few months, babies love to contact nap! Here are some tips to help them take some naps on their mattress. This is a big transition and it may take some patience and time! When you make changes to naps, start with the first nap of the day, as it is usually the easiest time for baby to fall asleep. Once baby is asleep, place her on the mattress. You may need to wait a few minutes to make sure baby will stay asleep when you lay them down. Experiment with waiting for different amount of time, as each baby is different.

When you lay her down, keep your hand on her for a little while to make sure she stays asleep. If she wakes up as soon as you lay her down, you may need to take a more gradual approach. Consider how your baby is currently falling asleep. If baby is used to falling asleep on your chest “vertically” with their head on your shoulder, or in the carrier, that is a big change to go from sleeping vertically on you to sleeping horizontally on the mattress. We can break it down in smaller changes to help baby adjust more easily to each step. Here are some examples. Start with helping baby fall asleep in your arms more horizontally. Then, you can have baby fall asleep on your lap a few times. Baby is still on you, but we are teaching baby to sleep on their back–as if they were on a mattress–and further from your chest. Once baby has had a few naps on your lap, then try the mattress.

Once you’ve made some progress with the first nap, use the same approach for the second nap, and so on. Naps tend to become harder as they day goes. The last nap of the day is usually the hardest, and you may need to keep it as a contact nap to make it happen!

Pro Tips:

• When you lay her down asleep, let her bottom touch the mattress first. Then slowly lay 1 shoulder down and then finally lay her on her back. The top of our back is sensitive, and we want it to be the last part of the body to hit the mattress.
• As babies get older, babies become more sensitive to the environment. Offer naps in a dark room with white noise.

Transition to crib

When you are ready to move baby from a bassinet to their crib, start with playing in the crib during the day. When baby is in a good mood and not tired, put baby in the crib with the lights on in the bedroom. We want baby to have “fun” in the crib, so you may need to play with her. Bring a toy, make silly faces, play peek-a-boo, sing a song, etc. Play for 2-5 min, and then get her out. Repeat several times before baby starts to sleep in the crib. Next, start to do some naps in the crib, starting with the first nap of the day. Once you’ve done a few naps, you are ready to do bedtime in the crib!

Pro Tips:

• you can sleep on the crib fitted sheet for a few nights. That way your baby will smell you when they are in the crib!
• If your baby is not rolling yet and the crib feels very big, you can place baby along the short side of the crib so that baby can be close to 3 sides. Being close to 3 sides will feel familiar!

If you have any questions about your child’s sleep and would like more support, head over HERE to learn more about how we can work together to improve sleep or contact me.

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What is a dreamfeed?

A dream feed is when you feed your kiddo while they’re asleep. While your baby is completely asleep, you go in, pick her up and offer a feeding (just like you usually do at night).

To be clear, if your kiddo wakes up in and you respond by feeding her, that’s not a dreamfeed -even if she falls asleep during the feeding. It’s a night feeding, but not a dreamfeed. A dreamfeed is when WE initiate the feeding while baby is asleep.

How do we do a dreamfeed?

Just like you would do any night feeding! Pick her up, sit in the chair that you typically sit in to do the night feeding. You can nurse or offer a bottle.

She may wake up slightly when you pick her up. But hopefully she will easily go back to sleep while eating. And at the end of the feeding, put her back on the mattress.

Why would we take the risk of waking up a sleeping baby? We often spend so much time and effort to get our babies to sleep, and now I am suggesting we disrupt their sleep? Well, when a dreamfeed actually works, it’s not disruptive and it brings more sleep.

Here are some scenarios when it can be very beneficial to use dreamfeeds:

To align baby’s sleep with ours

As babies get older, their first stretch of the night is often their longest sleep. After that first stretch, they may wake up more frequently throughout the night. Let’s say baby sleeps from 7 pm to midnight, which means that they do a 5-hour stretch. If you go to bed at 7 pm yourself, then you also get five hours of sleep. But if you go to bed at 10 pm, then you’re only getting two hours of sleep before baby wakes up at midnight for a feeding. We can offer a dreamfeed before you’re ready to go to bed around 10 pm. Baby will have a full belly at 10 pm and we can expect her to start her 5-hour stretch at 10 pm. So there would be a feeding before bedtime before 7 pm, a dreamfeed around 10 pm and then the next feeding should be around 3am – because that’s five hours after that 10 pm dreamfeed. In this scenario, we’re not asking baby to go longer between feedings, we are just shifting the timing of the longer stretch to align it with your own bedtime so that you can get more sleep!

To provide consistency during sleep coaching

Dreamfeeds can also be very useful when we are helping baby learn to sleep more independently, while maintaining some night feedings. (often people think that sleep training requires to eliminate all night feedings, but that’s not the case!)

Let’s say we want to do 1 feeding/night around 2 am. That means that we want baby to learn to fall asleep independently and sleep through the night, expect for 1 waking/feeding around 2 am. In this scenario, if kiddo wakes up at 11 pm, we would help her go back to sleep without a feeding (because the feeding time is 2 am). When she wake up around/after 2 am, she would get to eat right away.

Getting to eat *sometimes* can get confusing and inconsistent for kiddos: sometimes she wakes up and gets to eat (around 2 am), sometimes she has to go back to sleep without a feeding (any other time she wakes up). However, since babies can’t tell time, our 2-am rule may feel “random”. From their perspective, sometimes they get to eat, sometimes they don’t, and that feels inconsistent. And when children perceive that we are inconsistent, they often continue to wake up throughout the night to see how we will respond this time.

One way for us to be consistent in the way we respond during sleep training is to provide that feeding as a dream feed. So at some point in the night, we would offer a dreamfeed. Then every time baby wakes up, we can respond consistently (without a feeding), because we took care of the calories through a dream feed. This is a technique that I use a lot during coaching.

Is the dreamfeed working?

When assessing if a dreamfeed is working for your kiddo, here are some questions I ask:

• Is baby getting a good feed during the dreamfeed. If they don’t eat much, then it won’t help them sleep longer.
• How easy is it to put baby down after the dreamfeed. If a dream feed works, baby would  wake up slightly, feed and go back to sleep easily. If you find that your kiddo wakes up during the dream feed and then is upset or it’s hard to put baby down afterwards, then that might not be a tool for your family.
• How is baby sleeping after the dreamfeed?

Those are the things that we want to keep an eye on to assess whether the dream feed is helpful or not.

If you introduce a dream feed, try for 3-4 nights in a row to see what happens. For some families it’s a game changer, for others it doesn’t seem to help. But you can’t know if you don’t try!

If you have any questions about your child’s sleep and would like more support, head over HERE to learn more about how we can work together to improve sleep or contact me.

You can also join my free private Facebook group for sleep support.

The post Using Dreamfeeds for More Sleep appeared first on Slumber Time Solutions.

Having a relaxing bedtime routine is key for your child’s sleep. Creating the right bedtime routine is one of the first things I focus on with my clients.

Research shows that kiddos who have a consistent bedtime routine fall asleep faster, have less night wakings and sleep better overall. Sounds good, right?! So let’s talk about how you create a good bedtime routine for your child!

A bedtime routine is a sequence of activities that we do every night before bedtime. Pick a few relaxing activities you are willing to do every night, and do them in the same order every night, in the room where your kiddo sleep.

I encourage families to start a bedtime routine when baby is 6- 8 weeks old. Your baby will soon learn to recognize this “sequence” and understand that sleep comes at the end. It will become an important cue to help them be more ready for sleep.

Over time, your child’s bedtime routine will evolve and change, but you will want to continue to have a predictable routine before bed. Even adults have bedtime routines – think about what you do before you go to sleep – I bet you have your own rituals!

The bedtime routine is a time to relax, connect and wind down. There are 3 parts to a successful bedtime routine:

PREP

Start your bedtime routine with the things you need to do to get ready: diaper change, lotion, brush teeth, potty, pajamas. If there’s something your kiddo dislikes, try to do it first so it’s out of the way and we can enjoy the rest of the routine. (we don’t want them to get all mellow and then have to stop to do something they dislike!).

WIND DOWN

Once kiddo is ready, it’s time to wind down in the bedroom and dim the light. The bedtime routine is NOT the time for rough plays or pillow fight (do those earlier in the day!). Pick 1-2 things relaxing things that your kiddo enjoys. Here are some ideas:

• Read books
• Massage
• Sing songs
• Snuggle
• Do some yoga together
• Calm play
• Listen to soft music or audio stories
• Talk about your days

Pick things that your kiddo enjoys. That means that if your child really is not into books right now, don’t do a book at bedtime. Try books at different times of the day, and pick something they enjoy at bedtime.

CONNECT

The last component of the routine is to connect with your child. Since we are about to be asleep/apart for many hours, make sure their “cup is full” before we say good night. I know it can be hard – by the time bedtime rolls around I am tired myself and/or I am thinking about all the things I need to do once my kiddo’s bedtime is over!  But this is an important part of the day for kiddos. Be fully present and engaged: it will absolutely pay off once it’s time to say good night because they will have all they need for the night.

Now that you know the 3 elements that makes a bedtime routine effective, we need to talk about one more thing: how long should a bedtime routine be?  Well, not that long. Your bedtime routine can be 20-30 min from beginning to end. If your routine is much longer, you can certainly shorten it. Decide what you want to keep/include during the routine and then be very consistent with your new routine. And get ready to dim the light, wind down and enjoy a short and sweet bedtime routine with your kiddo!

If you have any questions about your child’s sleep and would like more support, head over HERE to learn more about how we can work together to improve sleep or contact me.

You can also join my free private Facebook group for sleep support.

The post 3 Parts to a Short & Sweet Bedtime Routine appeared first on Slumber Time Solutions.

Discuss and decide ahead of time where everyone will sleep so that bring what you need and/or the host can prepare the rooms accordingly (bed, crib, pack and play, making the room dark, etc.).

If your child will sleep in a pack and play during your trip, put it up at home before your trip. Let your child play with it during the day, use it for a nap in or even at bedtime. We want them to become familiar with it before they actually have to sleep in it in a new place as part of your baby sleep training.

Bring what you need

Take what you need so that you can recreate as much of your bedtime routine and your home sleep environment. You may also want to bring your baby monitor.

Make sure you bring your child’s lovey, pacifier, white noise, blanket, sleep sack, stuffed animal, pajamas, fitted crib sheet, etc. Don’t wash anything (pajamas, blanket, sheet, etc.) right before you leave for your trip: we want these familiar objects to smell like home, which will be comforting in the new environment.

Help your child get familiar with the new sleep environment

As soon as you arrive at destination (and before it’s time to sleep), spend some time in the room where your child will be sleeping. Play in that room, play in their bed/crib/pack and play, and let them know that this is where they will sleep.

What if they don’t sleep like at home?

If your child has a hard time falling asleep and/or staying asleep because they are in a new environment, they may need some extra baby sleep training support at the beginning. You may want to stay with them in the room at first, offering some reassurance using your voice or your touch. If you have to provide more support than you do at home, let them know that this is special because you are on vacation, and that once you get home, you will go back to the “home expectations”.  And do just that as soon as you get home.

The first night you get back home, we have to go back to how we do things at home. That’s really important. If you’ve done things differently on your trip, you can expect him to “test” that, but we need to be very clear about the “sleep rules” at home. Kids are amazing at “compartmentalizing” and understanding that different places/people have different “rules” – for example they behave differently at daycare than at home, or with grandma, etc. What’s important is that as soon as you get back to your home, you use the same sleep rules than you did before the trip.

Schedule

It can be challenging to maintain your child’s regular naptime and bedtime while traveling. Try to find the balance between doing the activities you want to do while on vacation and avoiding that your child gets too overtired and completely melts down, thus not making things fun for anyone. For example, if you know that you will be staying up late one evening, make sure that your child as a good afternoon nap that day. Similarly, if you will be on the go all day, plan to have an early bedtime that night. Follow your child’s lead and adjust your plans accordingly.

Traveling across time zones

If you travel to a new time zone, try to start living as per the new clock as much as possible as soon as you arrive, including meals and snacks, naptime, bedtime, wake time. Expose your child to daylight in the morning and early afternoon. Having said that, it can take a few days to adjust to the new time, so you also want to watch your child: if they are falling apart prior to their schedule as per the clock, follow their lead. People often say that that it takes 1 day of adjustment for every hour of time change. You may want to keep the first day pretty light so your child has the chance to adjust.

Ready for your family to sleep better? Head over HERE to learn more about how we can work together or  Contact me.  

You can also join my free private Facebook group for sleep support.

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The “big bang” approach
On the morning of the big day, wake your child up at their usual time as per the “new” time (so you will wake them up an hour early – yikes – I know!).  Then, follow your child’s regular schedule for sleep, meals, naps, wake up time, etc. according to the clock. If for example their bedtime was 8pm before the time change, it should be 8 pm after the time change.

This approach works best for older children and/or for children that tend to adjust to changes in schedules fairly easily.  If this does not fit your child, then follow a more gradual approach described below.

The gradual approach
Another option is to ease into the change by making small adjustments to your child’s sleep and wake times in the days before Daylight Saving starts.  Start waking them up earlier by 15 minutes, and adjust meals, naps and bedtime earlier accordingly. Move their wake-up time earlier every day, so that by Sunday, it’ll be less of a change.  For example, let’s say your child currently goes to sleep at bedtime at 7:30 pm and wake up at 6:30 am. On Thursday, wake them up at 6:15 am, with the goal of doing bedtime at 7:15 pm. On Friday, wake them up at 6 am, and do bedtime at 7 pm, and so on. 

If you can’t start making those schedule adjustments prior to the time change, and you don’t have to be somewhere on Monday morning, you can still use this gradual approach starting on the day of the time change.

Regardless of the approach you choose, having an already established routine will make it easier to adjust.  Don’t be surprised if bedtime takes a bit longer at first, since we are asking them to go to bed earlier than their body is used to.  It’s important that they are tired at bedtime, which is why we need to adjust wake up time, naps, meals, etc.   If they are not tired at bedtime, they may get more “creative”, and we want to avoid any new “shenanigans”/behaviors to turn into new habits.  This is especially important for toddlers/preschoolers who have a tendency to fight bedtime to begin with. We want to make sure that this adjustment period does not turn into new undesirable habits.

Here are some more tips to help with the transition (starting Sunday):

• Wake them up from the afternoon nap if it’s happening too late and will push bedtime.
• Keep evening activities very calm – calmer than usual!  We want our children to go to bed earlier, so provide less stimulating before bedtime.
• During the transition, try darkening your home an hour before bedtime.  It will encourage your child to go to sleep earlier.
• Plan extra time for your bedtime routine to help your child be ready for sleep.
• Be flexible – you still need to be aware of your child’s sleepy cues and make this transition slowly if needed
• Make sure your child’s room is dark.  Once Daylight Saving starts (and as Spring/Summer approaches – yes!), there’s more light in the evening (and eventually early morning).  Using black out curtains or dark shades can definitely help your little one to go to sleep at night and stay asleep in the morning. And it helps with naps too. Investing in a dark room is definitely well worth it!

If you have any questions, please contact me!

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