Help Your Baby “Sleep Through The Night”

‘How can I involve my partner in my baby or toddler’s sleep?’ Perhaps you want to more evenly share the load of navigating the world of baby or toddler sleep, or your baby is no longer falling asleep at the breast and you want your partner to be able to put them down for sleep, or you have a second child and you want to divide bedtimes.

Is your toddler stalling bedtime by asking for snacks? I know a lot of parents might think this is a manipulation tactic, but I don’t look at it that way.

Have you noticed your baby “fighting” sleep? Suddenly naps are a battle, or the fussiness seems to have no end. Nap time and/or bedtime take forever and are full of tears. This is a really, really common experience, but of course, that doesn’t make it any less frustrating (or draining!) for everyone involved. In my experience this often happens for younger babies, especially between about 4-10 months old. There is SO much huge development happening, plus spikes in separation anxiety around 6 and 9 months. If you can’t pinpoint a reason for the fussiness, you might try just riding the wave and letting the phase pass. The big thing to always rule out first is pain, discomfort, or feeding issues.

When I taught Kindergarten, we referred to the afternoon period after lunch as “rest time.” My little cutie 4 and 5-year-olds would grab a blanky and pillow plus their little bin of books and find a cozy spot. I’d turn the lights down and play soft classical music. About 99% of them fell asleep even though they SWORE they weren’t sleeping but just “resting their eyes.”