Is your baby crying more than 20 minutes before nap or bedtime?
If so, keep reading!
{20 minutes is a normal amount of time for a human to fall asleep (as per sleep researchers) and if you or your baby is taking more than this amount of time to fall asleep, it's suggested to make adjustments!}
And if not, Yay! But also, keep reading as this is GOLD.
Crying Before Naps!
1) Are you avoiding the 20-minute No Feed Zone?
If you're feeding your baby too close to a nap, they may be getting a little sleepy...
Then when you put them in their crib, they've had a little rest (during the sleepiness) and now it's difficult for them to fall asleep.
Classic sign: Baby seems sleepy, you put them in their crib, eyes POP open and the crying starts!
{Action step}
Respect the 20-minute No Feed Zone before naps to help avoid sleepiness!
2) Enough/too much awake time!
Has your baby all of a sudden started crying more before naps? (and for more than a day or two)
It's possible that they need more awake time!
We don't get a text from them saying "Hey, I'm not ready for sleep yet!" We just have to read the signs!
Their wake time may need to be increased!
{Action step}
Start with adding 15-20 minutes to each awake time and give it a few days to see if it helps.
3) Does your baby fall asleep independently?
What I mean by this is, do you put them in a sleep sack, sing them a quick song, and place them in their crib awake...then they fall asleep.
If your baby is getting sleepy because of any assistance from you (rocking, feeding, patting, soother, etc.) This may be part of the issue.
Here's a secret that people don't talk about enough:
The things that help our newborns sleep, often decrease in effectiveness as they age, except no one tells you that it's okay for your baby to fall asleep on their own, in fact, it's a completely normal thing to work on.
**Note here: If you're doing these things, and your baby sleeps fine, then don't fix what's not broken!**
This is very much if you're struggling with crying before sleep!
{Action step}
Be aware of the No Feed Zone, pull back on the things you do to make your baby sleepy before nap time, and give it a few days.
An extra note about crying before bedtime!
4) Check your baby's bedtime!
Most infants need a bedtime between 6:30-7:30 pm.
I usually say that after 8 pm is too late.
Children tend to have a bedtime 'window' that's about 30 minutes. If you miss their bedtime window, you'll notice that they get a second wind, and now are really difficult to put down.
{Action step}
Start watching your baby starting at 6 pm, pay attention to when they seem tired, it may seem sooner than you think.
Once you see the tired cues, you have 20-30 minutes to get your kiddo to bed!
Was this helpful? Still, have questions?
Hit reply and ask away!
If your baby isn't sleeping well no matter what you've tried, don't despair!
My clients see massive improvements in their baby's sleep within 1-2 weeks!
Here for you,
Melody Patton
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