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Sleep Regressions {Poll Results Post}

Sleep regressions really have a way of taking the wind out of your sails. You work so hard to establish healthy sleep in your baby, and then BAM! Sleep regression comes along. You wonder what you did wrong and what you should do differently. In reality, if it is a sleep regression, the answer is you did nothing wrong.

How to deal with sleep regressions | sleep problems | #sleepproblems


I asked you all to share your sleep regression experiences. Here are the answers.

1-Did your baby ever have a sleep regression?
Yes: 9
No: 0

2-What age(s) did your child have a sleep regression?
4 Months: 4
9/10 Months: 5
18 Months: 1
2 Years: 2

3-Was there anything you could do to help the sleep regression?
Baby Swing: 3
Practice New Skills: 3
Have super consistency: 3
Wait it out: 5
Quote from Yooli: "The number 1 thing for us was consistency. Bad naps, taking forever to fall asleep, whatever. We might tweak the schedule to get an overtired child down earlier, but we stuck to the schedule for the most part. If the kid sat in the crib and kicked the wall for an hour during nap time, fine. You still need to rest kiddo. In the middle of the night, we usually went in to comfort after waiting a few minutes, especially after the child was older and could call for us. But we never pulled the child into bed with us and we didn't cosleep with them. There were some particularly bad nights when we would have to go in there 3-4-5 times a night and finally hold the child in a chair until they were asleep or near asleep and transfer, but we would always put them back in their crib or bed, reassure them, and leave. "

4-How did you manage the schedule during the sleep regression? With your child waking early, did you feed more often, have more waketime, etc.
Consistency: 5
No changes: 3
Help baby fall back asleep: 1

5-Any tips, advice, or words of encouragement?

Ashley said: A sleep regression is something all babies must go through. It's not a reflection on you, especially if you have been consistent to this point. Regressions feel a lot longer than they actually are. I listened to a lot of crying during regressions, and sometimes I just had to take the baby and go to Target. Seriously, I bought a lot on clearance  That said, regressions for my family were a time to stay consistent, but also allow us the freedoms to go places and do things in order to get things done and keep the normally crying baby entertained. They are maddening, they are intense, but they are temporary. Take the good you get during regressions! Once it is over, as it will certainly reach an end, life will feel perfect and beautiful 

Julie said: Hang in there, and consider a schedule tweak!

Yooli said: I am absolutely convinced that sticking to a schedule made our kids get through and out of sleep regressions faster than most children. Neither of my boys really had that dreaded 4 month regression to the degree you hear moms lament about where they go on and on for months. 45 minute naps, crabbiness, night wakings, sure. But the HABIT of sleeping was already ingrained in them so even during regressions, they slept better than most kids and really helped their brains develop that much faster and get through those phases faster. And then when it was over, 2-3 hour naps and 12 hours overnights kicked right back in and they went right back to where they needed to be. Even now with my oldest going through the trying three's, he needs his sleep more than ever - particularly his afternoon nap! Its something that is so restorative and soothing to his moody, crabby little soul right now, even when he insists he doesn't want to nap. He might protest for a few minutes, but then goes down and goes to sleep. Why? Because its just been a part of his routine his whole life and he doesn't know any different. Its always been non-negotiable.

Carrie said:  It won't last forever--unless you start bad habits, like feeding to go back to sleep or bringing baby to your bed. Those may work, but it's really hard to stop later on. Give it a week or two to sort itself out before changing up anything big time. It might be a leap or light shining through a window. It could be a schedule problem, but be patient and let your baby work it out.

Schooling Decisions {Poll Results}

There are many decisions to make as a parent, but decisions surrounding schooling decisions can really put a stress on you. I have observed over the years of talking to people that most of them say, "I loved my experience." We feel comfortable with what we know, and what we know is our own personal experience. Some people would have liked things to be different, but by and large, most are satisfied with their lot in life. This is comforting as a parent because if you are mindful as you make these decisions, your child will likely be fine and also be satisfied with his/her experience. That doesn't mean you can send a child who isn't ready and there will be zero problems. You have to be mindful. 

Thoughts on schooling decisions (homeschool, public school, preschool, etc.)


I asked you all about schooling decisions in the last poll. You can see the original post here. If you answered on Facebook, the post was deleted! I have no idea why. It is just gone. That is frustrating! 

1-Did you send your child to preschool? Why or why not?
YES: 2
NO: 1

Comments:
Jenny said: My son attended private half day preschool. He was an only child until he was 5 so I thought it was important for him to be around other kids. As a former elementary school teacher, I am also a huge fan of exposing them to a play based preschool prior to Kindergarten. 

Krysten said: I have two children, a 4.5 year old boy and a 2 year old girl, neither have been to preschool and I don't plan to send them. I chose/choose not to send them for multiple reasons. I have a degree in Early Childhood Education and have worked/observed in preschools and feel that I can teach the same things at home with less hassle. Another reason is we live far enough out from any preschools that my drive time and gas money would be a hardship on my family. 

AllieK said:  Did you send your child to preschool? Why or why not? Yes, we aim for 2 years of preschool before kindergarten, or 1 year of preschool and 1 year of pre-k before kindergarten. I've found this is best for really getting the child used to being away from home, obeying classroom rules, managing themselves in a classroom environment, etc.

2-What age(s) did you do preschool?
2: 1
3: 1

Jenny said:  He started at 2 but only went two mornings a week. Looking back I may have started him a little early as he struggled with the transition. 

Krysten said: My son did start AWANA at Church at 3 and preschool Sunday School at 2.5 and my daughter will too. I know this is not the same thing as preschool but it does/will give my children a chance to be part of a classroom setting.

AllieK said: 

3-Where did you decide to send your child to official school (Kindergarten and up)? Public, homeschool, charter school, private school...Why?
Public: 2
Homeschool: 1

Jenny said: My son will be going to public school Kindergarten. While I'm a fan of both private and public school, I'd like to try him at the public school to see how he does. My husband is also opposed to paying for things he can get for free. Many of our friends have chosen to homeschool but I do not believe that would be the best decision for my son and for me. 

Krysten said: We have chosen to homeschool and will be starting a relaxed kindergarten program with my son this fall.

AllieK said:  We do public school because our public schools are excellent and less than 0.5 miles from our home.

4-Did you send your child to Kindergarten "on time" or did you hold your child back? Why?
Held Back: 1
On Time: 2

Jenny said: We held our son back from Kindergarten for 1 year. He turned 5 Aug 9 and the cut off was the 31. There are many year round schools in the area and if he attended one of those he would have started at 4! He also had some social and communication delays and needed the extra year to grow and develop. I am so happy with this decision (I really agonized over it) as he grew so much during that year! He attended a 5 day, half day Transitional Kindergarten and it was such a great fit! 

Krysten said: My son will turn 5 in September. If I was going to send him to public school kindergarten I would have to wait until Fall 2018. Because we are homeschooling and I feel that academically he is ready we will be focusing on reading, spelling and math this year. Maturity wise I know he is not ready for regular kindergarten.

AllieK said:  On time. All our kiddos are January & February babies so it just worked well.

5-Any additional thoughts? 
Jenny said: I am a huge fan of redshirting kids. Even if they seem ready at 5, just think about middle and high school! Plus, Kindergarten is not what it was when I was a kid. The expectations are much higher. My second child has a July birthday and I will most likely flow the same plan for him even though he is a social butterfly. I think maturity wise the extra year will be so good for him. 



Independent Playtime {Poll Reslts Post}

Independent playtime is a super sanity-saver. The benefits of Independent Playtime are numerous, including helping your child learn to focus, be a problem solver, be independent, and to be happy with him/herself. There is also the major perk of giving you a section of time each day that you can have to yourself to spend as you wish. That may sound selfish, but a mom has to take care of herself--no one works 12-14 hour days year round, day after day, and survives. You have to have moments, and Independent Playtime can be a daily moment that benefits everyone.



I recently polled readers on Independent Playtime. Here are the results.

1-What age did you start Independent Playtime? 
2-3 Months: 2
As soon as sitting up: 4
6 Months: 2
9-10 Months: 2
12-20 Months: 6

2-Where do you have your child do Independent Playtime?
In crib: 11
Pack and Play: 7
Room: 5

3-What length of time does your child do Independent Playtime typically? What is your child's age?
At First: 
  • 5-10 Minutes: 3
  • 15 Minutes: 3
  • 20 Minutes: 1
  • 30 Minutes: 1
  • 45 Minutes: 3
  • 60 Minutes: 5
Once established:
  • 1 Hour: 5
  • 1.5 Hour: 4
4-How was your journey starting Independent Playtime? For example, was it smooth, did it take some time for your child to get used to it, etc. 

Carrie said: It depended on the kid/personality. For my second, he does NOT like to be alone. Even now that he's 6, he has a hard time with IP sometimes because he doesn't like to be by himself. BUT, it's so good for him to have a set time to practice this because it prepares him for future times when he will need to be alone and make decisions by himself. 

Naomi said: Rough! In the beginning she went through several phases of crying either at the beginning of IP or if she threw all her toys out of the PNP. When her brother was born she had a rough time with many things but especially IP and was always whining for me to play with her. When she moved to her room she started getting into mischeif (chewing on the window sills, picking apart the screen, playing with diaper cream) so we REALLY had to babyproof. As she got older she wouldn't cry or whine so much but would keep calling to me and asking me for things. I have worked very hard to establish roomtime, especially once she stopped napping. Even now she still comes down or calls to me sometimes but things are much better than they were. Things that have helped her immensely are the visual timer so she can see how long is left (you can actually set it for up to 2 hrs but the red doesn't start going away until after 1 hr) and readalong books from the library, puzzles, sticker books etc.

Naomi said: How was your journey starting Independent Playtime? For example, was it smooth, did it take some time for your child to get used to it, etc. 
Like a dream! Totally different from my daughter! He never destroys anything or calls to me or cries. He loves it. I don't even rotate his toys. 

Carrie said: The journey was pretty good, but right at the beginning it was tough learning to let them fuss a bit so they could experience frustration and work through it. To clarify, I always went in and helped if something was actually wrong, but 9/10 they were totally fine because they were safe in their cribs.

Emily said: none of them liked it at first and would sometimes cry the whole time, but I used a timer and they quickly learned they had to stay there until it rang. Now they LOVE their alone time and don't complain at all.

Christina said: Honestly, I started when they were very young -- just let them sit in their cribs and hold a safe toy or stare at their mobiles -- for very brief intervals. As they grew older (6-9 months), they developed a greater fascination with toys and would easily entertain themselves without me there. One thing I also did with my kids early on (as in 2-3 months old) was to seat them on a play gym right next to me at first, then gradually move them further across the room so I could still observe them without them necessarily seeing me the entire time. My daughter seemed to really enjoy this period of time in her day at that age -- and so did I! It seems that IP time takes readjusting as kids get older as your space where it happens and the toys that kids use change. But the idea of spending periods of time alone without relying on a parent to entertain you is crucial and can be established early on.

Kimberly said: It takes some time, but I find making the gradual switch from nap to play makes it much easier. They are used to spending that time in their bed already, so the big chance is just that they are awake. They are comfortable, content, and safe in that environment. 

Emma said:   With my first two kids I tried doing independent play in a playpen at an early age but I found it just too difficult to enforce and with guaranteed naps, I decided it wasn't important to me. But I did enforce it around the time that they stopped sleeping in the morning - between a year or 20mths? Found that all 3 of mine transitioned to playing without too much hassle. Each went through a short season of objection but fairly quickly accepted that this was the new way of doing things. 

Leah said: It was pretty rough. There were some times where she just sobbed for 15 minutes before I gave up and rescued her. Then there were times where she cried for 5-10 minutes before settling down to play quite happily for another 45 minutes. Even now when we've been doing it consistently for six months, she still has times when she cries for a while before being content to play.

5-Any words of advice or encouragement?

Carrie said: Do it!! (ha!). I cannot imagine my schedule without IP in it. It's a sanity saver for sure, for everyone involved!

Naomi said: Any words of advice or encouragement? Keep on keeping on! IP is seriously my favorite thing about BW. I need a break to exercise, get things done or just relax! Find what works for your child, some kids take to it much more easily than others but it is especially worth the effort in those for whom it doesn't come easily.

Naomi said:  Any words of advice or encouragement? Some kids take to it very well and some take a lot more work (see my comment about my daughter)! Either way I think it's important.

Carrie said:  start small and set a timer so you know that you're making progress and not to run in too quickly. It's INDEPENDENT playtime after all. I can remember starting at 2 min and never feeling like were going to make it to 5, then 10 minutes happened, then 30, then one day I lost track of time and no longer used my timer and realized it had been 45 min. That became our new norm for a long time. Give them a few learning toys and a couple books to keep them occupied. I learned that if they had lots of stuff to play with, they didn't really play well and got frustrated easily. The awesome thing about doing IP everyday is now I can trust them to play independently around the house when I'm cooking or cleaning and have faith that they won't be right under my feet the whole time.

Emily said: it's SO worth it! I agree that it is my favorite thing about Babywise. The benefits are tremendous.

Kimberly said: No matter how long your child has been doing IP there will be times when he or she just doesn't want to. Don't think you have to give it up forever. Keep it up. And if life happens and you have to miss it for awhile, that's okay! You can always bring it back in. It is a like skill to be able to think and entertain yourself. You are giving your child a good thing when you do this.

Emma said:  Just that Independent Play is a great thing and I and they would struggle without it. It boost their confidence playing alone and encourages independence, dealing with boredom, creativity and problem-solving. It also makes way for older children having room time, which my 6yo and 4yo still do. Sometimes I feel it's cruel leaving them alone, but I really think it helps them be at peace with themselves.

Leah said: Be patient. It took a couple weeks for her to stop sobbing for 10+ minutes at the beginning. I've never let her cry longer than 15 minutes, because I know that if she's going to cry that long, it's just not going to happen. (Your kid may be different.) But I do let her cry for that long because I know she's safe. She's not going to hurt herself in her playpen - and she has toys and books to play with, plus her burp cloth (her chosen comfort object), so she's really okay. 
Also, I love independent playtime! It gives me a chance to shower, read a book, make phone calls, bake, or get some deep cleaning done. It's good for my sanity, so it's good for her sanity, too. :)

Helpful Independent Playtime Posts:


 How to child-proof independent playtime

 Room Time Setup

 Independent Playtime Overview




Dropping Naps Ages {Poll Results Post}

Dropping Naps Ages {Poll Results Post}
For so much of your baby's first 18 months of life, you spend time wondering if it is time to drop the nap yet. A great way to keep on top of when is best to drop the nap is to know what the average age is. It is also very helpful to know what the outliers ages were and how that worked out (for example, if a child dropped a nap months earlier than usual, did the child still sleep well for naps and night).

Here are the results from this poll. Please feel free to comment below with your own experience. You can see the full, original comments here

1-What age did your baby move from 4 naps to 3 naps each day?
3 Months: 3
4 Months: 7
7 Months: 1
Don't remember: 2

2-What age did your baby go from 3 naps to 2 naps each day?
6 Months: 4
7 Months: 1
8 Months: 4
10 Months: 1
11 Months: 2

3-What age did your child go from 2 naps to 1 nap each day?
13 Months: 1
14 Months: 2
15 Months: 1
18 Months: 2
20 Months: 1
N/A: 5

4-What age did your child go from napping most days to to not napping most days (whether doing rest time instead or just not napping)?
3 Years: 3
4 Years: 3
N/A: 6

5-What age was your child done napping consistently?
3.5 Years: 1
4: 1
5: 3
N/A: 7

6-Any tips, advice, and/or words of wisdom for parents out there?
Christina said: Any tips, advice, and/or words of wisdom for parents out there?
Don't fear losing naps. When you drop a nap, your baby will usually compensate by sleeping better at night or napping longer for the other nap(s). I remember dreading it with my daughter and found that even while constantly sick while pregnant, it wasn't as bad as I thought (time she dropped naps entirely). It is a wise idea to institute daily room time or daily quiet time, though, for non-nappers. They need to learn how to respect YOUR time.

You will know your baby's ready to drop a nap when he/she consistently won't sleep a few times a week for several weeks in a row. Right now I can tell my son is close to dropping his morning nap (though not completely there yet) because when he does take two naps, they are usually 45-60 minutes at the most and he won't fall asleep as easily at bedtime (and will just sleep 10.5 hours a night instead of 11 or 11.5 hours). I know he's not fully there yet, though, because on some days, he gets incredibly fussy at naptime and actually does sleep. So not fully there yet but close!

My daughter was ready to drop naps when she stopped napping every day and did quiet room time instead. We got to where she'd take one nap a week and the other days were room time days. I'd set rules for her (quiet activities only, stay in your room unless you need to use the bathroom, let Mommy have HER quiet time), and if she broke a rule, I re-set the timer. Worked like a charm!

But honestly, dropping or eventually eliminating all naps is nowhere near as bad as I used to think it would be. 

Jennifer said: We found that what worked well for our daughter was to extend wake time incrementally until there just wasn't time for the last nap of the day. That's even working now at almost 18 months. She's now awake usually 3.75 hours for each wake time, meaning that she naps right up until lunchtime, and sometimes her evening nap goes later than is usually recommended. However, she still sleeps fine at night, so we go with it. At some point we'll have to bite the bullet and not nap before lunch and do the one nap right after lunch and make bedtime earlier, but at this point, she has not shown that she's ready for that change to happen. I think because her naps have always been 1-1.5 hours each (and now they are usually just one hour each), she is on the late side for dropping naps since she needs the sleep. If she napped longer, perhaps she would have been ready to drop earlier, if that makes sense.

Jessie said:If your baby's sleep is off for a few weeks, it's probably time for a change. Also, we wanted to preserve bedtime, so we probably dropped naps earlier because we were okay with earlier bedtimes for awhile.

We are in the midst of dropping to one nap at 13 months. It is definitely on the young side, but he has always dropped early and is well rested. Doing 2 naps every day makes for early mornings and a cranky baby but doing one nap for more than 2 days in a row ALSO results in early mornings and crankiness :) Alternating days keeps him happy and well rested.

Natalie said: We knew it was nearing time to drop a nap when she started to struggle against the last nap of the day. She eventually would just not go to sleep. At first her bed time would be earlier, but we would progressively lengthen her wake times to compensate. And she made up for the missing nap with the extra sleep from the early bed time.

PESTAG said: Waketime needed to increase because naps lengths were shortening due to undertired. As waketime increased, naps were dropped naturally because there wasn't time in the day for a nap to occur. We used Sleepwise Consulting's method of dropping to one nap, which can be found on their website. It worked seamlessl

Lisa said: No real advice but interested to hear what others said. We went from 4-3 gradually as it was in the middle of leap 4 so I was happy to be getting any naps out of her. By the end of the leap she went from 4-3 with no hassle.

Related Posts:

Birthday Parties {Poll Results}

While you can always change things up as you go along in parenting, starting off with a solid game plan you can live with is definitely helpful when it comes to establishing your birthday party traditions. Younger children will expect that they will have the same opportunities for birthday parties that the older children had, and older children will quickly notice if you vary things for the younger siblings. Life circumstances change often, and I am not suggesting that birthday party policies absolutely can't change. I am saying it is nice to start the policies with some plans and with your eyes as wide open as possible so you can make the most informed decision you can.

Below are the results from a recent poll we did. Feel free to add any commentary you have. 

1-How often do you (or do you plan to) let your child have a birthday party with friends (for example, every year, every other year, on certain key ages, etc.)?

Natalie said: "We plan to limit friend parties to key ages. We will have low-key family parties most of the time with an emphasis on her giving instead of getting, and being thankful for another year of life."

Christina said: We have a birthday party every year, but it usually doesn't involve a lot of other people besides the birthday girl or boy and immediate family. Last year by chance we had family in town so she had cousins to play with and a friend from Mother's Day Out.

Tiffany said: We have four boys. We have one party a year, and who the party is for rotates through the kids, so each child gets a party every four years. There's got to be a better way to say that, but I don't know what it is.

Nicole said: Every year after age 3-4. Sometimes we also have a family over at a separate time.

2-How long do you like the party to be (please include the age of the child)?
N/A: 1
2 hours: 2
1-3 years: 2-3 hours
4: 3-4 hours

3-How much notice do you give guests (in other words, how long before the party do you pass out invitations)?
1 week: 2
3 weeks: 1

Tiffany said:  Create a facebook event 3-4 weeks ahead. Hand out paper invitations 2-3 weeks ahead. I usually check well ahead with "must have" guests to make sure a given date will work for them. 

4-Do you limit the number of guests? And if so, what is your limit?
Yes: 1

Christina said: I don't limit how many to invite, but I think ideally 3-4 guests is the best for our daughter (turning 5). I like the one guest per year guideline, at least up until 5-6 guests. After that, it would be too much for me. LOL

Tiffany said:  We limit it to the kids in their Sunday School class and their families. As they get older and a parent present with each kid isn't a big deal anymore, we'll probably still stay with kids in their SS class. We are joining a homeschool co-op next year, so that may change it a bit. SS friends + co-op friends?

Nicole said: It depends. My kids have the choice between a big party with lots of friends at home or an outing with one friend. I limit the guest list a little bit if the number starts to feel out of hand but I have no set formula. 

5-When you do a friend party, how do you work in family? Do you invite them along, have a separate party, not do a family party that year, etc.?

Natalie said: Just whatever works that year. If family is nearby then they would be invited along.

Christina said: Family and friends all come to the same event. We do have a small recognition on the actual birthday (a couple of gifts, cake, and special dinner on the actual birthday). Our kids are still very young, though.

Tiffany said: No family nearby, so it hasn't been an issue. My mom has been visiting from out of town for a couple of parties, so obviously she attends (and helps a lot!)

Nicole said: We try to have the birthday party on the actual birthday. So family can come or not. If they don't come to the party, they often drop by with a gift some other time 

6-Any tips for a successful party? Themes, locations, resources, etc.?

Christina said: If you do them at your own home, prepare for a TON of work: cleaning, prepping, decorations, cooking/preparing. It will be EXHAUSTING! Also, if you plan on an outdoors party, always have a back up location in case of rain or bad weather. To save money at our local park, we just claim a picnic table since the kids will be playing the entire time anyway, and we don't have to pay the $100 fee to use a shelter.

Tiffany said: Keep it simple. Kids don't really like a lot of elaborate party games. Just give them balls, balloons, etc. and let them have at it. This may be different with older kids. The oldest one I've had a party for was turning 4.
Side note: In addition to the party every four years, each year we try to do something special as a family for each of their birthdays. Out to dinner, special activity, etc. Also, when they turn 5 (and eventually 10 and 15), they get a special outing, tailored to the child's interest, with just Mom and Dad - no siblings allowed. And we do it big. For our oldest, who was a tiny foodie, we took him out to a VERY nice restaurant (in the Top 10 in the nation on TripAdvisor). For our second, a big-time animal lover, we purchased a package at the zoo that allowed him to meet and brush the rhino, go behind the scenes, meet the keeper, etc.

Nicole said: Treat it like a big play date. Kids are fairly easy to keep happy in a big group. I only plan good and cake, the rest of the party is free play. I've had pretty good success with that. My husband sometimes does games, though

Poll Results Post: Morning Wake-up Time

The start time of your day can have more of an impact on the flow of your day than you might think. Let's discuss this start to the day. You can find original answers on the blog here and on Facebook here.


1-What time does your child get up each day (whether you wake him up or he wakes on his own)?
6:00--4
6:30--4
7:00--5
7:30--2
8:00--1

2-How consistent are you with this wake up time each day? How many days a week would you say you usually have this be your start time?
Very consistent: 15
Try to be very consistent: 3
Don't push it, but consistent on own: 1
NOTE: A few people commented that they are very consistent on weekdays, but more relaxed on weekends. I put them in the very consistent category.

3-What time is your child's bedtime the night before?
6:00--1
6:30--1
7:00--8
7:15--1
7:30--1
8:00--9

4-Do you notice an impact on the day if wake up time is off? If so, what sort of impact?

Natalie said: " Seems the only impact is that if she wakes too early and doesn't take long enough naps, then there is too much wake time between her last nap and bedtime and bedtime ends up being too early."

Erin said: "-No real impact. Usually, if he happens to wake early, there's a reason (light getting into the room, still weaning off the pacifier dependency). But he's a pretty happy boy no matter what."

Leah said: "No. I mean, it's never outside of the 7:30-8:00 AM range, though. But I notice no difference whether I get her up at 7:30 or 8:00."

AllieK said: "Kids are more cranky, schedule is thrown off."

Julie said: If wake time is too far off, we get off schedule, which probably bothers me more than him.  

Faith said: Generally, if he wakes too early, he'll just take an earlier, longer first nap and get himself back on schedule or pretty close to it.

Nicole said: I can't remember the last time wake up time was off. Everyone shares a room here, so the first kid up tends to wake up the second kid. No one ever sleeps in...

Jess said: Because we are so consistent with wake time, this isn't often affected. However it does make him moodier if he wakes up an hour or more early and doesn't fall back asleep. Again, this doesn't happen very often.

Krista said:Not really for the older kids. It definitely throws baby's schedule off and makes nap time more difficult to predict when wake time is off. 

5-Any comments on morning wake up time?

Melanie said: "Preface: Bedtime used to be 8 p.m. with a 6 a.m. wake up time, but after we had to have a consultation with a sleep specialiast for an breathing issue, one of his recommendations was for our 3yr old needed another hour of sleep at night. 
Our new schedule is as follows:
We wake her at 6:30 a.m. on weekdays. On Saturdays she sleeps until she wakes up and on Sundays we wake her at 7 a.m. if she hasn't already gotten up (which is rare).
Bedtime is 7:30 p.m. (sometime closer to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays, but we try!).
Since adding the extra hour, our 3yr old has been easier to wake up and get going in the morning. Additionally, she doesn't fight going to sleep at night. Doctors advice seems to have been on the money."

Natalie said:"I have noticed that whether I put her to bed at 6:30 or 8pm, she still wakes up about between 6:30 and 7, so it is better to put her down earlier so she isn't tired the next day."

Erin said: "-Morning wake ups used to be a lot harder - especially when I wanted to sleep and the baby WAS sleeping. I just wanted to let us all have a late wake up. But it really was worth it to keep on the schedule. The routine is so much a part of our lives now that it really helps us avoid a lot of power struggles, grumpy wake ups, and frantic rushing around before work."

Leah said: "Not really. I've been getting her up at 7:30 every morning since she was about 1.5 weeks old. I get up at 7:00 and eat breakfast before getting her up because that makes me a happier mommy. :)"

AllieK said: "Having a 100% consistent morning wake time was the key to sleep training success when my kids were babies! "

Julie said: I think having a consistent wake time makes the day so much smoother, and also makes consistent bedtime so much easier! 

Brittany said: It's super important to be consistent with the wake up time while sleep training and while nursing in order establish a routine.

Nicole said: I chose 7:30 because I felt like it was a time I could live with for 20 years. By the time my youngest is 10, I will have been getting up at 7:30 for almost that long. I doubt I'll bother changing it back ðŸ˜ƒ

Jess said: If you are consistent with "not before x time" from the beginning it is much easier to enforce as they get older! I cringe when my friends and family talk about their child waking up at 4:30 or 5 some days and some days sleeping until 9. Consistency makes us all more pleasant!

Krista said:Prior to school age, I found it important to keep the kids on schedule, meaning the same wake up time each day as it made the day predictable as far as nap and eat times and I knew when baby would start to get fussy for food or nap and could easily predict what they wanted when they fussed. 

Anita said: Both these wake times have been selected to best suit my school-age child

6-How old is your child?
10 weeks: 1
4 months: 1
5 months: 1
7 months: 1
10 months: 1
16 months: 1
19 months: 1
20 months: 1
2.5 years: 1
29 months: 1
3 years: 1
4 years: 2
5 years: 1
6 years: 1
7 years:1
8 years: 1
9 years: 1
11 years: 1

Poll Results: Weathering the Four Month Sleep Regression

The fourth month sleep regression is such a stressful time! Things progress nicely and then BAM! Regression time. And as a couple of readers pointed out, for working moms, this happens right after you return to work! Your little baby suddenly starts sleeping significantly less and you don't know what to do. Anyone who has been through it can look back and maybe have some ideas for how to weather that more easily or at least with more grace. Here are some ideas from parents who have been there.

Did your child have a sleep regression at four months?
  • Yes: 4
  • No:
How long did it last?
  • 3 Months: 1
  • 1 Month: 2
  • Less than one month: 1
Is there anything you did that helped your baby sleep better?
  • Nursing to sleep: 1
  • Cry it out: 2
  • Dropping the swaddle: 2
  • Keep feeding times consistent: 1
  • Play for a bit and then put back to sleep: 1
Is there anything you did to help yourself mentally manage the regression?

Natalie said: "I tried not to dwell on it. With my first I didn't realize there WAS a regression until she was already about 6 months. My second, I kind of expected it but then tried to troubleshoot since I hadn't done that with my first. I always remind myself it's just a short time and it will pass. "

Lisa said: "Pray!!!! ...and have good support from my husband. Ignore other people's well meaning advice to a certain extent (it could be teething, try rocking her, just let her cry etc.)"

PESTAG said: "Went outside so I didn't have to hear the crying. Brought the video monitor but turned off the sound. Did outside chores, planted flowers. Something that I couldn't end quickly and would take concentration yet was relaxing."

Is there anything you would do differently in retrospect?
  • Do Cry It Out Sooner: 1
  • Drop the swaddle sooner: 1
  • Do not start new sleep props: 1
Is there any advice you have for parents in the trenches of of the four month regression?

Natalie said: "don't be afraid to try new things or troubleshoot their sleep environment. 4 months is a big changing time so it could definitely help to drop the swaddle or make some other kind of adjustment. It's worth a shot - and if it doesn't work, just find a way to get through."

Lisa said: "It's only a season. Try not to worry too much about getting baby to sleep and spending all day doing this. Try and keep as consistent as possible. Dont plan any big trips etc. , wade it out and enjoy your baby while they're little."

PESTAG said:  "Begin as you mean to go. Enjoy the cuddles but realize that you'll get lots of love and cuddles when they wake up happy and refreshed after a good nap or a good night's sleep."