About
What you'll need:
What you'll do:
Sleep
One time to dos:
🔲 ✨Learn about day/night reversal: Is your baby sleepy during the day and wide awake at night? They may be confusing their days and nights. Now that you have some sleep resources under your belt, read up on how the experts suggest you reverse day/night confusion.
💡 Learn More: AAP: Reversing Day-Night Reversal | Taking Cara Babies: Newborn Day-Night Confusion | Happiest Baby: How to Change Your Baby's Sleep Pattern From Day to Night
🔲 ✨Plan daycare nap transition: I know, it feels way too early to be thinking about your childcare plan, however, planning ahead can help you and your baby. If you are returning at 6 or 8 weeks it may be time to help your baby learn to sleep in a crib, later return dates can hold off for a few weeks. Currently, your baby may be making the sleep association that you = the perfect napping space. When they enter most child care settings, they may be loud, in a crib, and on their back. It is good to start at least one nap in a crib slowing transitioning their naps to crib naps now to smooth the transition.
Tip: Your home environment does not need to mimic the loud daycare environment, it is actually better to have a quiet dark space at home.
Tip: The first nap of the day will be the easiest to transition. Look back to your sleep resources to see how they suggest transitioning to a crib nap and removing those sleep associations.
💡 Learn More: Precious Little Sleep: Going Back to Work - Napping at Daycare | Taking Cara Babies: Daycare & Baby Sleep
🔲 ✨Re-evaluate what works for your baby: You may now be catching on to some of your baby’s preferences. Are they fighting to be swaddled? Do they seem to dislike or love a certain pacifier? Pause to re-evaluate what sleep assistant techniques you are using. Trying a different type of swaddle or pacifier may unlock more comfort for your specific baby, because after all they are unique.
Tip! Any new swaddle or technique you decide to try, try ONE at a time and commit to 3-5 days to see if it makes a difference.
🔲 ✨Adjust your sleep routine, as needed: Congratulations on reaching the one-week mark! Take a moment each week to check in with your partner. How are your nights going? Is one of you feeling more sleep-deprived than the other? Are there any changes you should consider?
You might start with shifts and find you need additional support (like a Night Doula), or perhaps one partner is returning to work and adjustments are needed. Regardless of the situation, maintaining open lines of communication is essential. Remember, it will improve but it does take time!
Recurring to dos:
🔲 ✨ Get to know your newborn’s daily sleep patterns: Expect around 14-18 hours of sleep a day. It may be in bursts of 1 to 4 hours at a time. Reminder! There is a range of normal, if you are ever concerned speak with your baby’s pediatrician.
💡 Learn More: AAP: Getting Your Baby to Sleep | AAP: Waking Up Is (Sometimes) Hard to Do (How to wake a sleeping baby) | Happiest Baby: First Year Sleep Schedule | Precious Little Sleep: Are you keeping baby awake too long?
🔲 Follow safe sleep guidelines: Your baby's safety is top priority and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) can be a scary topic for new parents. The AAP has guidelines for safe sleep to help reduce the occurrence of SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths. Take a moment to review AAP's website in safe sleep.
Important Note: As I am not an expert in sleep, I am only linking to AAP's official policy. If you are struggling to stay awake with your baby or find it difficult to follow these guidelines please speak with your care team to discuss safe options.
💡 Learn More: AAP: How to Keep Your Sleeping Baby Safe: AAP Policy Explained
🔲 Optional sleep helpers: Swaddles, sound machines, and pacifiers can be helpful sleep aids. Try these out to find what works for your family.
Important Note: Swaddle sizing should be monitored to ensure correct fit.
Important Note: Pacifier age should be fore 0-3 Months.
Important Note: Sound machine should be placed away from baby's sleep area and no louder than 50 db.
💡 Learn More: AAP: Sleep