Learn how to help your baby Tried and trusted baby sleep

sleep better at night methods and advice

Night Waking:
Causes & Solutions
YOUR FREE E-BOOK
"SLEEP IS IMPORTANT FOR A RANGE OF
REASONS BUT DOESN'T NECESSARILY COME
EASILY TO ALL BABIES.WHAT I PARTICULARLY
LOVE ABOUT THE LITTLE ONES STRATEGIES
ARE THAT THEY ARE A MORE GENTLE
ALTERNATIVE AND CAN BE TAILORED TO
YOUR FAMILY SO THAT YOU REALLY SEE
POSITIVE CHANGE TO YOUR BABY'S SLEEP."
- DR KATE JOHNSON,
PH.D SLEEP NEUROPHYSIOLOGY

By implementing the advice

in this book, families have
In this e-book, we'll share reported an improvement to
our in-depth sleep their little one's sleep within
knowledge, specifically as little as 2 weeks.
around night sleep:
- realistic sleep expectations We sincerely hope this
- causes of night waking happens for you! If it
- how you can improve your doesn't, and you're still
little one's night sleep struggling with poor sleep,
we're always here to help
you further, at

www.littleones.co
In This E-Book

The Importance of Sleep

Realistic Expectations
Causes of Night Waking:
- Hunger
- Sleep Environment
- Awake Windows
- Nap Structure
- Settling Ability
- How to Approach Self-
Settling
Night Sleep Checklist
 The Importance of
Sleep

GIVING SLEEP THE

Sleep is a nutrient for your baby, just like
milk is. When a baby sleeps is when they RESPECT IT DESERVES
grow, when their learning consolidates,
AND ACCEPTING THAT
when their body repairs and strengthens
their immune systems, when their brains YOU CAN MAKE SOME
create and connect new neurons, when CHANGES IS THE BIGGEST
their emotions are regulated. Sleep
sustains a baby's physical, mental, STEP FORWARD.
emotional and social development.

Sleep must be provided for babies in the The secret to good night sleep lies in your
same way milk/food is; it is something our little one's day. It might be as simple as
babies fundamentally need in order to tweaking a baby's awake hours, adding or
thrive. taking some things away from their sleep
environment, changing their nap structure
But, I hear you say, exactly how are we around a little bit or guiding your baby to
supposed to improve our baby's sleep?! falling asleep independently in their own
cot.
Realistic Expectations

While every baby wil differ in their ability

to sleep all night, below is what we
would consider "general guidelines" of
night waking by age.
0-3 2-3 NIGHT WAKES
MONTHS
At this age your baby is still figuring
things out. Their circadian rhythm is
very immature and they'll usually
need feeding overnight.

3-6 1-2 NIGHT WAKES

MONTHS
The 4 month regression can mess
with your little one's night sleep in
this age range, however, if you're also
working on self-settling, you should
notice fewer night wakings. Some
babies may even be sleeping all night.

6-12 0-1 NIGHT WAKE

MONTHS
Once established on solids and a good
age appropriate nap pattern to their
day, many babies are sleeping through
the night in this age bracket.

12+ 0 NIGHT WAKES

MONTHS
Beyond 1 year old, the only reasons a
toddler would wake regularly in the
night would be habit waking, a nap
structure that isn't right for their age
or a parent-reliant settling
dependancy.
 Causes of Night
Waking

It is hard to say definitively what causes each individual baby's night

waking - because circumstances can be so different in each family.
However, in our vast experience working with over 200,000 babies,
the most common causes of night waking are outlined on the
following pages.

We recommend you read through our advice and pick and choose
what you think might be applicable to your baby.
Hunger
(Under 3 Months)

This is a common cause of night

waking in younger babies where the
amount of physical and mental growth
that happens in the first few months is
massive. They do need lots of fuel for
all this growing.

That said, your little one shouldn't

really be feeding as frequently as every
2 hours overnight (after the first few
weeks) - especially if they're able to go
for longer than that during the day.

If your baby is waking very frequently

overnight and you're having to feed
them, it might not actually be hunger
waking them - but the feeding is the
thing that's putting them back to sleep.

Read on for some more causes of night

waking that could be the real cause.
Night Feeding & Hunger
(Over 4 Months)
Between 4-6 months your baby may start
waking more in the night for milk, genuinely
hungry, even if they can self-settle and had
previously been sleeping through. This is
often a sign they are starting to need solids
introduced as their calorie intake on milk
alone isn’t quite getting them through the
night. Milk is still the most important food for
a baby until 8 months of age when they start
having more solids, however milk is digested
very quickly and doesn't sustain your baby
for long periods. So if your baby is breastfed
or bottle-fed and you don't want to start
solids until 6 months you will need to treat
any wake overnight as hunger and feed
straight away. If you have started solids and
your baby is still waking it is likely that you
need to increase them more. We would
advise you to refer to health guidelines or
talk to your GP about starting solids if you
think your baby is ready.

If you are using a pacifier and overnight you

are resettling with a pacifier instead of
feeding (if you haven't introduced solids), be
careful. A pacifier can mask the fact that
your baby is actually waking because they
are hungry. When a baby sucks a pacifier,
like when they are feeding, even though they
may go back to sleep, their brain thinks that
it's getting food. You could be resettling with
a pacifier when the reason for the wake was
actually hunger.
THE ENVIRONMENT IN
WHICH YOUR BABY
SLEEPS IS A CRUCIAL
PART OF THEIR SLEEP
SUCCESS.
- AMANDA SNEDDEN

Sometimes a baby's sleep

success (and certainly during the Please note:
night) depends quite heavily on
their sleep environment. By this At all times we recommend safe
we mean their nursery, or your sleep practices. This means -
bedroom, or wherever your little
one is sleeping. sleeping baby in their own
sleeping space
In this section we'll look at how having a firm mattress for them
to create the ideal sleep to sleep on
environment to help your baby no loose blankets, hats or
or toddler settle easier and sleep clothing around baby in bed
better. no toys in their bed
The Perfect Sleep
Environment
These are our recommendations to
help your baby sleep better day and
night:
1 DARK ROOM
Sleeping your baby in a very dark
room leads to easier settling and
longer naps. Even using a night light
will be stimulating for your little one
and can inhibit their ability to settle
well. restorative rest.

2 WHITE NOISE
Hearing white noise triggers the
calming response in babies, letting
them tune into the noise, especially if
they are overtired, overstimulated or
crying. White noise also disguises any
sounds from the household which
might startle or wake a sleeping baby.

3 RIGHT TEMPERATURE
The ideal room temperature for a
baby to sleep in is between 18-20
degrees Celcius (64-68 degrees
Fahrenheit). Making sure your baby is
nice and warm but not too hot is a
crucial element in them sleeping well.

4 SWADDLE
Swaddling your baby if under 4
months will ensure they sleep more
peacefully and for longer. Swaddling
replicates the tight confined feeling of
being in the womb that babies are
used to.
GOOD SLEEP FOR YOUR BABY OR
TODDLER DOESN'T HAVE TO BE
COMPLICATED. WE UNDERSTAND
HOW ALL THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS
LINE UP TO HELP YOUR LITTLE ONE
BECOME AN EXPERT SLEEPER.
- NICKY BARKER

When we're looking to improve a

child's night sleep, we have to take
into account all the sleep that
happens in the whole 24 hour
period, their sleep environment and
their settling ability. From
approaching sleep in this holistic
way, we're able to adjust elements in
their sleep world so that everything
comes together harmoniously to
improve sleep all around.
Awake Windows
An awake window is the period of time
your baby is awake for, before they
need to be back asleep (including
feeds). It is crucial to get this right for
easier settling, better naps and better
night sleep. An awake window that isn't
right for your little one's age can lead to
either overtiredness or undertiredness-
both will mess with your baby's night
time sleep.

Try aiming for the following awake

windows:

0-3
MONTHS
1-2 HOURS
By 3 months, babies should be able to stay
awake for 2 hours between naps.

3-6
MONTHS
2.15 - 2.5 HOURS
By 6 months, babies should be able to stay
awake for 2.5 hours between naps, with a
longer stretch in the late afternoon.

6-12 2.5 - 4 HOURS

MONTHS By 12 months, your little one should be
able to manage 4 hours of awake time in
the late afternoon before bedtime.
 Naps are the key to
good night sleep

Babies need a delicate balance of day AND THE BALANCE IS

sleep vs night sleep – too LITTLE day
sleep results in cortisol (a stress hormone) CONSTANTLY CHANGING.
building up in your baby which will make IT IS GOVERNED BY TWO
them harder to settle and also lead to
THINGS: AWAKE TIMES
AND NAP LENGTHS.
night waking or early morning waking.
Equally too MUCH day sleep can also lead
to a lot of night waking and your baby
being unsettled overnight because they We've looked at awake times in the
just need some awake time. previous section - here we will look at the
ideal, cumulative nap lengths you should
Babies have a specific amount of sleep be aiming for your your little one.
hours they can do in 24 hours, based on
their age. If your baby is doing a lot of Getting the right length for naps
these sleep hours during the day, of happening at the right times will greatly
course, they will sleep less at night. The improve your little one's chances of
goal is to find the right balance. sleeping well both day and night.
Ideal Nap Structure

Below is the ideal daily nap structure to

aim for with your little one, assuming a
12-hour "daytime" period.

0-6 5.5 - 5 HOURS HOURS

WEEKS ACROSS 3 SLEEPS
6-12 5-4 HOURS
WEEKS ACROSS 3 SLEEPS
3-4 3 1/4 HOURS
MONTHS ACROSS 3 SLEEPS
4-6 3 HOURS ACROSS
MONTHS 3 SLEEPS
6-12 2.5 HOURS
MONTHS ACROSS 2 SLEEPS
With these naps, we would recommend
a short nap - long nap - short nap
structure. This ensures your little one is
well rested enough to avoid
overtiredness at bedtime in the evening,
but also ensures they haven't had too
much late afternoon sleep which can
lead to more frequent night waking.
 Your Baby's
Settling Ability

Once over about 4 months old, a baby's

night sleep can be affected by their
settling ability. The skill of falling asleep GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO
independently, or "self-settling" becomes THE WAY YOUR BABY IS
important. This will lead to more
consolidated night time sleep. USED TO FALLING
ASLEEP. IF THEY'RE
If a baby is relying heavily on being
RELYING ON YOU TO
ACTIVELY "PUT" THEM TO
actively settled to sleep, they will need
this settling to happen every time they
naturally rouse between sleep cycles in
SLEEP, YOU CAN START
the day and overnight.
TO WORK ON GENTLY
For a baby or toddler who is napping in
GUIDING THEM TO
shorts stints and/or waking very
frequently through the night, this section FALLING ASLEEP
will show you how to help your little one
learn to self-settle.
INDEPENDENTLY
 SELF-SETTLING SIMPLY
MEANS YOUR BABY IS
ABLE TO FALL ASLEEP
WITHOUT ACTIVE
SETTLING FROM YOU.
- NICKY BARKER

Self-settling is an important and

life-long sleep skill that will result
in better naps and longer
stretches of night-time sleep.
Your baby or toddler will struggle
to sleep through the night if they
cannot self-settle.

To learn this skill does not have

to involve crying.

For a variety of methods tailored

to your baby's specific sleep
attachment, see our Sleep
Programs by visiting
www.littleones.co
How to Approach
Self-Settling

1 Make sure your baby is ready for

sleep by using the right awake
windows and ideal nap lengths. A
baby who isn't totally ready for
sleep, or who is already overtired
will struggle to self-settle no matter
what.

2 Put your baby into their bed and say

a sleep phrase, eg "it's sleep time
now".

3 Give your baby some space to fall

asleep on their own. If they get
upset, provide your usual settling
method (feeding, cuddling etc), but
only until they're calm, not until
fully asleep. Once calm, pop them
back into bed and try to let them
settle again.

4 The goal is for your baby to fall

asleep in their crib, even if you have
to initially help them 90% of the
way there!

5 Over the next few weeks, gradually

reduce your input each day, settling
your baby less and less, until you're
able to pop them in their bed,
awake, say your sleep phrase, and
they'll happily fall asleep!
 On the next 2 pages you'l find a guide with
a checklist to improving night sleep!
For more detailed sleep and feed schedules
and sleep consultant support, visit
www.littleones.co
Night Sleep Checklist

Start working
Make your little
towards age-
one's nursery as
Find some white appropriate awake
dark as you can -
noise you like and windows with your
use sheets,
play it for all your little one;
aluminium foil or
baby's naps and lengthening them
blackout blinds to
overnight. out or trimming
cover every crack
them back where
of light!
necessary.

You're doing Parenting is One foot

an awesome hard work! in front of
job the other

Have a go at
Add up your putting your baby
Check your
baby's total daily Introduce a sleep to bed and letting
baby's nursery
nap hours and phrase and say it them self-settle.
temperature and
check them while putting Start working
try and heat it
against the your baby to bed through the self-
up or cool it
recommended for all naps and settling method
down to the
amounts for their overnight. by gradually
ideal temp.
age. reducing your
input.

Make some Progress,

Remember time for This too however small,
to SMILE! yourself shall pass is stil
today progress
 Night Sleep Checklist

Move through your

self-settling Check that your
Check your baby's
method, working to baby is having the
awake windows are
settle your baby right amount of
moving toward
less and less each nap hours in the
being spot on for
day and allowing day - if too many,
their age. Tweak as
them to learn the trim back some of
needed.
skill of sleep. their nap lengths.

Don't forget Take time Forget the

to ask for to study housework
help their little today
faces

Look at your
baby's day across
Is your baby's
Keep going with How are naps the whole 24
room super dark?
your gradual self- going? In our hours and make
Turn off any
settling work. Little Ones app adjustments
nightlights or
Your baby should you're able to where necessary.
stimulating toys
be getting closer seek advice from Do this weekly to
or mobiles and
to being able to our certified stay on top of
make their
fall asleep sleep consultants their changing
nursery a sleep
independantly. 24/7. sleep needs.
haven.

You are the Get some Talk about You've

best parent fresh air how you're totally got
for your today feeling this
baby
"AMAZING. AFTER 2 WEEKS OF FOLLOWING
THIS PROGRAM MY BABY SLEPT THROUGH
THE NIGHT. WOULD CERTAINLY
RECOMMEND TO ALL SLEEP DEPRIVED
PARENTS OUT THERE!"
- VIOLA L

At Little Ones, we really understand the

world of baby and toddler sleep.

We would love to help you create lasting, healthy sleep habits that
will see everyone in your family sleeping better.

Our online Sleep Programs guide you through all the sleep stages to
come, including:

sleep regressions
nap transitions
self-settling methods to suit your parenting style
establishing nap routines
starting solids
night weaning
early waking

Simply visit us at www.littleones.co to get started

right now on your journey to better sleep.