False Start Bedtimes

Have you ever experienced false start bedtimes? This is when you put your baby down for bedtime and then 30, 40, 50 minutes later, surprise, I'm awake. I'm all done sleeping. Have you experienced this? If so, you know it can be really tough and even a little frustrating. So let's talk through what causes it and what we can do about it. For really young babies in those first three to four months, this is not uncommon, especially if you're aiming for that 7 to 8pm bedtime. It's like they just treat it like a little nap. Okay? Don't let it frustrate you. This is developmentally normal that earlier bedtime will come later. But for now, have some awake time, a full wake window, and then aim for an 8 to 10pm bedtime. Here's what we know. Overtired babies wake frequently in the night. And on the flip side, a baby who's not tired enough can have a false start bedtime. Why is that? Because they have enough sleep pressure to fall asleep. But that pressure isn't high enough to stay asleep. So really examine your wake window before bedtime. Now, I don't want you to feel like we have to nail it down to the exact minute. It's always a range. Okay? So this next slide I'm going to show you shows you the range. And this is on average. Obviously you need to watch your baby, but let's just make sure that you're in an age appropriate wake window before bedtime. What time did your baby's day start today? Was it after 8:00am? If so, and you're aiming for a seven to eight o' clock bedtime if you're your baby just may not have had a long enough day yet. Most little ones need daytime to last about 12 to 13 hours, of course with naps in there. But if your day is starting after 8am and you're shooting for a 7 to 8pm Bedtime, you might have a false start bedtime. So wake your baby up a little bit earlier. I know that's hard, but. 7, 7:30, 7:40. Try it and see if this helps. Okay. What did your little one look like when you placed him or her in the crib? Was your baby so drowsy, like almost asleep, you saw a little bit of flutter of the eyes and then they went to sleep? Was your baby completely asleep? You laid him down at bedtime. Here's what you need to know about every 40 to 50 minutes, babies come to the top of a sleep cycle. So if they're really drowsy going into the crib or completely asleep. Then when they come to the top of a sleep cycle, they're like, wait, I was in my mom's arms or I had a breast in my mouth, or daddy was rocking me with a bottle, and now I'm in the middle of my crib. How'd I get here? I don't know how to go back to sleep. So what you're seeing is they're coming to the top of a sleep cycle and they don't know how to put themselves back to sleep. So falling asleep independently can be really helpful for these false start bedtimes. Okay? If your evenings and bedtime is a time of stress and anxiety, I just want to tell you it doesn't have to be this way, okay? I walked in your shoes. I know what it is to dread bedtime each and every night because you never know how long it's going to take. And then if the baby does fall asleep, how long before that baby's awake again. If. If that's where you are. I just want you to know I know it's hard, okay? I have classes to help you, and your evenings can be enjoyable. You can get to a place where you're like, okay, my baby goes down between 7 and 8, and I know my baby's gonna sleep. And so you can have some time in the evenings because I think it's so important. And I just want you to know that every class is going to meet your baby right where he or she is developmentally, okay? Everything is taught from the science of a nurse, but with the heart of a mama. Okay? I walked in your shoes. I know how hard it is. There is help, and you're not alone.