😴 To start the day
Newborns have an immature circadian rhythm (body clock) which begins to develop from* 6 weeks of age (depending on if your baby was born prematurely or at full term). From 16 weeks, their circadian rhythm becomes more mature, at which point it becomes more important that you begin waking them up consistently at the same time everyday regardless of their overnight sleep. This will help regulate and maintain their circadian rhythm, as well as their feed and sleep schedules.
😴 It is the end of their scheduled nap
Waking a sleeping baby can be challenging, especially if they took a long time to settle for their nap. Hence you may be hesitant to wake them, but doing so can help you assess whether their nap resistance stems from being under or overtired. Allowing them to sleep beyond their scheduled nap time to compensate can lead to progressively later naps and bedtime. This, in turn, can result in an irregular circadian rhythm and bedtime resistance.
😴 For a feed
Particularly for newborns and infants, it is important to wake your baby after 3 hours during the day to ensure adequate calorie intake.
Otherwise, they will want to make up for those lost calories at night, resulting in what’s referred to as “reverse cycling,” where they feed more at night, and sleep more during the day.
If despite these tips you feel as though you need additional support, book a consultation via our website today and you will receive your tailored sleep plan within 24-48 hours 🩷🫶🏻💫