Rest To Your Nest

How often are newborns feeding?

Newborn feeds can vary as they go through growth spurts, leaps and are working through day and night confusion.

Typical feeding patterns:
Every 2 to 3 hours during the day
Every 2 to 4 hours overnight (sometimes longer stretches as they grow)
For feeding, absolutely check in with your child’s pediatrician as this can vary depending on different factors such as growth and development.

What time should newborn bedtime be?

Newborn bedtimes are typically between 9:00-10:00 pm and starts moving up earlier every month. This later initial bedtime surprises many parents, but it’s completely normal early on! As your baby grows and begins consolidating nighttime sleep, bedtime will naturally shift earlier. Around 3 to 4 months, many babies settle into a bedtime closer to 7:00–8:00 pm.

Sample Newborn Sleep Schedule

Remember, this is a flexible schedule, not a strict schedule and will vary daily based on nap length.

Couple things to keep in mind:
➡️ Wake windows are only 30-60 minutes for 0-4 weeks and 60 to 90 minutes for 4 to 12 weeks
➡️ Nap lengths vary often and can range from 30 minutes to 2 hours
➡️ Follow your child's lead on feeds. There is lot of big developments happening during this period and may notice periods of additional feeds or cluster feeds.
➡️ Recommend waking baby at a consistent time (suggested 8:00am latest morning wake)

As always, flexibility is everything here. Some days will look like nothing like this, and that’s normal. This sample schedule is just a starting guide!

Swaddling is a must for newborns who's start reflex (Moro Reflex) is high and soften over a few months.

Let's chat about when, why and how to transition to a sleep sack.

When and Why:
Babies start rolling back to tummy or is about to (typically happens between 2-4 months). The reason is for safety so they can get to their hands and push off the mattress.

How:
Every baby is different, so here are options to tackle it
1) Gradual:
-Release 1 arm out for 3/7 days until they are use to arm being free
-Next, release the other arm
2) Partial:
-Release 1 arm out or both
-If wakes/can't settle, wrap arm back inn
-Extend over time at night that we wrap other arm back in unto noth arm are out
3) Cold Turkey
-Release both arms out
-Move to a sleep sack

Save for later when its time to transition to a sleep sack!

Newborns sleep a lot because their brains and bodies are developing at an incredible pace. Sleep is not just rest, it’s essential for growth, brain development, and processing all the new interactions and connections they’re experiencing.

How much sleep do newborn need?
Newborns tend to sleep 14 to 17 hours in a 24 hour period, though some may sleep slightly more or less. Keep in mind this sleep is typically fragmented as newborns.

Here’s what that typically looks like:
Night sleep happens in short stretches (usually 1.5 to 3 hours at a time)
Day sleep ranges from 30 minutes to 2 hours
Day and night sleep are not yet differentiated

Keep in mind sleep is chunkier and not streamlined as a newborn. It’s developmentally normal and babies don’t follow a strict schedule. We are learning our little one, meeting their needs and gently guiding patterns over time.

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Why the Toddler Clock isn't the magic bullet 👇

It not the clock, its how its used!

Tips to help the clock be useful:
1) Set for attainable time: If they naturally wake at 6am, set it initially at 6am. Once they understand the concept and see it green when they wake or they sleep and it wakes them up, move it back it in 5/10 minute increments to get to desired wake up time.
2) No color for overnight sleep: Keep it simple and similar to how they have always slept. Its dark when I sleep and when it is green it is time to wake. If you have an older child that starts expressing fear, then use orange or red hues on the clock for overnight sleep.
3) Intensity of the color of the clock: If you have the ability to control and dim the color of the clock, recommend keeping it between 10-20%.

Drop your questions on toddler clocks in comments?

Red Flags for Sleep

Mouth Breathing
Snoring
Restless or Active Sleeper

If we see these consistently, bring it up to your Dr as it may lead to poor quality sleep. In addition if your child is hard to wake up, doesn't not seem refreshed or falls asleep easily during the day, make your pediatrician or ENT aware.

Sleep Well!

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2 Year Old Parent Sleep Schedule:

Wake: 6:00-7:30am
Nap: 12:30-1:00pm (~2 Hours)
Bedtime: 7:00-7:30pm

Truth or Myth:

A toddler bed is still a crib.

Myth! Once that crib rail comes off, it is a bed!

When a toddler gains the ability to leave their crib or bed independently, it’s important to treat the entire room as their sleep space.
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Make sure the room is safe by:
Anchoring furniture to the wall
Covering electrical outlets
Removing cords and small objects
Securing dressers and bookshelves
Keeping monitors securely in place so you can check on them
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A toddler climbing out of the crib can feel a bit unnerving and the gut reaction is to move to the big kid bed asap. Using strategies combined with consistent responses can help families move through this phase successfully. If you feel that staying in the crib is no longer safe, then you absolutely can choose to move to the bed for your family if it makes sense!

Toddler climbing out of the crib?
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Tips to help:
1. Sleep Sack
It makes it harder for toddlers to lift their legs high enough to climb over the rail. Choose one that fits properly and allows comfortable movement without restricting sleep. If we feel that they have outgrown the sizes for a sleep sack, then would look at sleep sack walkers. Many families find this simple change significantly reduces climbing attempts.
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2. Make Sure Your Toddler Is Getting Enough Sleep
A tired toddler does not look like a tired toddler! When they tip into overtired, they get a surge of energy, get the zoomies and look like they are ready to run, jump, play, etc. We want to catch them before they get to this point because once they are there it is hard to calm the brain for sleep.
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3. Consistent Routine
A calm and consistent bedtime routine signals that sleep is coming and helps toddlers settle more easily. Toddlers tend to ask for all the things to delay going to bed. Typically, when we add more steps to the routine the more it makes bedtime feel out of sorts.

4. Orientation of the Crib
Toddlers are very creative and may still try to Houdini out of the crib. 1) If you have a lower front of the crib and higher back to the crib, turn the crib around to have the lower front of the crib face the wall and higher back facing out and move the whole crib to a corner so that there is only one way out. 2) If all four sides are equal, move the crib to the corner so there are less side to climb out of.
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5. Use our voice to create a warm boundary
If we have tried all the things and we still see them try to hoist a leg over the crib rail, use our voice and say a strong and firm “No!” over the monitor to stop them from trying to climb. It may jar them a bit but will stop them from performing the action of climbing.

No matter what anyone recommends if you feel that keeping your child in a crib is no longer safe and they will hurt themselves, then trust your Mom/Dad gut and move them out of the crib.