Good Morning!

Does your baby ever wake up "on the wrong side of the bed?" Is crankiness his normal wake-up mood? If so, he may not have gotten enough sleep.

According to Babywise, "between four and six months of age, infants generally develop a wake-up disposition-one that you highly influence." Babies usually sleep in 45 minute cycles of light and deep sleep. There may be a small bit of fussy baby noise coming from the nursery between those cycles. Beware! That little fussy baby noise may not mean the nap is over. If left to his own, Baby will often resettle for another cycle or two of sleep. Don't be too quick to assume a nap is over.

On a 3-hour schedule, naps are normally 1.5-2.5 hours. Once a baby has moved to a 4-hour schedule (generally around 4 or 5 months), naps are anywhere from 1.5 - 3 hours each. If baby has trouble with those naps, here are some possible causes and solutions:

A) Baby could be overtired (evidenced by hard crying before falling asleep and fitful sleep, usually a short nap). The solution here is to put Baby to bed sooner, by 10 or 15 minutes. Try to watch for sleepy cues like yawns, rubbing the face, or poor coordination. When you start seeing those cues, put the baby down.

B) Baby could be undertired (evidenced by playing in the crib for long periods of time before falling asleep). If this is the problem, try keeping Baby up a little bit longer, perhaps 10 more minutes of waketime is all that's needed.

C) Baby could be having trouble with sleep transitions (waking up after 45 minutes). Try letting Junior figure out how to resettle for maybe 10 or 15 minutes before going in to comfort him. If you do go in to help teach him how to get back to sleep, be very calming. Perhaps sing your bedtime song or pat him. Try to send the message that it's still sleepytime.

Troubleshooting naps can be a challenge -- Baby's needs are often a moving target. Be a student of your baby. Learn his sleepy cues and look for that cheerful wake-up disposition.

RESOURCES

Babywise