Some people don't mind rocking their babies, but it wasn't for me. Here's why I regret rocking baby to sleep, and what I wish I did instead. When I was pregnant, a co-worker advised, "Don't get in the habit of rocking baby to sleep—he'll get used to it." As I nodded my head and smiled, all I could think was, How could she suggest such an idea?! Well... six months, two broken knees, and many sleep deprived nights later, I knew why. (I'll get to the broken knees later.) After bringing my baby home, I realized he would doze off after a few moments of bouncing and rocking in my arms. … [Read more...]
The Biggest Reason Your Baby Will Not Sleep (Even After All This Time)
Wondering why your baby won’t sleep through the night, even after all this time? Discover the biggest reason your baby will not sleep — and how to get past that hurdle. This isn't getting any better, I thought. Our usual go-to strategies—swaddling, bouncing on a yoga ball, nursing—were no longer working. My baby was fast outgrowing the swaddles, or simply bursting through them within minutes. Bouncing on a yoga ball now had to be a serious workout instead of subtle movements. And nursing worked only if he didn't stir the minute I put him down. Had this been happening during the … [Read more...]
How to Teach Your Baby to Self Soothe
Frustrated when your baby doesn't fall asleep on his own? Learn how to teach self soothing techniques for babies to sleep with these effective tips. I was running out of ideas. My six-month-old was fast outgrowing many of the sleep gear my husband and I had been relying on to help him sleep. The swaddle—even in extra-large—wouldn’t stay on all night. He looked squished in the swing and was getting too heavy for me to rock in my arms, even while bouncing him on a yoga ball. This didn’t even include the exhaustion of nursing him throughout the night—the one surefire way he’d fall … [Read more...]
8 Tips to Help Your Toddler Stay in Bed
Want to help your toddler stay in bed? Check out these 8 tips to get your child to sleep—and stay—in her own bed the whole night. After months of sleep deprivation, your toddler finally proved that she could sleep a solid 11 to 12 hours straight. But just when you thought she'd sleep through the night from now until forever, you're faced with a new problem: She refuses to stay in her bed. Right on cue, she creeps into your bed, too afraid to sleep in her own. Other times, she doesn't want to sleep in her room to begin with, and puts up a fight come bedtime. Even though you're long … [Read more...]
What to Do when Your Toddler Wants to Play Instead of Sleep
Is your toddler not sleeping because he wants to play instead? Discover effective tips to get your child to finally go to sleep (without the power struggles!). My son knew it was time for bed. We went through our bedtime routine of taking a bath, changing into pajamas and reading four books. Except once he was tucked in bed... he wouldn't sleep. He wasn't crying—in fact, he was playing, talking, and even getting out of bed. I'd already reminded him a few times that it was time to sleep, but he wouldn't listen. Each time I walked in, I'd find him playing instead of tucked in bed. And … [Read more...]
One Easy Hack to Help Your Baby Sleep Longer at Night
Want to help your baby sleep longer? Learn 3 dreamfeed tips to help your baby sleep and make dreamfeeding work for you and your family. This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of MomCozy. All content and opinions expressed are my own. It's the sound every exhausted parent dreads: the cry of her baby at night. Maybe you'd just gone through your entire bedtime routine only for the baby to cry soon after. Or perhaps she wakes up in the middle of the night, expecting to be fed (never mind that you had just fed her). Your baby could even be sleeping in shorter and shorter cycles … [Read more...]