Sleep Cues - Millpond

November 17, 2024

Understanding Baby Sleep Cues for Better Sleep

As parents, few things are as precious as the sight of our little ones drifting off into a peaceful slumber. Yet, the journey to achieving those moments can often be filled with uncertainty and frustration, especially when it comes to understanding your baby’s sleep patterns. However, within their subtle cues lies the insight that can transform the way we approach both naps and bedtimes.

The Language of Sleep:

Babies have their own unique language when it comes to letting you know it’s time for sleep. These cues can range from subtle to unmistakable, and learning to interpret them will help to develop healthy sleep habits.

Common baby sleep cues:

Eye Rubbing: As fatigue sets in, babies often rub their eyes as a way to soothe themselves and prepare for sleep.
Yawning: A classic sign of drowsiness, frequent yawning signals that bedtime is approaching.
Irritability and fussiness: pulling at ears, and clenching fists can indicate that your baby is tired and in need of rest.
Becoming quiet and still: A decrease in movement or engagement with surroundings suggests that your baby is winding down and getting ready for sleep.
Ignoring interaction and losing interest in toys and people can suggest your baby is feeling tired.
A Glazed Expression: Staring into space or glazed-over look in your baby’s eyes can indicate fatigue and the onset of sleepiness.

Why do sleep cues matter?

Recognising and responding to your baby’s sleep cues is not just about ensuring a smoother bedtime routine; it’s also about meeting your baby’s need for rest and comfort.
Tuning into your baby’s cues will help you establish a sleeping pattern for your baby that aligns with their unique natural rhythms, promoting better sleep quality and duration.
Responding to your baby’s sleep cues also helps to prevent them from becoming overtired and fractious.
A well-rested baby can engage with the world around them, supporting healthy growth and development.
If you can respond to your baby’s early sleep cue signals, they will be more relaxed and find it easier to fall asleep.

To understand your baby’s sleep cues, here are some tips:

Observe your baby’s behaviour: Try looking for subtle changes in your baby’s behaviour and mood throughout the day. Over time you may start to see patterns and consistent cues that signal tiredness or drowsiness.
Learn your baby’s unique language: Every baby has their own specific cues for sleep, so try to find some time to understand and interpret your baby’s signals such as eye rubbing, yawning, becoming quiet and still, or a glazed expression.
Take note of timing: Try keeping track of the times when your baby typically shows signs of tiredness. This can help you anticipate their sleep needs and establish a routine around their natural rhythms.
Understanding your baby’s sleep cues can take time: Be kind to yourself as you observe and learn to recognise your baby’s signals for sleep. It’s a journey, and with time you and your baby will find a rhythm that works.

Understanding and responding to your baby’s sleep cues can transform sleep times into a serene, bonding experience. By recognising their signals you can create a routine that matches their natural rhythms. This journey requires patience and observation, but it will help you establish regular sleep patterns. Be kind to yourself, and with time, you and your baby will find a rhythm that ensures more peaceful nights and well-rested days.

Written by Mandy Gurney RGN.RM.DipHV

Founder of Millpond Children’s Sleep ClinicHere are some helpful suggestions for understanding your baby’s sleep cues:

April 9, 2024

Creating a Bedtime Routine for Your Baby

One of the most effective ways to help your baby develop good sleep habits and sleep well is to establish a consistent nightly bedtime routine.

A bedtime routine eases your baby’s body and brain through the transition from the fun and excitement of daytime activities into the preparation for a restful night’s sleep. Research shows a bedtime routine is the foundation of healthy sleep patterns, including earlier bedtimes, reduced time to fall asleep, longer sleep duration, and fewer night wakings.

Having a regular bedtime routine can also help with the dreaded sleep regressions. These can happen at any point throughout your baby’s first year, and beyond, and are common occurrences. By providing a sense of comfort and predictability, a bedtime routine can help guide babies smoothly through these phases.

The benefits of a bedtime routine are long-lasting and wide-ranging:

Evidence has shown the benefits are wide-ranging not only in the early months and years but are long-lasting right through into childhood and beyond! Specifically, where families of young infants established bedtime routines as early as 3 months of age, these routines are associated with important sleep outcomes.
Another point to note is researchers have found a dose-dependent relationship between the frequency of bedtime routines in infancy and sleep outcomes for preschool-age children. They found the more consistent and regular the routine, the better the outcomes.
Beyond its impact on sleep, a bedtime routine contributes to broader developmental and well-being outcomes in early childhood such as language and literacy development.
A bedtime routine embodies the characteristics of nurturing care and is a wonderful way for you to bond with your baby at the end of a long day. It can help improve mood, stress levels, a child’s emotional and behavioural regulation, parent-child attachment, and family functioning, among other outcomes.

There’s no rush to get your newborn into a bedtime routine

You should not feel under pressure to start a bedtime routine as soon as you get home from the hospital with your newborn baby. You, your partner and your baby need time to recover from the delivery, time to get to know each other and take your own time to establish your baby’s feeding patterns.
The first few weeks with your newborn will go by in a blur of feeding, changing nappies and sleeping. And if your baby always falls asleep in your arms while feeding, that’s fine, that’s what babies do and you are not going to create “bad habits”. You should do what works best for you and your baby so you all get the rest, sleep and nutrition you need.
As you gain confidence and get to know your baby’s habits and understand their tired cues more, you may decide now is the time to consider introducing a simple bedtime routine.

A simple bedtime routine for your young baby

Start with something very short and simple. Some quiet cuddle time in dim light; followed by a pre-bath feed. This has the advantage that your baby won’t be both tired and hungry while you’re getting them ready for bed. It also has the added advantage of giving valuable extra time for any gas to disperse, so your baby is more comfortable when you settle them down.; particularly beneficial for babies who experience excessive gas or digestive issues like reflux.
Offering an earlier feed also reduces the likelihood of your baby falling asleep while feeding right before bedtime, allowing you to put them down slightly awake.

Then take them for a relaxing warm bath or a top and tail followed by a calming massage. Research has shown newborns who had a nightly massage as the last step of their bedtime routine, after one month reduced bedtime resistance, shortened the time it took for babies to fall asleep and mothers reported fewer night wakings and longer periods of night-time sleep.
Next, dress your baby into their night clothes and sleeping bag and have a cuddly top-up feed. You may wish to finish the routine by reading a little book or singing your baby’s favourite trigger lullaby, finally soothing them to sleep with gentle rocking, patting and comforting words.

Putting your baby down sleepy but awake

You might have heard that it’s ideal to place your baby in their crib when they’re drowsy but still awake, allowing them to learn to settle themselves to sleep. However, achieving this can be quite challenging in practice. If you find an opportunity to try it, go ahead, but remember, there’s no pressure to make it happen perfectly every time.
Once your baby is relaxed and drowsy on their mattress you could try soothing them to sleep with gentle patting and shushing. If this doesn’t work, don’t worry, simply try again during the next opportunity. Over time your baby will gradually get used to falling asleep in their crib or cot.

Written by Mandy Gurney RGN.RM.DipHV.

Founder of Millpond Children’s Sleep Clinic

April 8, 2024

Helping My Baby Sleep Before My Return to Work

Welcome back to the third instalment of our blog series dedicated to helping parents navigate the challenging terrain of returning to work while grappling with a baby who struggles to sleep. As we look deeper into this topic, we explore effective strategies aimed at assisting you in establishing healthy sleep patterns for your baby aged 6 months or older before your return to work.

As the end of parental leave approaches, the thoughts of returning to work can bring about mixed emotions for new parents. Among the many concerns is how to ensure your baby is sleeping well before you transition back to work. Establishing healthy sleep habits is not only crucial for your baby’s well-being but also for your sanity as you juggle work responsibilities.

Top Ten Tips to Help Your Older Baby Sleep Well:

1. Start Early:

If possible, start implementing good sleep habits a month or so before you return to work. This will give you and your baby time to adjust and establish a routine. It’s important to remember that every baby is different and may take some time for your baby to adjust to new routines. Be patient and flexible, and don’t be afraid to make adjustments if something isn’t working. It may take some trial and error to find what works best for your baby.

2. Understanding why your baby is waking in the night:

It’s common for babies to wake up during the night for various reasons, including hunger, discomfort, developmental milestones, or simply seeking reassurance. Identifying why your baby is waking can help you implement targeted strategies to help them sleep more soundly.

3. Aim for a regular bedtime:

Establish a regular bedtime for your baby and aim to keep to it as much as possible. Consistency helps regulate your baby’s internal body clock, making it easier for them to fall asleep and wake up at the same time each day.

4. Create a Calm Environment:

To signal to your baby that it’s time to wind down and sleep an hour before sleep create a soothing sleep environment by dimming the lights, putting toys away, turning off screens and reducing noise levels. Then together have about 10 or 15 minutes of quiet fine motor playtime; this will help calm and quieten your little one’s busy brain and is a wonderful bonding time for you both.

5. Develop a Bedtime Ritual:

Establish a calming bedtime routine to help your baby relax before sleep. This could include activities like a quick 5-minute “Spa-like” bath, then heading straight to the bedroom to get dressed for bed, and then reading a quiet bedtime story; it’s best to avoid books with flaps and sounds at this time.

It takes commitment and consistency so it is best for both parents to decide on a simple bedtime routine that you are happy to stick to every night.
Try to make sure the routine is both relaxing and enjoyable so both you and your baby look forward to bedtime. There’s no need to take too long; your baby could lose focus and get distracted. Aim for your bedtime routine to last no longer than 45 minutes – 30 minutes is often ample.

6. Consider if your older baby has sleep on-set associations:

As babies get older, they can understand cues for sleep and start to recognise the start of their bedtime routine means it’s bedtime.
Babies often develop associations between falling asleep and certain factors, such as being rocked to sleep and while sleep associations may initially help your baby fall asleep, they can also contribute to night wakings. As your baby completes their sleep cycles during the night, they may naturally awaken and stir. At times, they may fully wake up and need your help once again to help them to get back to sleep.

Gently weaning your baby from sleep onset associations can be a gradual process that involves introducing new sleep routines to gently transition your baby away from sleep associations. For example, if your baby is used to being rocked to sleep, gradually decrease the amount of rocking each night until they can fall asleep with minimal or no rocking. Start initially with just bedtime, when your baby’s sleep drive and melatonin levels are high and will help your baby fall asleep more easily.

7. Overtiredness:

Ironically, overtiredness can also lead to more frequent night wakings. When babies become overly tired, their bodies produce stress hormones that can make it harder for them to fall asleep and stay asleep. Establishing a consistent bedtime routine and ensuring your baby gets enough daytime sleep can help prevent overtiredness and promote better sleep at night.

8. Environmental Factors:

External factors such as noise, light and temperature can also affect your baby’s sleep. Create a calm and soothing sleep environment by preparing the bedroom; with a small night light with a warm orange/amber or red colour that will not interfere with sleep. Check the room temp to ensure it’s between 18 and 20 degrees C.

9. Falling asleep

Around 15 minutes before you want your little one to drift off, end the bedtime routine by saying “goodnight.” Many parents have a special phrase they use every night, like “Time for sleep, love you, see you in the morning.” Then, give your baby a kiss and cuddle before tucking them into bed for the night.

10. Napping well helps with night sleep:

Getting regular naps during the day can help improve your baby’s nighttime sleep. Consistent nap times help regulate the internal body clock, making it easier for little ones to fall asleep and stay asleep at night. Being over-tired can increase cortisol levels which may impact the quality of your baby’s sleep, making it less restorative and more fragmented and be the cause of early rising.
However, too much sleep in the day, especially close to bedtime, may mean your baby hasn’t had time to build good levels of “sleep-drive” (adenosine) and may struggle to fall asleep at their usual bedtime.

If you would like more information on naps head over to our nap guide.

Don’t hesitate to reach out for support from family, friends, or online communities for parents. Sharing experiences and seeking advice from others who have been through similar challenges can provide valuable reassurance and practical tips for managing night wakings.

If you would like to speak to one of our sleep consultants about how you can guide your baby towards better sleep, please reach out today. We can chat with you about how we can help offer practical and gentle sleep strategies.

You find my blog on Balancing work and your baby’s nighttime waking a helpful guide.

Feel free to give us a call if you’d like to chat about your little one’s sleep! We’re here to help.

Written by Mandy Gurney RGN.RM.Dip HV.

Founder Millpond Children’s Sleep Clinic

February 3, 2024

The Surprising Truth About Newborn Sleep Patterns Revealed!

Understanding young baby’s sleep

From birth to 4 months old

Infants have sleep patterns and schedules that differ significantly from ours, making their sleep often unpredictable. As they mature, their sleep alters in terms of how it’s structured over the day and night. Understanding these shifts in your newborn’s sleep can help you anticipate their sleep patterns and gradually guide them toward healthy sleep habits.

Our internal 24-hour body clock, or circadian rhythm, regulates our sleep, wake, and eating times using daylight to reset itself and darkness to signal sleep time; however, in the womb’s dark environment, babies lack this light cue and spend most of the pregnancy asleep. It is not until your last trimester that your baby will have some brief periods of two or three hours per day, awake.

Before birth, your movement and the melatonin your baby receives through the placenta help to regulate their sleep. This means your newborn will need to establish their body clock and begin producing their own hormones. Newborns tend to be very sleepy in their first few days, especially if born before their due date, however, if your baby is born post-term they may skip this super-sleepy stage entirely.

Initially, your newborn baby will have about 3 days’ supply of melatonin that comes via your placenta. This is nature’s very clever way of helping you recover from the delivery and giving time for your breast milk to come in. After these first 3 days, the next time your baby’s own melatonin is produced to a level that impacts their sleep is when they reach 3 to 4 months old.
Your newborn baby will spend an average of 16-17 hours a day asleep – with their sleep being split roughly 50:50 between the day and night.
Life would be very simple if this came in one big chunk, but of course, it is split into many periods of two to three hours scattered throughout your own sleeping and waking times.
This unpredictable pattern happens because your baby’s biological clock, or circadian rhythm, is slow to develop and as yet your baby is unable to distinguish night from day; until then their nights and days will simply blend together.
At this stage, your baby’s sleep is governed by their need to feed and since their tummy is so small, sleep episodes will be brief.

Your very young baby may only be awake for 45 to 60 minutes at a time before needing to sleep again. To help prevent your baby from becoming over-tired and harder to settle it is best to use a combination of timings, based on when your baby wakes, and their sleepy cues.
Often the very first sign your baby needs sleep is when they become quiet and still after a period of wakefulness. This is the time to reduce stimulation and start settling your baby to sleep.
Some babies are very subtle in their cues meaning it can be easy to miss their first signs of tiredness, your baby may then move on to yawning, to crying and become fractious and hard to settle. Your baby will find it much easier to fall asleep if you are able to respond to those early sleep cues.
In the first few months, your baby’s sleep cycles in the day will be about 30 minutes long and at night they are about 60 minutes long.

What kind of sleep does your young baby have?

Your young babies’ sleep looks very different in their first 3 to 4 months; they do not experience the different stages of sleep as adults do, instead, they experience active sleep (our rapid-eye movement, REM, sleep), and quiet sleep (our non-rapid-eye movement, NREM, sleep).
Because of its developmental importance, young babies spend a lot of time in REM sleep; in fact before birth, your baby spends almost all of their time in this sleep-like state.
REM sleep is thought to be vital for promoting brain maturation and the growth of neural pathways within your baby’s developing brain and accounts for 50 per cent of your newborn’s sleep state. As your baby grows their sleep cycles alter and they spend less time in REM sleep.
During REM sleep you will often see your baby move, twitch, jerk, their eyes move about under closed eyelids, their breathing speed up, and their mouth move. At times you may even think your baby is awake, but if you wait a few moments and just observe them, your baby may be transitioning between sleep cycles and just settle naturally back into quiet sleep; rather than fully waking.

How to help your young baby sleep well?

In these early few weeks, you can help your young baby start the process of concentrating their sleep into the night by going outside every day for some fresh air and a lovely dose of daylight.
A study in 2004 found young babies tended to sleep longer at night if they had been exposed to lots of early afternoon light. Combining the effects of daytime light with the soporific effects of darkness in the evening will help your baby on the journey to learning that nighttime is for sleeping.
When you put your baby in their Moses basket for their daytime nap, leave the curtains open and do not try to minimize noise. Play and interact with your baby when they’re awake in the day and make feeds a social occasion, perhaps gently talking or singing to your baby. Studies have shown that newborns who were active at the same time of day as their parents were quicker to develop their own body clock.
In contrast, keep the bedroom dark at night and during night feeds, keep your voice low and eye contact minimal to avoid over-stimulating them; only change nappies if it is really necessary.
To help optimise your sleep, its best to base your very young baby’s bedtime close to yours. Putting your very young baby to bed too early may mean a very early morning start for you.
You will soon see even by 4 weeks that your baby is sleeping a little longer during the night and a little less in the day and will typically sleep for a total of six to seven hours during the day and eight to nine at night.

Your baby’s sleep at 2 to 3 months:

By the age of eight to ten weeks, most babies can now distinguish night from day, a stage of development that parents greet with great relief. The amount of sleep your baby will need doesn’t alter much but it’s how they take it that changes.

Your baby’s sleep from 3 months:

By three months your baby will sleep much more at night than in the day, on average 9-11 hours at night and around 5 to 6 hours in the day and their night-time sleep is now in longer chunks; in fact studies show that about 50% of 3-month-old babies can now sleep for five or six hours at a time at night.
Your baby will now be producing their own melatonin that will help their sleep, and day-and-night rhythms are in place. The hormone melatonin is now influencing your baby’s maturing sleep patterns and they will now enter into deep sleep at the start of the night, a pattern they will follow for life
Your baby’s naps will probably start about two hours after first waking in the morning.
As your baby becomes skilled at recognizing cues from you and is able to understand what is happening this is the perfect time to introduce a bedtime routine, if you haven’t done so already.
Night-time sleep cycles slowly start to extend to 90 minutes and daytime sleep cycles start to increase to 45 minutes. This means your baby will rouse less often during sleep and sleep for longer periods.
By now your baby will probably be sleeping about twice as long at night as they are during the day.