Unlock the Secrets to a Good Night's Sleep: Tackling False Starts and Night Splits

Both false starts and night splits can disrupt a good night's sleep, for you and your little one.

Here's a breakdown of each and some tips for tackling them.

False Starts:

• What It Is: You go through the bedtime routine, get them settled, and they fall asleep. But then, 45 minutes later, on average after one cycle, they wake up alert and fussing.

• Why It Happens: Common reasons include being overtired, under-tired, needing to adjust to a new schedule, mostly the last window of the day before bedtime needs to be longer or shorter, or having an inconsistent bedtime routine.
  

How to Deal With It:

• Check for Basic Needs: Make sure they're not hungry, wet, or uncomfortable.

• Calming Consistency: Resist the urge to jump in right away. Give them a chance to sleep again by offering calming pats or shushes

• Review the Routine: Ensure your bedtime routine is consistent and relaxing, it’s a chance to wind down from the day’s activeness. A bath, quiet stories, and dimmed lights can signal it's time to wind down.

• Schedule Tweaks: Your little one is growing up, you might need to revisit their sleep schedule, you can take a look at the Sleep Needs Guide, to help guide you. In addition to that, ensure that they are well rested during the day and get sufficient number/duration of naps. 

• Enough Calories During the Day: Ensure that your baby is well-fed during the day, eating a suitable number of feeds/meals as per the age and baby’s need. 

• Minimize Stimulation and Blue Light Before Sleep: Ensure that you keep things simple and quiet before sleep time so that the brain is not highly stimulated. 

You may need to look into your little one’s sleeping habits in general, as this sometimes impacts the ability of the baby to have long night sleep. The Sleep Coaching Program is a great solution, to help your baby have better quality of sleep and sleep longer through the night.

Night Splits:

• What It Is: You think they're finally asleep for the night, but they wake up in the middle of the night and stay awake for a long time. 

• Why It Happens: Similar to false starts, it can be due to being overtired, or under-tired (too much day sleep or very minimal physical activities). 

How To Deal With It:

• Establish a Bedtime Routine: A consistent bedtime routine can signal to your child that it's time to sleep and help them feel more secure.

• Address the Wake-up Reason: Check for basic needs first, do they need a diaper change, a feed (if they are on a night feed schedule), also revisit the day's activities, 

• Look at Their Day: What are they doing, are they exposed to sunlight in the morning, are they practicing their new skills, they might need more effort exerted during the day.

• Offer Reassurance: When your child wakes up during the night, provide comfort and reassurance without overly stimulating them. Avoid turning on bright lights or engaging in stimulating activities.

• Limit Nighttime Distractions: Minimize disruptions during the night by keeping the sleep environment calm and quiet. If your child wakes up due to noise or light, consider using white noise machines or blackout curtains.

• Revisit Their Day Sleep: Check if they are sleeping too little or too much during the day, in many cases too much day sleep or having an unorganized day in general can affect their quality of sleep at night.

If you are struggling with all this, you can always book a free assessment call and discuss your needs and goals.