How to Help Your Spirited Baby Fall Asleep Sooner
Congratulations! You are the parent of a spirited baby, one that is perceptive, sensitive, stubborn, and curious. Babies with these traits love to learn and explore. Their determination often means they will grow up to accomplish great things.
However, sometimes a spirited baby’s temperament can be hard to handle. Spirited babies feel everything more deeply and tend to cry more than other babies. They may be averse to strangers and resist scheduled meals and sleep periods. And they can turn a temper tantrum into an art form.
If you can get your baby into a solid sleep pattern, other difficult behaviors may diminish. A tired baby is a challenging baby. Also, all children need to get enough sleep to thrive, even the ones that adamantly resist it!
So what are the signs you have an active, curious baby, and how can you help him establish a good sleep pattern?
Signs You Have a Spirited Baby
For some parents, it’s obvious their baby’s personality is more stubborn and determined. For others, it may be harder to tell if their baby’s temperament is simply a phase. Here are some signs you might have a spirited baby:
- Your baby wants what they want, and they’ll stop at nothing to get it. Perseverance is top-of-mind for spirited babies.
- Transitions are especially difficult. They’ll resist them with all their might!
- They want to be independent. Once they’ve mastered a few skills, they’re ready to take on the world themselves.
- Their emotions are big—and can be more difficult to contain.
Remember that none of these are negative traits, even if they can sometimes make parenting more challenging. Having a baby with these traits is exciting and completely normal!
Establishing a Good Sleep Pattern
While spirited babies sometimes resist sleep time, there are several ways to encourage better sleeping habits. Here are some tips to help your baby sleep better:
Reduce Stimulation
A spirited baby easily becomes overstimulated. A day full of shopping with mom and playing with friends can be too much for them. Try reducing some of the more stimulating events throughout the day while maintaining exercise and playtime activities. As the end of the day nears, reduce the noise in your home by turning off the television. This will help your baby wind down and get ready for bedtime.
Establish a Bedtime Routine
Spirited babies do better with a consistent bedtime routine. You may begin with a bath and then change your baby into their pajamas, or give them a gentle massage, read a story, and sing a song. However you choose to do your bedtime routine, make sure it is completed within about 20 to 30 minutes. A drawn-out bedtime routine can lead to more unwanted stimulation and make it difficult to fall asleep.
Stay Near the Crib
Some babies prefer being able to physically see you right before they fall asleep. Staying near their crib as they fall asleep can help. You can do quiet activities while you wait, such as read or pay bills, but you should not play with or talk to the baby. They just need to know you are there.
Don’t worry—you still can and should encourage your baby to develop their own self-soothing tactics. One method that works well for some parents is the chair method, where you sit in a chair by baby’s crib and slowly move the chair closer and closer to the door each night until you have left the room. This will help your baby learn you are always close to comfort them, even if you’re not in sight.
Swaddle Your Baby
Research has shown that swaddling babies helps them sleep. In fact, they sleep longer and are less likely to wake up suddenly. The slight pressure of a swaddling cloth prevents baby's limbs from flailing and also makes them feel more secure.
However, your baby will be ready to transition out of a swaddle once they reach certain developmental milestones, such as rolling over. If you are transitioning your baby out of a swaddle, a baby sleep suit can help.
Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit gives babies the same comfort a swaddle provides while also incorporating convenient features such as double zippers and open hands and feet (for grasping and temperature moderation). Since spirited babies can struggle more with transitions, the Sleepsuit is a great way for babies to still feel secure while enjoying increased freedom.
Baby Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit
As always, you should consult your pediatrician for help with your baby's specific needs. But the right nighttime clothing can be a big help when it comes to helping your baby get better sleep.
If your baby is transitioning from swaddling but still needs the comfort it offers, try a Baby Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit. It is the perfect bedtime aid for helping your spirited baby get the rest they need and deserve.
Also in Our Blog
What’s the Difference Between a Swaddle and a Sleepsack
Five Questions about Early Morning Wakeups for Baby
The team at NAPS helps you tackle the issue of early wakeups. *BONUS* NAPS is hosting a webinar on February 24th. Register here and use the extra-special code MAGICMERLIN and you can join the webinar FREE of charge!
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The sound of cheery calls of “MAAAAMAAAAA” from the next room may be lovely at 7am. At 4am, or 5 am, not so much. Your baby may be up and ready to start the day, but you probably aren’t.
Answering the questions below may help you get there.
- Is your nap schedule mucking up your baby’s overnight sleep?
This might seem like an obvious question, but your baby’s sleep needs will change fast in the first few years of their lives. A quick look at the average nap number and duration might give you an idea:
- For babies from 3-6 months old, it’s normal to take 3-4 hour-long naps per day.
- For babies 6-15 months old, expect 2 naps with 3-3.5 hours of total sleep.
- For one and two-year-olds, you should expect a single 2-hour nap.
Part of the reason you might be seeing earlier wakeups is that your baby has graduated from one nap cycle to the next.
- Does your baby have enough time between their last nap and their bedtime?
We call this an “awake window,” and it can make a big difference. It might seem strange that your baby went to bed fine the night before, and you’re seeing a response to nap scheduling in the pre-dawn hours, but if your kiddo’s sleep is disrupted at night, it will impact the morning.
- 3-6 months, at least 1.5-2 hours between final nap wakeup and bedtime.
- 6-12 months, at least 2.5-3.5 hours between final nap wakeup and bed.
- 12-18+ months, 3.5-4.5 hours between final nap wakeup and bed.
- Is the room staying dark after the sun comes up?
Black 0ut curtains can make a big difference here. Remember that our brains signal wakeup when the light changes. So if dawn is at 430am, and even a little bit of light comes into your baby’s room, their little brains will PING with wake up juice.
- Is your baby going to sleep too early or too late?
It might seem counter-intuitive, but a late bedtime can actually backfire on you. Overtired kids don’t sleep as well. If you made their bedtime later and it didn’t fix the problem, try an earlier bedtime and see if that helps. You might be surprised.
- How do you make it better?
Try to make one change at a time; just one. Stick with that change for 3-5 days to see if it impacts things. (One night is usually not enough to see substantial change.) Be as consistent as you can with the change you made. For instance, if you decide to increase the space between bedtime and final nap wakeup, make sure to stick to the wakeup time you planned.
If your baby is waking up and chirping happily to themselves, feel free to leave them there for a little while. Let them get used to being alone in the crib. If you can, try to delay the start of the day by 5-10 minutes each day. This can make a big impact.
Everything else aside, remember that this is a short time in your kid’s life; as they get older, their sleep will become more regular, and so will yours. Don’t let yourself get too discouraged. Things are hard now, and you’re doing a great job.
