If you have not already done so, please read Blog Posts 1 through 5 that describe how sleep is important and beneficial. I will post specific information for parents and children based on my book, “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.” Please do not be put off by my book’s length. This is a reference book. Read only the topic of interest to you.
Early bedtimes produce more sleep consolidation:
A 2024 study by Professor I. Manitsa showed that early bedtimes, is some infants, may persist to adolescence (associated with low family adversity, long sleep durations, and higher maternal socioeconomic status)
Persistent early bedtimes, especially during the first 24 months of life, will make your child smarter (Blog Post 193).
Hello! My baby just turned 12 weeks. Around 7 weeks, his naps shortened to 30–45 minutes. He no longer uses a swaddle and can sometimes self-soothe with his thumb, but mainly struggles after naps.
I read your book last week and moved his bedtime earlier to 6:30 pm. That helped significantly—he now only wakes once to feed overnight and naturally wakes around 6:30 am.
However, he is still taking 4–5 naps a day that max out at about 40 minutes. When he wakes from naps, I leave him in the crib to see if he can fall back asleep. He sometimes gets close, but his startle reflex wakes him again within a couple of minutes.
Is this developmentally normal at 12 weeks, or is there something I should be doing differently to help extend naps?
I will help you. Please put him alone with toys (no parental or sibling involvement or screens) for 10-20 minutes between 5:30-6:30pm for 3 consecutive nights and describe his mood and behavior.