How do I calm myself down when my baby is crying? Babies might seem powerless and helpless, but they actually possess one of the most powerful tools in the human toolkit: their ability to cry. Crying is a universal way for babies to communicate early on. It ensures their parents stay close and [...]
How do I help my baby who fights sleep at bedtime? It can be exhausting when your baby puts up a fight to go to sleep at the end of a long day! You are tired, and chances are your baby is too! If your baby fights sleep in the evening, here are a few things to consider. First, there’s a chance [...]
My baby was exposed to opioids. How will he sleep? It is very common for newborns with prenatal opioid exposure to have sleep difficulties. A baby with “prenatal opioid exposure” is one who has been exposed to opioids while his biological mother was still pregnant. Sleeping for short amounts of [...]
How can I soothe my extra-fussy baby? Some babies can be extra-fussy, which can make things even more difficult at sleep times. For instance, babies who were exposed to opioids and other substances during pregnancy may be extra fussy. There may be times when your baby is very fussy and you feel [...]
What are the top 4 sleep training myths? 1) If you sleep train, you have to let your baby cry it out There are many ways to approach helping a baby learn to sleep through the night, and the specific techniques we recommend depend on the age of the child and parent or family preferences. There are [...]
My baby won’t sleep – what am I doing wrong? Parents (and others in their lives) may blame themselves when their little one doesn’t sleep well, but it is important to recognize that many aspects of a baby’s sleep are not related to parenting. Your baby might have a medical condition, such [...]
Why does my baby cry? Babies cry for many reasons. Many parents believe that crying always signals distress. Unfortunately, we cannot guess or know exactly what an infant feels when he wakes up during the night. However, we do know that crying is a very powerful form of early communication. Infants [...]
What is sleep training? Just like so many areas of development, children typically need help learning how to self-soothe to sleep. This process is often referred to as “sleep training.” Although there are multiple approaches, sleep training typically involves helping your child learn how to [...]
My baby screams and cries every time I put her down for a nap. What can I do to change that? Many babies take time to learn to go to sleep, so first of all be patient! Try to develop a little routine so she knows what to expect and when. For example, when she first wakes up from a nap, give her a [...]
How can I help my child with autism settle down and get ready for bed? Many children with autism and other developmental conditions have difficulty calming down and preparing for sleep. The first goal is to help them understand the elements of the bedtime routine. A visual schedule and consistent [...]