Kara Tarascio Sleep Consultant

The four-month sleep regression, something every new parent is told about and looks forward to right?!🫣Around 3-4 months your baby may start cat napping, early waking, frequently waking overnight, become fussy and have a change in their appetite. Will your baby sleep like this forever? No, absolutely not. The four-month sleep regression is a neurological change in how your baby sleeps. Newborns go through light and deep sleep almost immediately. Around 3/4 months your baby’s sleep cycles become very apparent as they go through another two light phases of sleep to establish a full 45 minute sleep cycle.

Your baby’s night time sleep may also change but it’s important to note here that most 4 month olds don’t sleep through the night and still require 1-2 feeds. The wakes during this period of change (regression) is super normal!

As frustrating as this time can be, I want to remind you that your baby is progressing and developing! Potentially learning a new skill soon, like rolling? To navigate your way through this time it’s a good idea to look at how your baby is initially falling to sleep, rocking, feeding? Is this something you can sustain or may want to change? If so, this is the time to do that along with my top tips:

🌟CORRECT AWAKE TIME: 1 hour 45min-2 hours. Ensure your baby does not become overtired, this makes settling and falling asleep challenging.

🌟SWADDLE: continue to swaddle if your baby has not shown signs of rolling. Keeps them snug and secure.

🌟WHITE NOISE: for the duration of all naps and night time sleep. Rumbly continuous sound.

🌟DARK ROOM: Helps the production of melatonin our sleepy hormone.

🌟RE-SETTLE: if baby wakes after cat nap don’t rush in, let them try to fall back asleep. Rushing in can reinforce cat nap. Try settling them whilst they’re in the cot to help extend the nap if not back asleep.

🌟FEEDING: A massive growth spurt happens here, your baby may wake for an extra feed overnight for a few days. Feed them!

🌟EARLY BEDTIME: move bedtime earlier if baby has cat napped during the day. This will help to avoid becoming overtired.

Is your baby going through this regression?

Sleep well. X

Sleepy words and phrases are a great way signal/hint to your baby or toddler that sleep time is near…😴

A sleep phrase provides a positive and nurturing association with sleep to encourage a beautiful nap or night sleep. When your baby or toddler hears the same sleep phrase every night this can also provide them with a sense of comfort, connection and security.

A sleep phrase is also great for resettling during those night wakes or after those short cat naps💤

The earlier you start with one specific phrase, the better!👏🏻

This is the sleep phrase I use with both my boys.. “Joshua/Jacob it’s sleep time honey..” Joshua (14mo) in particular, will start to yawn or get red eyes as soon as he hears me say those magic sleepy words😅

Here are some examples you can use or come up with your own:

💤 “sleep well (name)”

💤 “it’s time to sleep darling”

💤 “night night”

💤 “sweet dreams honey”

Do you use sleepy words or a sleep phrase with your little one?

Sleep well. X

The late afternoon nap typically happens between the hour of 4-5pm and usually starts to phase out between the age of 6-8 months.

So how do you know your baby is ready to drop this nap? Ask yourself the following questions….

💤 Are they starting to refuse this nap for a week or more?

💤 Are they waking more frequently than usual overnight?

💤 Have you offered this nap as an assisted nap?

💤 How long is this nap? Does it need to be shortened?

It’s important to note here that this nap can be really hard to achieve as it falls outside of your baby’s biological sleep windows. So if you need to assist your baby off to sleep for this nap - pram, car or in your arms, just do it 😇! Dont be worried about creating bad habits or nervous that it will undo all your hard work, I promise you it won’t. This nap doesn’t stick around for long - so cuddle and hold your baby all you like mumma🤍

Sleep well. X





#6-8months

Babies/toddlers thrive on predictability and routine. Did you know that by 8 weeks of age your baby can begin to recognise the sequence of events you do before bedtime?! Wow, crazy right?! These cues help your baby to relax, wind down and know that sleep time is coming 💤

Your bedtime routine could include a warm bath, songs, reading a book, a gentle massage or quality time and cuddles with mum or dad. The most important thing about a bedtime routine is that you keep the same sequence of events prior to bedtime every night. A bedtime routine does not have to be drawn out or complicated - keep it simple and just enjoy that special time with your baby ✨

Personally, our bedtime routine with both my boys continues to be my favourite part of the day. That quality time is something we all look forward to..

What’s your bedtime routine?

Sleep well. X

What is a bridging nap? When should I offer my baby a bridging nap?

Bridging naps can be great to offer when your baby wakes early (start of their day - before 6am) for no reason, or if they wake early after their second nap of the day (if they are on 2 naps) and are under the age of 6 months.

A short 10-15 minute nap can be a great way to ensure your baby doesn’t become overtired and will help them make it to their next nap time or bedtime. Bridging naps also help to keep the structure of your day and gets things back on track. This short power nap does not need to be in the cot, it can be in the pram, the car or even in a carrier.

Bridging naps are so good!! But it’s important to note here that bridging naps shouldn’t be offered every day as it will start to interfere with your baby’s circadian rhythm. If you notice your baby is waking early consistently, we will need to look into other reasons for the wake.

Have you had to offer your baby a bridging nap?

Sleep well. X

Is your baby cat napping? Do they wake up after the 20-45 minute mark like clock work? 🤦🏻‍♀️ This is no coincidence, 45 minutes is considered a full sleep cycle! Around the 30 minute mark your baby enters into a lighter stage of sleep, so they will either start to wake or go into the next sleep cycle.

It’s important to note here that if your baby is under 5 months cat naps are developmentally very normal. However, after 4 months there are some factors that can contribute to cat napping.

> sleep environment > is your baby’s room dark enough? If you can read a book in there then it may not be dark enough. A dark room will help the production of melatonin our sleepy hormone. Make sure room temp is just right, anywhere between 18-22 degrees is perfect for sleep💤 White noise, nice and loud, babies love it!

> how is your little one falling asleep? Are you rocking, feeding them to sleep? If your baby has not yet learned to self soothe they will be looking for that same sleep association to help them fall back to sleep/resettle.

> is your baby under-tired or overtired? Is your baby’s awake time correct? Often when we tweak your baby’s age appropriate awake time this can be the light bulb moment 💡

As frustrating as cat napping may be…I want to assure you that it is temporary, it will pass and your baby’s naps will eventually fall into place!

Is your baby cat napping? Or have you experienced cat napping?

Sleep well. X

Does your newborn become fussy/irritable and upset in the early evening and hard to settle? This is what we call the ‘witching hour’. Yes it’s a real thing!🤦🏻‍♀️ This hits close to home for us at the moment with my boy Joshua (13 weeks).

Two big factors come into play when we refer to the ‘witching hour’:
•overtiredness
•overstimulation

Tips to help your newborn settle during the ‘witching hour’:
•Avoid being near a TV (bright lights)
•Go into a dark room (low stimuli)
•Turn white noise on
•Offer a feed
•Assisted nap (go for a walk, pram, car)
•Adjust nap schedule and/or follow age appropriate awake times

Have you noticed the ‘witching hour’ in your household?

Sleep well. X

Do you know your newborns tired signs? Unfortunately newborn ‘sleepy cues’ are not as obvious as just a yawn. If these cues are not picked up early enough you run the risk of your baby becoming overtired🥴

So what are these newborn ‘sleepy cues’ you should look out for:

• Staring - your newborn may no longer make eye contact with you and can seem as though they are looking dazed into space.
• Pink/Red Eyebrows & Red under eyes - this can be a very obvious tired sign once you spot it.
• Slows down and looses their ability to concentrate.
•Fussing - crying on and off
•Rubbing eyes, pulling ears or face
•Clenched fists
•Appearing as though they are hungry and then falling asleep at the start of the feed.

Your baby may demonstrate only one sign, or two, or more at the same time😴

Learn to read your baby’s sleepy cues and put your little one to sleep when that window of opportunity presents itself. This will absolutely help your baby to fall asleep easily and naturally.

Have you noticed your newborns ‘sleepy cues’?

Sleep well. X

Comforters are such positive sleep association for our babies! A comforter can be a small object such as a soft toy that provides comfort and connection. Comforters are great to incorporate into your bedtime routine, bring along to unfamiliar places/events, when your little one is unwell/teething, take along to child care/kinder, naps on the go and also helps your Bub to resettle themselves overnight.

My Jacob (2.5y/o) is absolutely obsessed with his “monkey”. Often when he feels unsure/unsettled he will ask for his monkey as this brings him comfort and security. Especially in my absence and while he is at child care. Jacob also knows sleep time is close whenever monkey is around.

It’s important to note here that ‘Red Nose’ (Safe Sleep Guidelines) states that soft toys such as comforters should not be used in a babies sleeping environment (cot or bassinet) under 7 months of age due to the risk of SIDS.

In saying this, there are things that you can do before 7 months of age to help form a connection and bond with your baby and their comforter. Joshua is 12 weeks old and I will be planning to introduce “foxy” very soon. This is how I will go about it.
• For about a week put the comforter down your top during the day and overnight so your scent rubs off.
• Incorporate the comforter into feeding time. Wether you are bottle feeding or breastfeeding, place the comforter in between both you and your baby. Near their cheek or ear is great.
• Keep the comforter close to Bub during nap times and bed time. If baby is under 7 months you can still use the comforter during nap time or until Bub is drowsy or asleep in your arms just don’t leave it in their cot unsupervised.
• During unsettled/teething times offer comforter for cuddles and reassurance. Keeping the comforter in between you and your baby will help develop this connection.

You want to also make sure to buy a spare 2 or 3 of whatever comforter you choose and have them hidden away at home incase your baby’s comforter goes missing or gets damaged.

Does your baby have a comforter? Will you try to introduce one?

Sleep well. X

A baby will often get “diagnosed” with colic if they cry for more than 3 hours a day with no obvious cause for the crying. A well known paediatrician in the US, Dr Harvey Karp, believes that babies with colic were simply born too early, and could have done with another 3 months in their mothers womb. Some medical professionals believe it to be the result of digestive discomfort.

Colic tends to start around the 3 week mark, about the same time maternal melatonin is wearing off. The good news is that for most babies, around 12 weeks, colic stops like a switch has been turned off.

Babies with colic often want to feed frequently, as sucking can be very comforting for them. The downside of this is that they can then easily become overfed resulting in spitting up, sore tummy, wind etc. If you are noticing this, it’s a good idea to consider introducing a dummy/pacifier if you haven’t already done so to help with the non-nutritive sucking (sucking for comfort).

When a baby is overtired they will often display similar symptoms to colic - persistent crying, difficulty settling/calming and waking up hysterical after just a short period of sleep. To help mitigate this ensure your baby is following age appropriate awake time and isn’t exposed to too much stimulation (passing the baby around for cuddles to visitors etc.) will help in reducing the crying. Overtired babies have a very low tolerance threshold and can become irritated and upset quickly, leading to lots of tears. 
 
Has your baby displayed symptoms of colic?

Sleep well. X

Teething is so often blamed for our baby’s unsettled sleep, particularly overnight. Teething can definitely cause some discomfort for your baby but it is very rarely the cause of their wake ups overnight. 

A teething baby is often grizzly throughout the day as well, not just at sleep times. So it’s a good idea to ask yourself… Has my baby been unhappy/unsettled throughout the day due to teething? If the answer is yes, then they may need some relief (Panadol) to help with the pain and discomfort. If the answer is no, then it is more likely your baby needs to learn to self settle and consolidate their sleep in order to resolve the frequent night waking. 
 
Of course there may be the odd night where your baby needs a little extra support if they wake and are cutting a tooth. Cutting a tooth generally happens over 2-3 days.

The key is to remain consistent to encourage your baby to self settle and know that teething is unlikely to be the root cause of your baby’s frequent night wake ups.

Is your baby’s sleep disrupted while they are teething?

Sleep well. X

After having a baby you definitely experience a huge lifestyle change. Your not always able to do those spontaneous dinners or attend parties like you used to and it can often cause a little bit of anxiety when you get those birthday invitations during nap time/bed time etc.

Yes those dinner plans or party invites may interrupt or coincide with your baby’s nap/bedtime but there are a few things you can do to try and keep things sort of on track whilst enjoying your time out 🥂

Check out these options >>

When going out as a family try and do an early dinner (the early bird special is our family favourite 😉) to then be able to make it back home close enough to baby’s bedtime with a short and sweet wind down routine. I would always do a shower instead of a bath before bed to make wind down a little quicker!

For during the day outings try and get your Bub to have a quick nap in the car. Prior to the car trip make sure baby has been fed, burped really well and has a clean nappy and you should be all good for a quick power nap. Even if it is just a 10 minute nap this will be enough to help bub feel a little bit more refreshed and not become super overtired whilst you are out.

If you are having dinner at a friends or families place I would encourage you to bring the porta cot, along with white noise and your baby’s comforter. A nap in the pram could also be a good option here. When arriving back home and before transferring your baby into their cot I would do a quick nappy change and offer another feed.

Lastly, just go with it!!! Go out for as long as you want and enjoy! Yes Bub may become overtired but you can always offer a nap in your arms, pram etc. and just get things back on track tomorrow. Who knows, they may just surprise you and handle a night out totally fine😏

How do you plan dinner outings or events with your baby?

Sleep well. X