Hello again! My first child, Rosa, just turned 5 months last week on April 4th -- I like to call this a mini champagne birthday celebration! *Pop*
For all new parents, sleep is probably one of the biggest concerns you have. Our sleeping schedule for our baby starting at around 2.5 months was that we would put her to bed around 10-11 pm and then she would wake up between 8-9 am with at least 2 to 3 feedings in between. I loved this sleeping schedule because it allowed me to sleep at a minimum anywhere between 4-5 hours. However, in the last couple of days, we've noticed that her sleeping pattern have changed. Roughly around 4 am she would get really restless and would want a feeding every 30 to 90 mins. We thought this was weird considering we thought her sleeping schedule was pretty darn good so I did some research.
Turns out that starting at around 4 months; there is something called sleep regression and what causes this is that the baby's brain is maturing from a baby's brain (where they sleep all the time) to a more mature brain (where there are more synaptic activities happening). What this translates to is that during the transitional phase between sleep cycles, they can get pretty restless and can easily be woken up. This is also the reason why sometimes during nap times, she would wake herself up fairly quickly, any where between 10-30 mins.
Because of this neurological change in the chemistry of the brain, some experts advise that sleep training should be done usually around the 4-6 months mark. This sleep regression pattern can sometimes be seen at the 8 months mark, and 12 months as well; but they are only temporary (and we'll have to wait and see).
So, what are some things you can do during this sleep regression phase? In my research, it indicated that you should continue to try to make your baby feel comfortable and try to get them to sleep through the transitioning of the sleep cycles. Whether this is rocking them, giving them a dream feed, putting on some white noise and swooshing them, or swaddling them and placing them in a dock-a-tot. During this time is also a good time to introduce a blankie or lovey that is comfortable for them so they can associate this comfort item with them as they sleep. Eventually, they will learn this association and can self sooth themselves back to sleep as they age.
This is what inspired me to start making these blankies/lovies. I make them when my baby is napping. They are made using a wooden teether ring and 100% breathable cotton yarn. Each one is handmade with love and I hope to share this with you and your little one as well. When you subscribe to my blog and share with us what are some of your baby's sleeping habits; then you will be entered for a chance to win in our monthly draw of a hand made blankie/lovey. I look forward to hearing your stories in the comments below! xoxo