Sweet Dreams Little One

When I became a parent everyone told me 'implement a routine' and your baby will sleep through the night. Fill your baby up before bed and she will sleep through the night. Buy a sound machine and she will sleep through the night. Ensure you put her down awake and she would sleep through the night. 

They forget to tell you that 'baby sleep' is also one of the most commonly googled questions because for every ten new mothers their are eight still awake late enough to google every possible question related to 'help my baby sleep'.

'Help' is what a new mother will believe she needs when her baby doesn't sleep through the night because no one else reminds her that it is normal. 

No one reminders her that baby sleep schedules don't happen straight away and that googling 'when will my baby sleep through' is a waste of time because each baby is different because each mother raises them different. Some mothers have siblings to tend to, some have to get up early and race to daycare before work, some spend all day conversing with a mini human who has no idea what they are saying and some simply are so sleep deprived they don't even dream of their baby sleeping through the night anymore. 

Then you hear it 'My baby sleeps through the night'. How dare you mention your angel sleeper to me that you put down sleepy but awake and casually tosses and turns only after 7.00am. 

I remember a friend who I considered a professional baby sleep consultant. She wasn't a baby sleep trainer by study but by experience. Her advice to me, a new mum was to simply 'enjoy the first four months of sleepiness, surviving and no routine because when your baby is 4 months old it is going to need a routine'. 

She was right, it was like a light flicked at 4 months old and my baby began needing and wanting me less and also fell into the habit of routine and consistency. She craved it. I craved it too. I craved being able to wake at the same time every morning knowing I had at least 4 hours sleep prior and could plan to make it to a brunch date. I craved knowing 'I will feed her at 7.00am and then I have a few hours to myself to go do something baby-free' (side note: I didn't spend an hour away from her until she was actually 11 months old).

You can have the fanciest products, the best routine, all the baby sleep solutions, a baby sleep consultant or even a fantastic baby sleep program but the truth is that both you and baby have to know what page you are on and sometimes getting to that same page isn't as easy as reading a guide and following it. Especially if that guide isn't something your 7 month old baby isn't adapting too well. 

So, do what you have to do whether thats getting your baby to sleep in the pram , purchasing them a riff raff toy  that your little one can cuddle close or perhaps the no cry method is more your style and this advice will help to calm the mind as you battle the desperation of a little more sleep.

I first slept through the night consistently after my daughter was one. Yep, she was one. I had a friend who was sleeping through when her baby was 8 weeks old (god bless her, I envied her at times or always) but it wasn't so bad. I was tired most days but I survived and in just a flash all the sleep deprivation is gone.

A distant memory...until next time! 

WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU BELOW!

When did your little one sleep through? and if you have more than one child have you found each child to be slightly different? Do you think it is a reflection on your parenting style or their personality? 

Written by Mikhailla.