Sleep challenges are common throughout your little one’s first couple of years. While it’s hard not to stress too much, staying informed about potential issues and how to remedy them if they do pop up can help you prepare.

Here are some of the more common sleep issues your baby may experience: 

●      Resisting back-sleeping: Irrefutably the safest option for infants is to sleep on their back, but sometimes they may seem to resist back-sleeping,, especially if they are a newborn who prefers to only sleep when held. If your little one just won’t settle on their back, there are a few tricks you can try to encourage them to sleep. First, if your baby has yet to start rolling, make sure you know how to swaddle correctly.. Giving your little one a pacifier may also calm them enough to drift off. Ensuring your baby has a steady, predictable bedtime routine, and remaining consistent with this routine, can also help. Finally, ensuring they are the right amount of tired also is key. Baby sleep coaching apps, like the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers^TM app, can tell you the exact time to put your baby down to give them the best chance of falling asleep quickly. The app also makes it easier to maintain their sleep routine, a big part of getting them to sleep.

●      Mixing up day and night: For the first few months after birth, all babies mix up their days and nights. This can result in them sleeping for most of the day and then being awake throughout the night, negatively impacting rest for both you and your partner. While your baby will naturally start to regulate their circadian rhythm around 3 months, the best way for you to help correct it is to balance, and also differentiate, daytime and nighttime sleep. Ways to do this include limiting naps to max 2-3 hours (depending on age) and creating clear distinctions between day and night for your little one, like not turning on the lights or television when feeding at night. The Smart Sleep Coach can help you perfect your little one’s nap schedule during the day, ensuring they aren’t sleeping too much so they sleep better at night. 

●      Early risers: If your baby is waking up too early for the day, you can do a few things to help them settle back into a more appropriate sleep pattern. First, try making gradual changes to their daily nap schedule, whether it’s dropping a nap or waking them at a specific time (another benefit of the Smart Sleep Coach’s schedule!) If this doesn’t work, try experimenting with different bedtimes in the evening. We know making all these changes, on top of keeping track of diaper changes, feedings, bathtimes, playtime, and doctor appointments, can be difficult, so it’s smart to get help when you can. That’s where the Smart Sleep Coach from Pampers comes into play.

●      Sleep regressions: Sleep regressions can be one of the most frustrating sleep-related issues for parents. They’re bound to happen and are a completely normal part of your baby’s development, as sleep needs and patterns change naturally throughout the beginning of life. Luckily, the Smart Sleep Coach was co-developed by pediatricians and sleep experts to help parents through sleep regression. From a smart sleep schedule that adjusts depending on each day’s sleep, to real-time notifications and reminders, the Smart Sleep Coach app is your partner in getting your little one back on track after sleep regressions. Plus, if you are interested in sleep training your little one as a way to develop their independent sleep skills, it can help with that, too.

●      Short naps: If you find that your baby is suddenly taking short naps, there are multiple possible culprits, like sleep regression, being overtired, or it’s time to drop a nap. Luckily, the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers can help address these concerns. The sleep coach app will let you know when issues like sleep regression or nap transitions (dropping a nap) will likely occur throughout your little one’s milestones. If being overtired is causing short naps, the app will create a personalized sleep schedule designed so your little one sleeps at the most opportune times based on their circadian rhythm, giving you a longer period of time to get all those non-baby-related things done during the day – and even help your baby sleep through the night.

●      Lack of routine: One of the most important things you can do for your baby to keep them on a regular and age-appropriate sleep schedule and routine. For any parent struggling with creating a routine or sleep schedule, take this free short sleep quiz and Smart Sleep Coach will create a personalized plan designed specifically to address their baby’s unique needs. If parents encounter issues, the app has a variety of tools for parents to try out and can adapt to changes in their baby’s sleep patterns as they age.

Sleep Coaches: Sleep Tracking Made Easy 

Sleep patterns change a lot throughout the first year of life. While there are some consistencies amongst babies, it’s important to remember that every little one is different, so their sleep patterns will naturally vary, just like anyone else’s.  

One great, convenient way to keep tabs on your little one’s unique sleep needs is by using a sleep coach app, like the Smart Sleep Coach created by Pampers. Tracking your little one’s sleep patterns and ideal nap times, and solving the inevitable sleep hiccups, has never been so simple.

With a user-friendly interface, the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers assesses your baby’s sleep patterns and creates a unique sleep schedule designed specifically with your cutie in mind. The best part? As your baby’s sleep patterns change, the Smart Sleep Coach adapts and adjusts, optimizing naps and bedtime schedules based on real-time feedback, letting both you and your baby sleep more peacefully. 

Whether it’s identifying when it’s time to drop a nap, or taking the guesswork out of what time to put your baby to sleep at night, the app can alleviate lots of the stress that comes along with baby sleep.