Using Wake To Sleep and Pick Up/Put Down for Great Baby Sleep

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Learn two proven Baby Whisperer methods to help your baby sleep through naps: wake to sleep and pick up/put down. Step-by-step guide for parents dealing with 45-minute naps. How Wake To Sleep and Pick Up/Put Down can help your baby to take long naps or sleep through the night. What they are and how to use them.

Mom with baby by crib

Perhaps the number one concern parents have with their babies is poor sleep. There are many reasons for poor sleep and, therefore, many solutions.

Tracy Hogg, author of The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems, has two different methods for teaching your baby to sleep through the nap rather than habitually waking at the 45-minute mark.

WHEN BABY WAKES EARLY

Before we discuss this, however, I want to point a few things out.

  1. GROWTH SPURTS: I want to point out that if your baby has been sleeping well and is suddenly waking early, there is an excellent chance it is a growth spurt. Growth spurts happen every 3-4 weeks. Yes, I know they are tiring. Be sure to feed your baby during growth spurts as often as needed. If you don’t, the early waking will just continue on.
  2. WAKING BUT HAPPY: Hogg says that if your baby wakes early every once in a while and is in bed happy, just leave her. I agree with this. For the random early waking and the happy baby, just leave her be and do your best to not stress. The random short nap is sure to happen.
  3. WAKING BUT UPSET: If your baby wakes early and is upset/crying, then she didn’t get enough sleep. This is when you help her get back to sleep. Your approach to this will depend on you. Some moms do cry it out. Some will rock their baby back to sleep. Some will move to a swing our bouncy chair. Some pat the baby. Some will do a Baby Whisperer method (listed below). Whatever you do, please remember the growth spurt category (number one above). The baby can wake up upset if she is hungry, so keep that in mind. Read How to Put Baby Back to Sleep for ideas.

>>>Read: Tips To Get Baby Waking Up Happy From Naps





WAKE TO SLEEP

The first Baby Whisperer method to stop early waking is called “wake to sleep.”

Basically, what you do is wake your baby before she wakes on her own. For the 45 minute waking, you would go in and rouse her at thirty minutes.

You don’t want her to fully wake up.

You then pat her gently until she goes back to sleep, which might take 15-20 minutes. If she cries, you move on to pick up put down method (discussed below).

This post may contain affiliate links, which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

If it sounds like something you want to try, you will probably want to read it for yourself in the book The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems (page 251). The idea of this is to get her used to sleeping through the cycle rather than continuing to habitually wake up at the 40-45 minute mark.

I accidentally did this one time with McKenna. She had a certain time she was waking at night consistently. I had friends over one night and ended up doing her dreamfeed much later than I typically had been, and it was close to the time she had been habitually waking in the night.

She skipped the habitual wake that night and every night after that. 

Wake to sleep is quite easy to try and worth a shot if you have baby consistently waking early or waking in the night anyway.

>>>Read: Baby Sleeping Through the Night: Top Tips to Make It Happen

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PICK UP/PUT DOWN

The pick up/put down method can be used to help baby fall asleep initially or after she wakes early.

Hogg says that when you first start this, you might be doing it for an entire nap period. She says it is important to stick to feeding times, so if/when mealtime comes, stop the pick up/put down sequence and do the feeding.

The information on this method covers pages 251-263, so there is a lot more than I will put. Here is the info for you so you can see if you are interested.

Basically, you pick the baby up and hold him until she stops crying. Then you lay him down. If he starts to cry, you pick up, hold, wait for him to stop crying, then put him back down. You do this until he falls asleep or until it is feeding time.

This can be done for naps or for night wakings. 

Hogg says to not do this until baby is 4-5 months old because it is too stimulating before that age. She also says you can do this 100 times or more before the baby will fall asleep.

>>>Read: How To Finally Stop the 45 Minute Intruder

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TROUBLESHOOTING EARLY WAKING

Let’s discuss specific solutions for common scenarios. Even with the best intentions and techniques, helping your baby sleep through naps doesn’t always go smoothly. Understanding how to adjust your approach based on specific situations can make the difference between frustration and success. Here’s how to troubleshoot the most common early waking scenarios.

When Baby Wakes at Different Time Intervals

You will have a different response to early waking depending on how early the waking was.

The 20-Minute Wake-Up

If your baby consistently wakes around the 20-minute mark, this is typically different from the classic 45-minute intruder. The 20-minute wake usually indicates one of these issues:

Overtiredness: Your baby may have been awake too long before the nap. At this early wake point, your baby hasn’t even completed one full sleep cycle yet. Check your wake windows and consider shortening them by 10-15 minutes for the next few days.

>>>Read: Optimal Waketime Length: Finding Baby Wake Windows

Environmental disruption: Something in the sleep environment may be disturbing your baby right as they transition into deeper sleep. Common culprits include sudden noises, temperature changes, or uncomfortable clothing.

Solution for 20-minute waking: Don’t use wake to sleep for this pattern, as your baby isn’t even reaching the typical sleep cycle transition. Instead:

  • Review and tighten your pre-nap routine
  • Ensure the sleep environment is optimal (dark, appropriate temperature, white noise)
  • Shorten wake windows by 15 minutes
  • When baby wakes, give them 5-10 minutes to see if they’ll resettle on their own before intervening
  • If intervention is needed, try gentle patting or shushing in the crib first before picking up

The 30-35 Minute Wake-Up

This wake time sits between the early startle wake and the classic 45-minute intruder. It often signals that your baby is transitioning between sleep cycles but struggling with the shift.

Solution for 30-35 minute waking:

  • Use wake to sleep, but adjust the timing to around 20-25 minutes into the nap
  • This earlier intervention can help bridge your baby through the transition before they fully wake
  • Be especially gentle with your rousing touch to avoid fully waking them

The Classic 45-Minute Wake-Up

This is the textbook sleep cycle transition wake. Your baby has completed one full sleep cycle and is struggling to initiate the next one.

Solution for 45-minute waking: This is the ideal scenario for both wake to sleep and pick up/put down methods as described above. Implement wake to sleep at the 30-35 minute mark, or be prepared with pick up/put down when your baby wakes.

>>>Read: How to Deal with the 45-Minute Intruder

Adjusting During Nap Transitions

Now let’s discuss how to respond when you are at a point when you need to drop different naps.

The 3-to-2 Nap Transition (Around 6-10 Months)

During this transition, early waking becomes more common because your baby’s sleep needs are shifting. Some days they need three naps, other days only two, creating inconsistency.

Signs you’re in this transition:

  • Third nap becomes very short or baby refuses it
  • First two naps seem shorter than usual
  • Baby seems undertired or overtired at various points in the day

How to adjust your approach:

  • Be more flexible with wake to sleep during this phase. Your baby’s sleep patterns are genuinely in flux, so what worked yesterday may not work today
  • On two-nap days, expect the first nap to be shorter initially. Instead of treating every 45-minute wake as problematic, accept that the first nap may naturally be shorter (60-75 minutes) while the second nap lengthens
  • Use pick up/put down selectively. If your baby has taken two solid naps and wakes early from a third nap, let them be done rather than pushing for more sleep they don’t need
  • Consider capping naps if your baby is getting too much daytime sleep, which can cause early waking

Timeline expectations: This transition typically takes 2-4 weeks. Be patient with the process and avoid strictly applying wake to sleep during this time, as the early waking may be developmentally appropriate.

The 2-to-1 Nap Transition (Around 14-22 Months)

This is often the most challenging nap transition, and early waking becomes extremely common during this period.

What makes this transition tricky:

  • The gap between two naps is too short, but one nap is too few
  • Your toddler may seem exhausted by early afternoon but then the single nap happens too early and they wake too early
  • Bedtime becomes complicated as you figure out the right amount of daytime sleep

How to adjust your approach:

  • Temporarily abandon strict wake to sleep schedules. During this 4-6 week transition, flexibility is more important than consistency
  • If your toddler wakes after 45 minutes from their single nap, this is truly problematic (unlike during the 3-to-2 transition where shorter naps were okay). Use pick up/put down or your preferred method to extend this nap
  • Consider a “nap rescue” approach: if your toddler wakes at 45 minutes from their one nap, do whatever works to get them back to sleep (stroller walk, car ride, contact nap) just for this transition period
  • Gradually push the single nap later by 15 minutes every few days until you reach the optimal time (usually between 12:00-1:00 PM)

Age-Specific Modifications

Here are some things to consider based on your baby’s current age.

For 3-Month-Olds

At three months, your baby is just beginning to develop more organized sleep patterns, but their sleep cycles are still maturing.

Key modifications:

  • Wake to sleep: Use very gentle touches. Three-month-olds wake easily, so you need an extremely light hand
  • Pick up/put down: This method is generally too stimulating for three-month-olds, as Tracy Hogg notes. If you choose to use it, expect to do more holding and less putting down. You might hold your baby until drowsy, then lay them down, rather than the strict pick-up-at-crying protocol
  • Alternative approach: At this age, many parents find success with the “shush-pat” method instead. Pat your baby’s back or bottom rhythmically while shushing, keeping them in the crib rather than picking up. You can also choose a different sleep training method all together.
  • Wake window precision: Three-month-olds have very narrow wake windows (usually 60-90 minutes). Being off by even 10 minutes can cause early waking, so timing is critical

Realistic expectations: At three months, one short nap per day is normal. Don’t expect all naps to be 90+ minutes.

For 5-6 Month-Olds

This is often the ideal age for implementing both wake to sleep and pick up/put down. Your baby’s sleep patterns are more established, but they’re still adaptable.

Key modifications:

  • Wake to sleep: Use at the standard 30-minute mark. You can be slightly less gentle with your touch than with younger babies
  • Pick up/put down: Follow the method as written. At this age, babies can typically handle the stimulation and will learn the skill of self-soothing more quickly
  • Consistency is crucial: Five to six-month-olds thrive on consistency. Once you start wake to sleep, commit to doing it for at least 3-5 days before evaluating effectiveness
  • Watch for rolling: If your baby has just learned to roll, early waking may spike temporarily as they practice this new skill during sleep transitions. You may need to give them extra time to work it out

Realistic expectations: At this age, you should see results from wake to sleep within 3-5 days if it’s going to work. With pick up/put down, expect the first few days to be exhausting, but improvement should come within a week.

For 8-Month-Olds

Eight-month-olds are more physically active and cognitively aware, which changes how these methods work.

Key modifications:

  • Wake to sleep: Your eight-month-old may be more resistant to being roused. You might need a slightly firmer touch, or they may have developed the ability to transition through sleep cycles on their own, making wake to sleep unnecessary
  • Pick up/put down becomes challenging: At this age, many babies get excited when picked up, thinking it’s playtime. Modifications include:
    • Pick up but keep your baby’s body positioned for sleep (don’t bring them to your shoulder in an alert position)
    • Keep the room very dark and boring
    • Avoid eye contact and don’t talk to your baby
    • Consider using the “pat and stay” method instead, where you pat them in the crib without picking up unless they’re very upset
  • Separation awareness: Eight-month-olds are developing object permanence and may have separation anxiety. They know you’re leaving the room, which can contribute to wake-ups

Realistic expectations: At eight months, if early waking persists despite these methods, it may be time to evaluate whether schedule adjustments are needed rather than continuing to focus on sleep training techniques.

For 10-12 Month-Olds

Approaching the one-year mark, your baby’s sleep needs and patterns are changing significantly.

Key modifications:

  • Wake to sleep: This method often loses effectiveness after 10 months. If you’ve been using it successfully, you may notice it stops working as your baby becomes better at either self-soothing or more resistant to your intervention
  • Pick up/put down: At this age, this method can backfire. Your baby may cry harder when put down, seeing it as a game or becoming more frustrated. Consider these alternatives:
    • Stay in the room and offer verbal reassurance without picking up
    • Use a modified version where you sit next to the crib and gradually reduce your presence over several days
    • Implement a “check and console” method where you periodically check in but don’t pick up
  • Schedule scrutiny: At this age, early waking is more often a schedule issue than a sleep skill issue. Before implementing any method, ensure wake windows are appropriate (usually 3-4 hours at this age)

Handling Multiple Wake-Ups in One Nap

When your baby wakes multiple times during a single nap period, it can feel particularly defeating. Here’s how to handle it:

First Wake-Up (Around 20-30 Minutes)

Action: Give your baby 3-5 minutes (or even 10!) to see if they’ll resettle independently. If not, use your chosen method (wake to sleep if you anticipated this, or gentle intervention like patting).

Why this matters: Some babies make noise during sleep transitions without fully waking. Rushing in too quickly can actually wake a baby who would have resettled on their own.

Second Wake-Up (Around 45 Minutes)

Action: This is your primary intervention point. Use pick up/put down or your preferred method more actively here.

Decision point: Ask yourself:

  • Has your baby been asleep for at least 45 minutes total (even if it was broken)?
  • Is your baby genuinely distressed or just fussing?
  • How long until the next feeding?

If your baby has been asleep for 45 minutes cumulatively and the next feeding is in less than 30 minutes, it may be better to end the nap and adjust the schedule forward.

Third Wake-Up (Around 60-70 Minutes)

Action: If your baby wakes a third time after you’ve already intervened twice, this is usually a sign to end the nap attempt.

Why: At this point, you risk creating negative associations with the sleep space. Your baby has also been partially awake or in light sleep for much of this “nap” and won’t be well-rested anyway.

Next steps:

  • End the nap and consider it a short nap day
  • Shorten the next wake window to prevent overtiredness
  • Make sure your baby gets a really solid next nap (you can even let baby sleep longer than usualy to make up for the short nap earlier)
  • Reflect on what might have caused the disrupted nap (overtiredness, undertiredness, environmental factors, developmental leap, illness)

The 45-Minute Rule for Multiple Interventions

If you find yourself intervening every 15-20 minutes throughout a nap, limit yourself to 45 minutes of total intervention time. For example:

  • 0-30 minutes: Baby sleeps
  • 30 minutes: Baby wakes, you intervene for 10 minutes, baby sleeps
  • 50 minutes: Baby wakes again, you intervene for 15 minutes, baby sleeps
  • 75 minutes: Baby wakes again
  • Decision time: You’ve now spent 25 minutes intervening. If you spend another 20 minutes, you’ll hit your limit. Consider whether it’s worth continuing or better to end the nap.

This prevents the nap from becoming more stressful than helpful for both of you.

When Pick Up/Put Down Makes Baby More Upset

For some babies and parents, pick up/put down backfires spectacularly. Here’s what to do:

Signs Pick Up/Put Down Isn’t Working

  • Your baby cries harder each time you put them down
  • The crying escalates rather than decreases over time
  • Your baby becomes increasingly alert and activated rather than calmer
  • You’ve been doing it for 30+ minutes with no improvement
  • Your baby seems angry or frustrated rather than just tired

Why does this happen?

Temperament mismatch: Some babies find the repeated picking up and putting down more frustrating than soothing. Spirited or high-intensity babies often fall into this category.

Parental stress transmission: If you’re feeling increasingly stressed or frustrated, your baby senses this, which can make them more upset.

Misinterpreted readiness: Your baby may not be showing the subtle signs of readiness to be put down. If you’re putting them down while they’re still truly upset (not just drowsy), they’ll resist.

Stimulation level: For sensitive babies, any intervention is stimulating. They need complete quiet and stillness, not repeated movement.

Alternative Approaches When Pick Up/Put Down Fails

1. The “Pick Up and Really Commit” Method Instead of the quick pick-up-until-quiet protocol, hold your baby until they’re fully calm and drowsy (even if this takes 10-15 minutes). Then put them down. This reduces the number of transitions.

2. The “Minimal Intervention” Approach Stay next to the crib and use:

  • Rhythmic patting
  • Shushing sounds
  • Placing your hand firmly on baby’s chest or back
  • Only pick up if baby is extremely distressed, then put down as soon as possible

3. The “Gradual Retreat” Method

  • Day 1-2: Hold your baby until drowsy, put down
  • Day 3-4: Hold your baby until calm but still awake, put down
  • Day 5-6: Pick up briefly to calm, put down sooner
  • Day 7+: Use only verbal and touch soothing

4. The “Complete Reset” Option If pick up/put down has created a negative association:

  • Take your baby out of the sleep space entirely
  • Do a calming activity for 10-15 minutes (read a book, look out the window, gentle rocking)
  • Start the nap routine over from the beginning
  • Try a different soothing method this time

5. Consider Your Baby’s Preference Some babies are “space babies” who need you to leave them alone to sleep, while others are “contact babies” who need your presence. If pick up/put down isn’t working, experiment:

  • For space babies: Try giving them more time alone to work it out, with less intervention
  • For contact babies: Try staying in the room without picking up, or holding them longer before putting down

4. A more traditional method for sleep training There are many ways to sleep train. Read about 7 great options here.

When to Stop Trying Pick Up/Put Down

Give pick up/put down a fair chance (3-4 days minimum), but recognize when to move on:

  • If your baby is becoming more upset with each attempt
  • If naptimes are becoming battles that stress both of you
  • If you’re not seeing any improvement after a week
  • If your intuition tells you this isn’t right for your baby

Remember: The goal is a well-rested baby and parent, not perfectly executed techniques. If a method isn’t working, it’s not a failure on your part. It’s simply information that helps you find what does work for your unique baby.

Creating Your Personalized Troubleshooting Plan

Use these questions to develop your own approach:

  1. What time is my baby waking? (This tells you which intervention timing to use)
  2. How old is my baby? (This determines which modifications to apply)
  3. Are we in a nap transition? (This affects whether early waking is temporary and expected)
  4. How does my baby respond to intervention? (This helps you choose between methods)
  5. What’s my stress tolerance? (Be honest about what you can sustain)

By matching the right solution to your specific scenario, you’ll have much greater success in helping your baby develop healthy nap habits.

CONCLUSION

These are a couple more options for you when your baby wakes early. This is great to try if you do not want to do any sort of cry it out sleep training. See Gentle Sleep Training: The Four S’s for instructions on how to do this gentle sleep training method.

RELATED POSTS

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This post first appeared on this blog in December 2009

45 thoughts on “Using Wake To Sleep and Pick Up/Put Down for Great Baby Sleep”

  1. …and to all those out there with chronic 45 nappers, sometimes there is no cure. I had one twin that took full naps and one who took 45 minute naps (waking up angry) until he started walking. I tried everything. A few days here and there I would get an hour and 20 minute nap but the very next day it was back to 45 minutes.So…I offer my sympathy.

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  2. Hi Val,My DD is a chronic 45 min napper, with a very rare and occasional 1 hour and 30 min nap. She is 11 months old now and has done this since she was 2.5 months old! I cannot even fathom doing the Baby Whisperer's advice!! I would NEVER wake my DD up from a nap unless we had an appointment to be at. That idea seems very counterproductive. I just leave her be – luckily, she usually wakes happy and is content to stay in her crib until naptime is over. You said that your son did this until he started walking. Interesting. Maybe the increase in physical activity wore him out more??? At any rate, my DD is already trying to walk, so maybe our days of longer naps are right around the corner! I am praying and thinking real hard about transitioning her to one nap a day to see if that helps. I am pretty scared to do this, but I can't stop toying with the idea! Thanks for sharing!Amy

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  3. Thank you for posting!! My 4 month old has been a chronic 45 minute napper for almost 2 months. I had tried everything….I just tried the "waking up at 30 minutes" trick and he fussed for about 5-10 minutes and then went back to sleep for another hour and a half!!! WOW! My question is does the book say how long you would need to do that to break them of the habit of waking at 45 minutes? I am so shocked that this worked! I figured if it didn't- no big deal…I'd go back to his 45 minute routine but the problem with him is that he'd wake up smiling but then be fussy alot before his feeding time so I still think he needed more of a nap. I will see if he's able to sleep past me waking his up- like I said, I've only tried it once! but WOW!

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  4. Hello Lettow Family,Tracy says to do it for at least three days/nights, though it sometimes works on the first day/night (p.191)

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  5. Lettow Family,Glad this worked for you! I probably would have tried it when my baby was a lot younger if I knew about the method. My DD is now 11 months old, and I don't think that this would work for her. She has been taking 45 minutes naps for so long, I think it is too late to try to interfere. But, based on your success, maybe I will be brave enough to try this with the next baby! (I am PRAYING I don't have to deal with the 45 min intruder again, though!)Amy

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  6. So funny that I just barely bought and read this book due to my 8-month-old, who for the past month has decided to do 45 min. naps and wake up really mad! So, my question is if anyone has tried the Pick up/put down idea. I tried it, but the book said that I might be too much of a distraction if my son sees me (which is so true in my case), and it also says not to pick them up/fight them, if they are pushing away, etc. (Which my son did every time I tried it.) So, in essence, is it really just having him CIO if he won't let me pick him up, and if he shouldn't see me? Any advice on how to really implement this? I've tried CIO, and with naps, he'll just cry the entire nap time until his next eating. So, I'd like to give it a try, but am not sure how to! Anyone know?

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  7. I started PU/PD at six months when we weaned her off the soother. It was super successful (1.5 days until no crying when I put her down and then another day of crying a couple days later). If she has trouble settling now (7 months) I sit where she can't see me and "shh…". It works. She knows that I am there, but my physical presence does not distract her.

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  8. "The Letlow Family" I had a few successes with wake to sleep method here and there but it was not "a cure". I did it consistently each nap (two naps a day) for 3 weeks. I would say it worked about 20% of the time. I honestly just got tired of doing it. He would sleep 1hr and 10-20 minute when I would do it and still be just as mad when he woke up. If it was just him I had to focus on I guess I would have kept it up but I just had too much to do with twins. He survived fine on his 2 45 minute naps a day, just didn't leave much downtime for me.And yes, I think the walking physical exercise (started walking) is what finally did the trick. One day we ran in the backyard hard for almost an hour. He slept 3 solid hours for #2 and I was in shock.He just took a 45 minute nap today (they're 18 months now) but it's because we've been trapped inside with horrible rain. Going to be a long afternoon!Final thought…I "suffer" with the same thing when my sleep cycles transition. After falling asleep for a nap, at 30 minutes my heart will start racing and it's like I get a jolt of adrenaline in my body, I actually feel myself coming out of sleep and I can not get back to sleep. I think my son has the same issue with transitioning from 1 cycle to the next. My daughter would sleep all day if I let her, just like my husband

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  10. Thanks MHO! I think you are one of the first I have heard from that have used it and had it work! Thanks for sharing!

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  12. Napping problems. My daughter will be 20 weeks old on Thursday, Feb 11, 2010. She eats at 7:30a, 10:30a, 1:15p, 4:45p and 8:00p and sleeps through the night. The problem is she is only napping in her crib for 45 minutes to 1 hour at each nap and then I move her to a swing where she sometimes will fall back to sleep and sometimes just stay awake until the next feeding. She is napping 4 times a day right now. Any suggestions on how to get her to sleep longer???

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  13. Hi Samantha,You could try moving her to a 4 hour schedule. The Baby Whisperer & Baby Wise indicate that most babies can move to a 4 hour schedule around 4 months. If you have the book, "The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems", Tracy gives an outline of how to move from a 3-4 hour schedule, beginning with the first interval of the day. I did not know about this 3-4 hour switch and was hesitant because all medical people say that a baby should have 6-8 feeds a day. This schedule resulted in 5 feeds and then 4 feeds per day for me. It did make a world of a difference in my 5 months old when I began doing it. She was much happier and so was I.

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  14. MHO, Thanks for answering my last question. Do you think I would need to wait until I started some solids first before doing a 4 hour schedule. I am not sure about dropping another feeding already. I didn't do a 4 hour schedule with my other two until they were 6-7 months old if I remember right. What is the pick up/put down that some others are talking about? Also I saw something else about waking up at 30 minutes – what does that entail? I have a just turned 2 yo boy and so not sure I would have a lot of time to do these things. Thanks for your help.

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  17. Hi Samantha,So…Val has given me the go-ahead which is kinda exciting because I really do enjoy brainstorming and trouble-shooting this kinda thing. Here are my thoughts:1. 4-Hour Schedule: Yes, you can move to a 4-hour schedule before introducing solids. Keep in mind Val's latest post, "Feed Baby When Hungry."2. Pick-Up/Put-Down: PU/PD is basically teaching your baby how to sleep. It is saying, I realize that you are having trouble sleeping right now and mommy is going to help you through it. Here are your steps: i) If your baby cries (i.e. "help me now" cry), pick her up and soothe her for no more than 5 minutes.ii) Once she is soothed or after 5 minutes have passed, place her fully back in the crib.iii) If she begins crying again, repeat steps i and ii until she settles. Note that this method is most effective with babies between 4-6 months. Commit to it for at least 3 days. You may end up PU/PD up to 50 times in one session before your baby falls asleep. 3. Wake-to-Sleep Method: If your baby has difficulty transitioning through sleep cycles, go to her room after she has been sleeping 30 minutes. Rub her tummy or touch her head so that she stirs. The intent is that you disrupt her sleep cycle so that she can ease into the next one.

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  18. Samatha, Is this short napping new or has it been going on the whole time? I think the answer to that determines your course of action. Be sure you read through the "naps: troubleshooting–revised and updated."If it is a new thing, it might be a growth sput or wonder week situation (see blog labels on each).If it has been going on basically always, then there are several possible appproaches. Let me know which it is.

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  20. Samantha,Since this is how she has pretty much always been, then I would start with some basics. First, be sure she isn't hungry. If she is waking early due to hunger, she will continue doing so until her growth spurt needs are met.Second, be sure your waketime length is correct. See the label "optimal waketime" for help on getting that right. Third, be sure you are consistent with your sleep routine and having her fall asleep initially on her own. Good luck!

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  21. Thank you for your blog! It has been so helpful for me!Please help!My daughter is 6 weeks old. We have been implementing the babywise schedule from Week 1 but have consistently CIO week 4. She is on a 3 hour schedule. She is formula fed. She eats at night at 7:30-8 and will wake naturally after 5 hours. Then she cries and eats 12:30-1 and then she varies between a 3 to 4 hour stretch until 3am/ 4am and then she can only do 2.5 hours and MAYBE 3 hours until 7. Obviously this is not her waketime and if continued every day she would wake up 30 min- 1 hour earlier. Do you have any suggestions? Should I try feeding her more in the day? At night? Let her CIO when she wakes up?This is not the big issue. The BIG issue is that she will NOT nap. She's on a 7:30/10:30/1:30/4:30/7:30She goes down beautifully for the 7:30 and maybe one other nap.Usually at the 7:30-1:30 she does not nap. With CIO and the 4 S's (especially the sitting you speak of) she goes down pretty well. At most she will cry for 30 min. But either she just whimpers the whole rest of the time mixed in with crying OR she falls asleep for 30-45 minutes and wakes up. What should I do when she does not fall asleep and just lays there? What should i do when she wakes up? I have read all your posts about the swing, playing with her until the next feeding. But none of them seem to work. Also I have shortened her waketime so short she is barely awake including feeding for 40 min. That seems so short for a almost 7 week.Should I not be concerned with day time naps if the night is pretty consistent? On one hand I think if she does sleep well for each nap she would sleep 8+ hours in the day and at night she might not sleep. But I am at home with her in the day and I just don't know what to do. Each time she won't sleep or wakes up I am so lost!Please please I need some help.

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  22. Lailah,For the night, are you sure she is taking a full feeding each time she eats in the night? And if she is waking naturally at 7 each day, I would say you have to basically just accept that is the time she wants to wake up.Sleep begets sleep, so you do want to be concerned about naps in the day. I suggest you look at the "optimal waketime" blog label and get my spreadsheet for figuring that out. That should help you figure out what works best for her. Good luck!

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  23. Val, (or anyone else who wants to answer this :)) When would you implement CIO for mid-nap waking? Baby girl is almost 11 weeks, she goes down for every nap perfectly with 4S's (but I only do the first 3 as you did with Mckenna) no crying at all. But without fail, she wakes up about 1 hour in. She has between 50-60 min of awake time (with feeding) and then is down, so I am pretty positive it's not an overstimulation problemI know her hunger cry and I know it's not hunger. she is on 3 hour BFing schedule. If I go in and pat her and put passy in she falls asleep for another hour, same if I move her to the swing. So she will sleep around 2 hours 3x a day (yay!) but for some reason wakes mid way through. My main focus has been getting on a good 3 hour nursing schedule to get her metabolism established. Now that we are pretty routine with that, I'd like to tackle this mid-nap waking. Thanks for any suggestions or advice. I've hesitated posting questions because I know if it takes 2 weeks to answer- everything will be different 🙂 newborns change SO fast!! As always, LOVE the blog. I recommend it to all my mom friends!

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  24. Greenfields,You know, my rule in my head is about 5 months old. Then you are past the constant growth spurts and past the four month dleep difficulty.Some moms do it earlier, though.So go with your gut. If you think she is ready and able, go for it. Otherwise, I would probably wait it out and see if you can figure out the reason for the waking. In fact, I would make sure there isn't some factor you can change before you do it. Is there some noise? Too hot? Too cold? Too much light? Good luck!

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  25. My 9 week old almost always wakes up 25-30 minutes into his nap and I have no idea why. He has been doing this regularly for several weeks. Sometimes I can get him to go back to sleep by shhing and patting him for a few minutes (and often giving him his paci), but other times it is impossible to get him to go back to sleep. We are on a 2.5 to 3 hour nursing schedule during the day and when he wakes up early, it is usually way too soon for him to eat again and I'm not sure what to do with him. I have tried shortening his waketimes, but that doesn't seem to be working.At night, he will usually sleep three or four hours without waking up to eat, and most of the time he doesn't completely wake up and goes right back to sleep after eating. At some point, it would be great if he slept for longer than 3or 4 hours at night, but my biggest concern is his refusal to take a decent nap during the day. It leaves him cranky and me frazzled. We haven't really tried CIO yet, but I think I am getting ready to try it. Any suggestions for how to start with nap times?

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  26. Courtney, the first thing to check is optimal waketime. See the blog label "optimal waketime" for help with that.See also "naps: troubleshooting–revised and updated" for help in figuring this out.

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  27. Hi,I have a 16 week old and she was doing the 45 min thing since about three weeks old. I tried letting her cry it out but that only worked for putting her down to sleep, not when she woke up after 45 as she would cry until her next feed. I tried leaving her ten min and going in and that worked a bit but then other times when she was fully crying in between those times she just wouldn't settle. I tried extending the times which I went in to settle her (just putting the dummy in, patting her and pulling the wrap back around her) but she would still cry until I went in. One weekend my husband was in charge and I gave him strict instructions to not go in until ten min which he ignored. Ever since then I go in at 45 min when she crys and she normally only needs the one settle and she goes back to sleep. I asked my other babywise friends I this was creating a bad habit as I don't want to so that and they said yes,But I'm just wondering what to do? She sleeps so much better now.

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  28. Also she has been waking up regularly at about 430am over the last few weeks. I just go in and stick her dummy in and I've stopped wrapping her at night- she's in a sleeping bag now, but I just dont know that letting her CIO will work? It doesn't seem to have during the day and I just don't know if im being a wuss and I just need to stomach a few sleepless nights…

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  29. I am not actually a fan of crying mid-nap at that young of an age. It seems to rarely work. Moms who find it works tend to be more around 6ish or older months. If she is still doing it, I would continue to go in for now to resettle her. That way, you will be training her body to sleep that long and keeping the feeding schedule at 3 hours. Do be sure to watch for growth spurts. Also, be sure to check out the "chronic 45 minute nap" posts because that could be what is going on for your baby.

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  30. Dear Babywise Mom,My 8 1/2 week old has begun doing the strangest thing recently…he wakes up every 3-5 minutes during his naps and cries for a minute or two, and then goes back to sleep. This has happened several times recently, but never before that- he was a stellar napper. He sleeps through the night, so I think he can put himself back to sleep well, but nap time is just CRAZY! It might be relevant to mention that he is VERY constipated- he doesn't go to the bathroom on his own almost ever, and every 5-7 days I give him a suppository because he seems so uncomfortable. His doc said not to do it too much or else he'll rely on it. But even this evening, I gave him one and he had a messy diaper right after, but then the two naps after that he still woke up every several minutes. Each time he does that, I feed him again after it's been 2.5 hours since his last feeding, even though we're normally on a 3 hour schedule, just so that he's not crying for longer. I also give him gas drops semi-regularly because he seems to always have trapped gas. I'm breastfeeding him, and for his first 4 weeks he had a messy diaper almost every time I changed him, then all of a sudden they were basically never. The doc didn't seem to worry, and said it's just his digestive system being immature still, but that doesn't make sense considering he was fine for a month, and that for his second month he's not been able to go by himself. Could it be something I'm eating? I try to drink a lot of water. Would giving him juice, gripe water, or water help? I don't even know if that's related, because he does still have naps that are just fine. Plus all night he's super- not a peep all night. I would usually just let him CIO, but given the fact that he already learned that and was doing so great, and then all of a sudden changed, combined with the gas and constipation, I am not as confident that it will fix it. Waking that frequently just baffles me. He's not cold, or hot, and we swaddle him so he's not startling himself awake, the room is dark, there is no noise…I can't figure it out. HELP!

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  31. I might have figured it out- I think I was putting him down for his naps too early. I think after the 45 minutes I was doing, he was tired enough to fall asleep for 10 or 15 minutes, but not tired enough to stay asleep. Then he'd wake up, and get a second wind from his short little nap, and not be able to stay asleep for the rest of it. I moved his wake time fro 45-50 minutes to an hour and ten minutes, and he falls asleep and usually stays asleep beautifully. Is it common to need to increase the wake time as they get older?

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  32. Caitlin, I am glad you figured it out! It is totally normal for waketime length to change even weekly in those early months. It is a constant job figuring it all out! As for the constipation, I would suggest you stop the suppository use unless under direction from the doctor. It can cause problems if you use it consistently. I would give gas drops regularly, and watch your own food intake. I wouldn't give him juice unless his doctor says to. You eating constipating foods (like dairy) can impact him.Good luck!

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  33. I just wanted to say that I LOVE PU/PD. I used it with great success with my first son. We did cry it out when he was younger and it worked, but was so hard emotionally to listen to him scream. When he was older (around 9 or 10 months I'm thinking) we got back into a bad habit of him nursing at night. He was sick and would wake up several times at night so I started nursing him back to sleep. He had a croupy cough and I didn't want to let him cry and make his throat worse. After he was better he was then in the habit of still waking up to eat. I stopped feeding him and just walked him back to sleep hoping that he would then start going back to sleeping through the night. He didn't, so I tried PU/PD. The first night I did it about 130 times (Hogg says it takes longer the older your child is), but the second night was only about 25 times and the third night was 3 times and then he slept fine from there on out. We had one other sleep disruption time about a month later that included naps so I started during the day with his nap and within a 24 hour period we were back on track for both naps and nighttime. This also worked well for getting him to be able to go to sleep on his own rather than needing to be walked or put in a swing. I had to do PU/PD at the start of his nap only a couple of times and then he learned to soothe himself and go to sleep for naps without crying. CIO works too, but I find PU/PD to be much less emotionally stressful on everyone and plan to use it for any future sleep problems with other children. Right now I have a 3 month old who is sleeping beautifully, but PU/PD will be my first go to if we have night time problems in the future. Thanks for this blog, Val. It has been a wonderful resource for me that I have turned to many times!!

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  34. Actually, it was at his doctor's recommendation that I try diluted juice and glycerin, because sometimes he'd be obviously uncomfortable. But since then, his doc did some asking around, and said that some babies are just like that- and I spoke to a friend of mine who said that both of her kids were the same way- they'd go ten days with nothing, and then blow out. So I kinda stopped worrying about it. Have you ever heard of other kids like that who were exclusively breast fed?P.S. Ann, I like PU/PD too! In all respects my son is a textbook baby except for crying- at first I had to pick him up about four times, then two, now one or none. 🙂

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  36. Caitlin, I haven't heard of that long, but I have heard going a long time is normal. I don't blame you for worrying about it! I am glad you have been able to come to a conclusion.

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  37. My five week old has a relatively predictable 2 1/2 to 3 hour feeding cycle, but tends to eat, have very little waketime, sleep for about 45 minutes, then wake and stay fussy until time to eat again. This is her morning schedule, but then she takes a feeding to feeding nap in the afternoon, but usually in the moby wrap or in my arms/on my chest. Any tips? Thanks so much!

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  38. Laura, assuming she doesn't have reflux or pain of some sort, it sounds like she is just used to sleeping while being held. If you want her to sleep in her bed, then that is where you have to put her to sleep. Make sure you have the waketime length correct.

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  39. Thanks so much for your blog. I have a question about naps. I have twin 5 week old daughters. They nap GREAT for the first nap of the day, after their 8 AM feeding. I put them down at around 9 AM, and I have to go in and wake them up at 11 for their next feeding. However, for every subsequent nap in the day, they will only sleep for 20-30 minute increments! I have tried to let them CIO, tried reswaddling, going in to pat their back…it seems like nothing is helping. Should their waketime be longer as the day goes on, or should i shorten it because they could be getting overstimulated? Thanks so much, any help would be greatly appreciated.

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  40. McKenna had a progressively longer waketime length throughout the day.I would first try to tone down stimulation and then if that dosn't work, add five minutes waketime at a time.

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  41. Hello.. My baby is 18 weeks almost 4months.. We've never had great napping, always kinda of inconsistent. Worked awhile on wake time and always assumed it was the problem but not sure it really is/was. We've been doing CIO since Saturday for day sleep as her nights are great she sleeps from 730-545/6 and goes back asleep till wake time at 8am.. I haven't seen much progress with our CIO for day. She goes down no problem or crying at about 1hr 20min wake time. I've been letting her cry when she wakes after 45min-1 to the next feeding time.. Usually about an hour, she'll cry on and off.. Wondering how long CIO takes when doing it mid nap? Feeling very discouraged and wonder if I need to adjust

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  42. Please help!I did Babywise with my son and he is a GREAT sleeper still to this day at 21 months.My daughter is 9 weeks and we started eat/play/sleep from the start but rocked her to sleep. Fast forward to about 8 weeks and she was starting to need to be rocked during sleep transitions and her 7 hour stretch that she was doing at night shortened to 4 hours. that's when I decided we needed to do CIO. She is back to sleeping 8-9 hours a night but her naps are a problem.Her first nap I put her down when she starts fussing which is usually only about 30-40 minutes after she wakes up. She cries for 5-10 minutes and then is out. She sleeps for 2-2.5 hours without a peep. Then for her second nap, I'm at a loss. She will be happy for roughly 40 minutes and then gets fussy. I take that as her sleep cue and put her down. She cries for 15-20 minutes before finally falling asleep. But then she wakes only 30-40 minutes later crying. She is swaddled and I've tried CIO at that time but she will just continue crying for a long time and never falls back asleep. I finally go pick her up and she will fall asleep with me holding her but won't stay asleep if I put her down. She hates the swing so we can't have her finish her nap there. Ive tried extending her awake to to 1 hour but the same thing happens. Your easy nap fix says to shorten awake time but I can't imagine she needs less than 30-40 minutes of awake time? Any advice? I am SO desperate for help!

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  43. My baby boy is 2 and a half weeks old and was initially sleeping contently during naps and at night. the past 3 nights and days however have been a little more difficult as he is waking early from about 2 to 3 naps a day, and waking before his normal feed times in the night. If I give him his pacifier sometimes that does the trick, but sometimes it doesn't. I am wondering if he could be having gas pains, or maybe reflux like his brother did. If this is the case, would that be a reason for him to suddenly start waking early from naps and at night?? Help! 🙂

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  44. Hello,My baby is 8 weeks. He has been on a 2:30-3:00 schedule. Just recently he started to stretch his night feedings.Some days he takes long naps. Like he wakes up at 7:00 and is down for his nap at 8:00, but doens't wake up until 11:00. Should I wake him up at 10:00 to keep him on the schedule?Thanks

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