Summer is most notorious for bringing disruptions to our children’s sleep. Between vacations, later evenings, and long hours of daylight, many families make peace with some sleep disruptions for their little ones.
We know that once the vacation is over or the nights become longer and darker, most family members (hopefully) fall back into a predictable and appropriate sleep routine, especially if older kids are in school and adhering to a bedtime and waketime all week.
However, I find that Fall often brings its own set of challenges for baby and child sleep. Let’s talk about those today!
Stay the Course
First and most importantly, no matter the sleep disruptions, I always recommend that families stay the course in pursuing their sleep goals or sticking with the framework that is working for their family. You could even call this my mantra as a sleep consultant: stay the course!
Keep the big picture in mind and steer your child’s sleep in that direction, even if it’s a little up and down over time. No matter what you’re working on or dealing with, be it a ‘sleep regression,’ a time zone change, an illness, or a late-night family event, keep your goals in mind.
Make exceptions as needed or as appropriate (life happens!) but be aware of when things should be getting back to normal. For example, after a child has recovered from an illness, don’t let those middle-of-the-night exceptions you rightfully made become the new norm.
Continue reading “Dealing with Fall Sleep Disruptions by Audra Juraska”
