Sleep
Helpful Tips from your Postpartum Experts
Figuring out how to help your baby sleep can feel overwhelming, but understanding how and why babies learn to sleep makes it easier. This section offers evidence-based insight into baby sleep development, gentle training methods, and the science behind wake windows and routines. You’ll find guidance for every stage—from newborn sleep patterns to toddler transitions—plus expert tips on creating safe, consistent sleep habits that work for your family.
My Baby Only Sleeps When Held [Why It Happens and What Helps]
If you’ve found yourself holding your baby while nodding off at 2am because your newborn only sleeps on you and wakes up as soon as you try to transition to the bassinet or crib, you’re not alone. Babies preferring to sleep in arms is one of the most common [and...
Why Newborns Fight Sleep [And How to Help Them Settle]
Newborns are meant to sleep up to 20 hours a day, so why does it sometimes feel like they NEVER want to sleep! Many parents find themselves pacing, rocking, feeding, and trying everything they can think of, only to have their newborn resist sleep completely. It can feel confusing, especially...
How to Get a Newborn to Sleep at Night [And What to Do When Nothing Works]
At Well Supported Family, we provide overnight newborn care to hundreds of families every year, so we truly understand the struggle of frequent wakings when it feels like the baby is always awake. If you’re up all night wondering what you’re doing wrong, you’re not alone. Newborn sleep is rarely...
Time to Spring Forward: Daylight Saving Time Tips for Parents
Spring is right around the corner! While the warmer temps and colorful blooms are definitely welcome, parents are not excited to set the clocks ahead an hour for Daylight Saving Time. Daylight Saving Time Change 2026 begins at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 8, 2026. That means when 1:59 a.m....
Newborn Day-Night Confusion: Why Your Baby’s Days and Nights Feel Backward [and How to Fix Reverse Cycling]
Being awake all night with a newborn can feel overwhelming, especially when your baby seems wide awake at 2 a.m. and sleepy all afternoon. One of the most common reasons for this early exhaustion is newborn day-night confusion, sometimes called reverse cycling. Day-night confusion happens because your baby’s internal clock...
5 Month Old Baby Sleep Schedule: Wake Windows, Naps & Sleep Training
Baby sleep at 5 months is a mix of things finally starting to feel more predictable with a few new curveballs that can pop up just when you think you have a rhythm going. Many babies stabilize after the 4-month sleep shift, become more alert during awake time, and start...
Baby Wake Windows: How to Time Naps by Age to Prevent Overtiredness
Wake windows can feel like one of those mysterious baby sleep concepts everyone mentions but no one really explains. The good news? Once you understand what wake windows are and how they work, your days become more predictable and your baby’s sleep usually becomes easier, sometimes dramatically so. What is...
4 Month Old Baby Sleep Schedule: Wake Windows, Naps & Bedtime Routine
Four months marks a big transition in your baby’s sleep — and possibly yours, too. Many families start noticing changes right around this age as babies move out of that “newborn sleep” stage and into more mature sleep patterns. The catch? Those changes can sometimes feel like a step backward...
3 Month Old Sleep Schedule: Wake Windows, Naps & Bedtime Routine
Three months, what a milestone! You’ve made it through the fourth trimester, and life with your baby might finally be starting to feel a little more predictable than the chaos of the first few weeks or even the first and second months where things were rapidly changing . Your little...
2 Month Old Sleep Schedule: Wake Windows, Naps & Bedtime Routine
You’re two months in, congratulations! You’ve officially made it past the trenches of navigating the first few weeks of newborn sleep while navigating changing sleep habits in the first month. At this point, your baby is probably starting to feel a little more like a real person. They’re more alert,...
The Witching Hour for Babies: How to Help Your Fussy Newborn Stop Crying
It’s four p.m. and you feel yourself starting to brace for the inevitable newborn tantrum as the clock inches towards five. Every night the anxiety of evening looms over your head, haunting your waking hours with dread that you’ll face another sleepless night of an inconsolable baby. As if prompted...
Time to Fall Back: The End to Daylight Savings Time
Time to Fall Back: The End to Daylight Savings Time Every fall in early November is the end of Daylight savings time. Time to turn back the clocks and score another hour of sleep. Sounds delightful, right? Well, it is, unless you have a child that will be waking at...
1 Month Old Sleep Schedule: Wake Windows, Naps & Bedtime Routine
Congratulations on surviving the first few weeks of parenthood! If you’re here, you’re probably running coffee and wondering when life will start to feel predictable again. At one month old, babies have moved out of the complete unpredictability of the newborn sleep schedule but are still adjusting to life outside...
Sleep Deprivation After Having a Baby: Survival Tips
After nine long months of pregnancy, your baby is finally here! For the first few days, adrenaline and pure excitement are your fuel. At the hospital you’re learning how to breastfeed, healing from birth, and getting to know your little one. Nursing staff is available 24/7 to help you. But...
When do babies sleep through the night? Help your newborn sleep better sooner
Congratulations! If you’re reading this you probably have a new baby and are REALLY tired. Hopefully we can find the perfect balance between hope and reality as we get into when babies naturally sleep through the night! When do babies sleep through the night? Let's talk about it. What does...
Simple Bedtime Routines That Help Babies Sleep Better
There’s nothing quite like a peaceful bedtime. Soft lights, a sleepy baby, and a moment to exhale after a long day. For many new parents, bedtime can feel more like a scramble than a soothing ritual. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Establishing a bedtime routine can help bring...
Newborn Sleep Challenges [And How We Help Parents Overcome Them]
If you’re in the first few months of life with a new baby, chances are that sleep is top of mind, and probably in short supply. Those early weeks can bring unpredictable wakeups, short naps, and lots of questions about what’s “normal.” You’re not imagining it. Newborn sleep is complex,...
White Noise, Pink Noise, and Brown Noise: What’s the Difference and How Do They Support Infant Sleep?
Those early weeks with a newborn can feel like a blur of feedings, diaper changes, and precious, though often elusive, moments of sleep. Amid the swirl of new routines and tiny baby sounds, many families turn to sound machines to help settle their little ones. But did you know not...
2025 Baby Sleep Trends: What’s New in Newborn Care?
Trends come and go! We're going to explore some 2025 baby sleep trends, but at the end of the day, we'll always tie back into what is safe for newborn sleep. As a team of Newborn Care Specialist, Postpartum Doulas, RNs, LPNs and Sleep Consultants, it's important that we stay...
How much do Newborns Sleep? How many hours at a time? Newborn Sleep: What to Expect
The expression “sleeping like a baby” brings to mind a long, quiet snooze. But on the same token, new parents are warned that their little bundle of joy will arrive with a big serving of sleep deprivation. What can parents truly expect when it comes to newborn sleep? Let’s dig...
Sound Machines: All your questions answered
Sound Machines! You have questions, and we have answers! As professionals, we love sound machines. As Newborn Care Specialists, we highly recommend sound machines and will bring them with us when we go to a new client’s house in case they don’t have one. In my opinion they are an...
Newborn Sleep Schedule: Help your baby sleep longer (so you can too!)
Do you have a newborn? Are you getting ready to have a newborn?! Either way, you’re here because you have questions about your newborn’s sleep schedule. Take a deep breath and let us help get your baby on a sleep schedule that works for you, your baby and the whole...
How to Soothe a Baby Who Won’t Settle (Even When You’ve Tried Everything)
When your baby is upset, parents want to do whatever it takes to soothe them quickly. If you're out of options, here are some tips from the experts that you can try. Tip One: Tune In When that shrill cry from your new baby pulls at your heartstrings, the first...
How To Gently Sleep Train A Newborn Baby (Without Crying Yourself To Sleep)
One of the most commonly asked questions from our overnight newborn care clients at Well Supported Family is “Can you sleep train my newborn?” Well, the answer depends on what your definition of sleep training newborns is! What is sleep training? At Well Supported Family, we feel like the definition...
The 5 S’s: How to Soothe a Fussy Baby
Do you ever feel lost on how to soothe a fussy baby? After nine months in the perfectly warm and cozy womb, our bright, loud world can be totally overwhelming for newborns. All babies cry to communicate their needs. A cry could mean baby is cold, wet, hungry, tired, overstimulated,...
Baby Nap Schedule by Month: How many naps & how long should they be?
Napping 101: Nap Schedules A healthy nap routine is a key part of your baby’s well-being. Many parents wonder when their new baby will be able to sleep through the night but overlook the importance of healthy daytime sleep. When babies get the sleep they need during the day, they...
Understanding the 4 month sleep regression:
POV: You're a few months into parenthood, and you’re finally hitting your stride. Your baby’s nap routine is on point, your baby falls asleep easily, and is sleeping (mostly) through the night. Then, out of nowhere, your 3-5 month old starts fighting naps, crying for you at bedtime, and waking...
How to create an ideal sleep environment for your baby
Are you wondering how to create an ideal sleep environment for your baby? You’ve come to the right place! In this post, we’ll share the three main components needed to foster a healthy sleep space. Spoiler, these tips usually work wonders for children and adults, too! Temperature Room temperature plays...
Eat. Play. Sleep.
What IS Eat Play Sleep? Should I put my baby on a nap schedule? What IS an appropriate nap schedule for a newborn? If you ask ten different moms what’s typical for newborn sleep, you will undoubtedly get ten different answers. If you ask ten different sleep professionals what’s typical for newborn...
Baby Sleep Regressions: Signs, Sleep Training, and How to Survive
Bringing a new life into the world is an exhilarating experience, full of joy, surprises, but also [of course], many sleepless nights. Just when you think you've got a handle on your little one's sleep patterns, sleep regression might throw you a curveball, disrupting what precious rest you've managed to...
When to Transition Out of a Swaddle
Swaddling is a universal tool that benefits babies and parents alike. Swaddling a newborn is a safe practice that replicates the snug feeling of the womb, which helps babies transition smoothly to life on the outside. Ultimately, though, swaddling can't last forever. As newborns hit certain developmental milestones, swaddling with...
Sleep Tips for Traveling with a Baby
Are you planning to travel with your baby? Traveling with a baby can feel overwhelming, particularly when it comes to sleep. A lot of parents wonder how their baby will sleep while away from home. Don’t stress! It’s totally possible for your baby to sleep well while traveling. Read on...
What is a dream feed?
There’s a lot to learn about infant sleep! New parents have to navigate a lot of new information, research, and philosophies when learning about infant sleep. One term that’s new for many parents is called a “dream feed.” What is a dream feed? Let’s find out! Feeding a sleeping baby...
The Link Between Baby Playtime and Naptime
Parents know that newborns spend a LOT of time eating and sleeping. In the early days, parents dutifully record baby’s pees and poops, spend weeks getting the hang of breastfeeding or bottle feeding, and try to squeeze in as much sleep as possible. But when the haze of the newborn...
Safe Sleep Practices for Babies: The ABC’s of Safe Sleep
Safe sleep practices for babies are essential in lowering infant mortality. With all the many things to learn about raising a new baby, safe sleep practices are among the most important. But sleep deprivation and the stressors of parenting can lead many new parents to feel uncertain and confused about...
How to Keep Your Sleeping Baby Safe
Learn About Safe Sleep Practices for Babies As a new parent, one of the most important topics to learn about is how to keep your sleeping baby safe. Newborns spend on average 14-17 hours a day sleeping, but those sleep periods are brief and can easily lead to sleep deprivation...
SIDS Fact Sheet
SIDS. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. It's in the back of every new parent's mind. Nobody wants to think about their baby dying, but sometimes knowing the facts can take away the power and fear of the unknown. Most SIDS deaths happen between 1 month and 4 months of age SIDS...
Confessions of a Sleep Trainer
Special Guest Post by Karina McCarthy, Chief Operating Officer of Well Supported Family. *Why a Sleep Trainer did a terrible job of sleep training her own baby! Confessions of a sleep trainer.* Howdy. I’m Karina. And if you don’t know me, here is a little background: I’m a sleep trainer...
My Baby Is Climbing Out Of The Crib
HELP! "My baby is climbing out of the crib!" I’ve had three parents reach out to me with this issue this month! And when that happens...that means it’s time for a blog! If your child is younger than 3 then they *may* not emotionally or developmentally ready to be out...
Fixing Early Morning Wake Ups
Attention all miserable parents! Every May it’s the same. Parents coming out of the woodwork asking me to help with their sweet little angels that are suddenly waking at ungodly hours. How do we go about fixing these early morning wake ups?! Here’s What’s Happened: Your baby may have been...
Kim Kardashian’s Unsafe Sleep Space
Kim Kardashian had her fourth baby last year, via surrogate. So let's talk about Kim Kardashian's unsafe sleep space. We are not here to shame her or to blame her. However, I think this is a perfect example of how a loving, devoted, not first-time mother, with loads of money,...
Helpful tips from your team at Well Supported Family.
Expert postpartum and newborn advice you can trust.
Since 2016, Well Supported Family has provided newborn care to thousands of families. Our team of certified Postpartum Doulas and Newborn Care Specialists offer daytime, overnight, and 24/7 in-home support across 12 U.S. states. Whether you're recovering from birth, establishing feeding routines, or just trying to get more sleep, we're here to help—one family at a time.
Want to explore in-home care for your new family? Reach out today.