I'm sure we've all heard it before, "Never wake a sleeping baby!"
However, this is not only untrue but also unreasonable.
Of course sleep is important. It is whilst our little ones sleep that they grow, develop and make connections from their learning throughout the day. However, every child is different. Some children can easily survive and operate on less sleep than others and tolerate more awake time. Awake times and total sleep are a guide to ensure your little one doesn't become overtired, but they are just that, a guide.
As sleep deprived parents we can obsess over sleep and it can consume our whole lives, but it is also important for life to continue as much as it can.
When you decide to make changes to your little one's sleep it is recommended to try and schedule activities around sleep for the first 5-7 days, to provide your little one with consistency and the opportunity to adapt to the changes.
So when should you wake your sleeping baby?
There are many reasons you may need to wake your sleeping baby. These may include:
Appointments
School Drop Off & Pick Up
Work
Activities
You may also want to consider waking your sleeping baby to ensure they don't have TOO MUCH day sleep.
"Is there such a thing as too much sleep?" You may ask...
Absolutely!
Too much day sleep can negatively impact your little one's night sleep. It may cause them to take a long time to settle and bedtime, wake frequently overnight and/or cause 'Split Nights' where they are awake for 2-3 hours over night.
Following recommended total sleep (see below) you may want to wake your little ones from their naps to preserve sleep pressure for night time.
On the other hand, if your little one has had a very disrupted night, is unwell or had their vaccinations, let them sleep as much as they want and need. Their body may need the addition rest to heal and repair.
📸 Kristy Amos
@kristyamosphotography
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