Baby Sleep Tracker

The first thing to determine before you plan your sleep strategy is: Does your baby really have a sleep problem?

If your baby sleeps eight hours a night (say, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.) and naps three hours a day, that may be as good as it gets. Not every baby is going to sleep 10 hours straight, or fall asleep and wake up exactly when you want.

If you think your little one has a sleep problem, your next step is to gather some clues.

In general, I’m not a big one for using a baby log and sleep tracker. If a feeding happens an hour early or a nap an hour late that day, no big deal. But unless you keep a log of baby sleep, it’s hard to remember how long your infant slept, how often he awakened and what it took to help him back to sleep.

A daily baby sleep tracker also allows you to share your concerns with your doctor and will help you keep track of your progress as you work to resolve the problem.

So before monkeying around with bedtime changes, take a few days to notice if your little one is overtired before you put him down (wired and irritable or yawning and bleary-eyed) or wide-awake (happy and playful).

How Can I Track My Baby Sleep?

Jot down the times you see early signs of fatigue. Also, take a week to carefully record your infant’s key sleep events:

  • Naps (time and duration)
  • Length of bedtime routine (including the details of the routine)
  • Time and duration of night awakenings (also list your response)
  • Time of morning waking

And, while you’re at it, mark down the other big events of the day, like meals, crying jags and poops.

Your baby log should help you see why your baby is having trouble nodding off. The four top reasons to consider are over-excitement before bedtime, something is bugging her, you’re using the wrong bedtime cues or you picked the wrong bedtime.

About Dr. Harvey Karp

Dr. Harvey Karp, one of America’s most trusted pediatricians, is the founder of Happiest Baby and the inventor of the groundbreaking SNOO Smart Sleeper. After years of treating patients in Los Angeles, Dr. Karp vaulted to global prominence with the release of the bestselling Happiest Baby on the Block and Happiest Toddler on the Block. His celebrated books and videos have since become standard pediatric practice, translated into more than 20 languages and have helped millions of parents. Dr. Karp’s landmark methods, including the 5 S’s for soothing babies, guide parents to understand and nurture their children and relieve stressful issues, like new-parent exhaustion, infant crying, and toddler tantrums.

View more posts tagged, sleep

Have questions about a Happiest Baby product? Our consultants would be happy to help! Submit your questions here.

Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider.