Sleep

Just like with feeding, there are close to 5000 transitions to sleep in the first 3 years of life.  These transitions at first are fully dependent on parents providing co-regulation to help their baby fall asleep. Parents have multiple opportunities to be responsive to sleep cues and help with the baby’s state modulation.

Understanding and responding to their baby’s cues for sleep helps parents feel competent in their caregiving.  The transition to falling asleep provides the opportunity for shared experience as well as shared regulation.

Over time, with brain maturation and the nurturing care provided by parents, the baby will develop the capacity for self-regulation.

As the infant matures, parent responsiveness to cues, combined with predictable sleep routines, helps falling asleep become anticipated by and habituated for the infant.