Let me paint you a picture. You get your baby ready for bed and put her to sleep for the night. She has been asleep for a few hours, and you are prepared to go to bed now too. You sneak into the room where your baby is sleeping, pick her up, and quietly feed her. Once you are finished feeding her, you lay her back down in her sleep space. You do this all while trying to keep her asleep. This is known as a dream feed because your baby doesn’t naturally wake up hungry.

Let’s dive deeper into four different age categories and discuss your child’s sleep as they transition through each developmental stage. Often, the number of naps will be dictated by the amount of awake time they can tolerate. So as your child grows month by month, they can slowly add more wake time to their days.

Swaddling helps babies transition from being in the cozy confined space of the womb to adapting to the outside world. It provides comfort, security, and warmth in the early months. The slight pressure of the swaddle around their bodies gives newborns a sense of security. As they grow, babies need to be weaned off the swaddle. Read on to find out more about swaddles and how to transition your baby off the swaddle.