3 Online Sleep Resources {And doing what’s best for you}

Ahhhhh, sleep with a newborn.

Anyone else feel like those two words shouldn’t be in the same sentence?

Let’s pull the bandaid off ladies, you will be up a few times a night with a new baby. And even more times when your new baby goes through developmental changes (growth spurts, teething), or heck even if she just has gas. I like to call it “living in the fog”. The “I’m tired all the time and cannot function to my full ability” fog.

Have you guys read this hilarious article by an exhausted mom about what the “experts” say about sleeping? Or rather, “Everything the “experts” say, which contradicts another thing we are supposed to do, which contradicts another thing-” you get it, and she’s right! You can always find information that will support and/or discredit what you are doing- regardless of the topic.

Sleep, along with every subject that has to do with “best parenting practices” is subjective and up to the parents and family. We must do what fits best with our personalities, and typically how we choose to approach the issue of sleep follows suit with how we run our households.

So, take this with a grain of salt will you?

I have two boys. One who was an awful napper during months 2-4. I remember spending an hour and a half trying to get him to sleep, and he’d sleep 45 minutes. Night sleep was good, and he slept through the night at 6-months. My second baby was easy. Great napper, great night-time sleeper. He slept 8-hours straight very early on. However, I did not put him down awake until he was 2-months old. My babies slept in their rooms from about 2-weeks on. Yes. Two-weeks.

My my main jam is structure, routine and consistency — and this is how I run our household.

This is what worked for me, but remember, if there existed a miracle sleep book with the perfect way to get every newborn to sleep, then you wouldn’t be reading this.

Here are some of my favorite sleep resources (all very different), and links to specific topics I love on their sites.

One. A Delightful Mom Stuff Blog

I love Jenica’s blog, Delightful Mom Stuff. Jenica followed Babywise with her kiddos, and her insight is obviously how that book worked for her. Babywise focuses on routine and schedules and can be controversial because it also endorses the CIO (cry it out) method. Go with your gut on this one ladies.

Here are my favorite articles on sleep from Jenica:
Establishing your newborn schedules and FAQs (which literally addresses every important question I always have).

TWO. Happiest Baby on the Block

I love this website because readers ask questions and the author of the book, Dr. Karp, answers directly! They also share great articles written by folks that have read and followed this book. The site can be tricky to navigate, I recommend using the search box to enter your questions, or scrolling down to the bottom of the site where you can click on questions and tools. This is a great resource for trouble-shooting when you need some help.

Here are my favorite articles on sleep from HBOTB website:
The Secret to Getting Your Baby to Sleep and Must-Read Tips for First Week with Baby.

THREE. Mom’s on Call App

This is the only one of the three that does cost money. I downloaded this App with my second to help organize my day. Not only does it lay out your day but also tells you what one or two things that, if everything else on the schedule does NOT go your way, always do these two things to keep baby on track. IE: it’s FLEXIBLE. It offers schedules for baby by age, and it even takes into account siblings and their schedule. It has alerts and reminders and is a great place to start especially if you are getting used to two.

These online resources are all a great place to start, but the best thing you can do as a mom is to follow your intuition. It’s the number one resource we have in every decision we make as a mom and a person. Also, be kind to one another. What works for you may not work for her, and every child learns differently. Let’s take the judging out of the sleep conversation. This is not a “who’s doing it better” subject, this is “do what works best for you.” After all, we are all just trying to do our best.

To sleeping soundly, friends.

What are some of your favorite sleep resources? What has worked, and what has NOT worked for you? Share your stories with us!