Preparing for sleep during a mental leap: What to expect

There is nothing more exciting as a new parent than watching your child discover the world and their creativity through new eyes. But while reaching a new development during each of your child’s ‘Wonder Weeks’ is a joyous moment for many children and parents, it can disrupt your child’s sleep as they begin to understand more about the big world around them.

In this blog, we’ll show you how to help your baby fall asleep on his own even during the growth spurts that keep him awake. From healthy clothes and bedrooms to regular bedtimes, there are plenty of steps you can take to make sure those few nights every few weeks aren’t sleep-deprived!

What are brain cells?

The “Weak Weeks” refer to the stages or leaps in which babies develop the most mentally, which occur during the first 20 weeks of their lives.

The term was first introduced in a 1992 book titled Amazing Weeks: How to Boost Your Child’s Brain Development and Help Him Turn His 10 Predictable, Big, Unchangeable Stages into Magical Journeys Ahead. and Dutch writers Frans Plooij, and Hetty van de Rijt. Although the weeks are counted, there are many instructions, often different for each child.

There are 10 concepts identified by Plooij and van de Rijt, during which your child will gain more skills, and a better understanding of the world around them. However, the emotional changes that they go through can also make them very agitated at times, all the while causing them to have trouble falling asleep which also reminds them of falling asleep.

Here are the jumps they identified, and the weeks they occur:

1. Week 4: Sensory Development – your child’s understanding of the outside world will increase

2. Week 7: Patterns – they begin to recognize and respond to patterns and behaviors in their environment such as eating and sleeping.

3. Week 11: Smooth transitions – their energy matures and controls, and they will have a smooth transition between stages, for example, waking up and sleeping.

4. Week 14: Events – your child begins to understand cause and effect, and can begin to predict and anticipate what will happen.

5. Week 22: Relationships – your baby’s social awareness will increase as he can recognize familiar faces.

6. Week 33: Groups – they begin to be able to categorize things and experiences based on similarities and differences.

7. Week 41: Sequences – they will develop a deeper understanding of the order and structure of events and processes

8. Week 51: Programs – begin to see sequences as complete programs that achieve certain results

9. Week 59: Concepts – your child will begin to understand the concepts of the world, be able to think and plan ahead as they understand the implications

10. Week 70: practices – they will develop an understanding of the order of the world as they follow the knowledge of principles, self-awareness, and begin to appreciate things like time.

As you can see, Wonder Weeks (also available through the Wonder Weeks program) and the mental leaps that come with them are full of new developmental experiences for your child, which can affect how they feel, and how they sleep, in different ways. Don’t worry, because there are plenty of things you can do to help them sleep while they’re bouncing!

Help your child sleep through jumping

When your child is jumping through the Weeks of Wonder, they are constantly becoming aware of the world around them, which can be very challenging for them. They will also be more aware and sensitive to stimuli, which combines with their new knowledge, causing them to have trouble falling asleep, and falling asleep after waking up.

The Wonder Weeks, as an idea, can be very helpful in giving you an idea of ​​what to expect as your baby grows in the first 20 months. However, it’s important to remember that every child is different, and there will always be differences in when this jump happens and how it affects their sleep.

One thing that is common is that sometime during the Wonder Weeks, your child will have trouble sleeping through the night because of their emotional development. While the amount of sleep your baby gets at night also depends on factors such as age and developmental stage, skipping can have a big impact. That’s why we’re here to give you some tips on how to get them comfortable, asleep, and finally, asleep – hopefully for the whole night!

Make their living space comfortable

When your baby starts to jump, he becomes more aware of the world around him, and he is more sensitive to external influences, whether they are real, auditory, or whatever. The world, and all the attractions that come with it, can be very distracting to a child who is trying to sleep!

You can deal with all the distractions in the world by making sure that your baby’s bedroom is a safe and comfortable place to sleep. Dimming the lights, and making sure that the noise is as low as possible are good ways to reduce your child’s sleep disturbances and help them settle down at bedtime and when the child wakes up at night.

Set a regular bedtime

At different points during the leap, your child will recognize and appreciate patterns, events, and patterns, before seeing these patterns as whole programs that help them better understand the principles and practices of the world. Likewise, the consistency and predictability of behavior will begin to bring them greater security and comfort, which also helps them replace any sleep training method you choose.

Establishing a regular bedtime routine is the best way to find opportunities to reward activities in a way that helps children sleep. Making sure your baby gets a regular night’s sleep will help them start to expect and prepare for a good and calm sleep, make them a better night sleeper, and help them develop healthy sleep habits in the future.

Create their new skills

Practicing with your child’s new skills will help them feel satisfied and keep them up at night practicing what they are learning. This makes it easier for them to settle down and fall asleep, just like how you will find it easier to fall asleep at night knowing that you have completed everything you had to do during the day!

During the jumping phase, your child begins to confidently explore his environment, socialize, and his cognitive skills, such as his memory, will develop. Giving them a little different space to explore, engaging in trusted interactions, and introducing them to lots of toys and games are great ways to engage with their new skills, which can help them feel content and calm.

Make it a habit to relax

From the beginning of the Amazing Weeks leaps into the mind, your child will begin to adapt to events in their area as they learn more about the world around them. Soon they will begin to predict and anticipate events, which will change the snow to understand the sequence before they begin to see events as all programs, and begin to use and change these programs to understand the principles and finally the behavior of the world.

This means that they are very sensitive to behavior. Regular activities are wonderful for babies because they promote a sense of security and comfort, just as they do for us. We are great helpers in the sleep process, because the comfort and reliability they bring to the baby’s life is great to help them understand when it’s time to go to sleep and sleep.

Wear cool clothes

Bedding can make a big difference when it comes to helping your baby sleep. During the transition period, babies can become irritable, irritable, and clingy, making it difficult for them to fall asleep on their own. The right bedding can provide a good level of comfort and support that can reduce their anger, and combat separation anxiety, helping them sit down ready for sleep.

Our Zen Sleepwear collection includes linens, sleeping bags, shoes, and bodysuits, all designed for toddlers of all ages – many of which are made in wonder weeks. They’re all lightly weighted with Cuddle Pads™ to mimic your comforting touch, helping them settle down despite all that’s going on in their heads at this time of their lives. For example, our Zen Neo swaddle pod can be perfect for babies who need womb-like comfort in Leap 1, while our Zen Sack Classic is a great way to refresh babies after leaps like 5 and 6.

Mental leaps: what you need to remember

The mental leaps your child will experience as they progress through the Wonder Weeks can be fun and exciting to witness, but they can also make them stressed, potentially conflict-prone, and increase their separation anxiety due to their increased knowledge of the world around them, and their heightened sensitivity to stimulation. All of these can have a detrimental effect on how well they sleep and stay that way.

Fortunately, there are many things you can do to help them gradually settle down and start sleeping better. Making sure their sleeping environment is nice and calm, setting bedtimes and bedtimes, using their newly acquired skills during the day to feel fulfilled, and wearing soothing, sleep-supporting clothes are the best ways to help your child fall asleep and stay asleep at night.