04/07/2026
If your baby is going to bed and then waking up 30 or 45min later (within the first couple of hours), it's what we call a "false start".
And it's because your baby is overtired.
You probably hear that word thrown around so much! Overtired - what does it mean? If your baby is overtired then the best thing is to put them to bed right?
Well that's true but if youe baby is consistently having false starts, then you can start to prevent them by getting on top of the overtiredness.
First step is to bring bedtime earlier.
Second step is to look at day naps. If they're too short, then try adjusting the wake windows to get baby to sleep for longer during the day.
Or if the wake window is too long between the last nap and a reasonable bedtime, try a short rescue nap.
False starts are so frustrating for parents because often it takes a while for an overtired baby to fall asleep and then you feel overwhelmed when you have to start all over again 🥲
Is your baby having false starts? Comment below ➡️
Bernie 🩷