PDF Summary:Twelve Hours' Sleep by Twelve Weeks Old, by Suzy Giordano

Most new parents struggle with sleepless nights, but it doesn't have to be that way. In Twelve Hours' Sleep by Twelve Weeks Old, Suzy Giordano presents a method to help your baby sleep through the night by three months of age. Her approach centers on establishing a structured feeding and sleeping schedule that teaches babies to self-soothe and sleep independently.

Giordano's method involves spacing four daily feedings at four-hour intervals and eliminating nighttime feedings. She explains how to gradually adjust your baby's routine, implement a "Limited Crying Solution" for sleep training, and maintain consistency once the schedule is established. You'll also learn how to handle disruptions like illness or travel while keeping your baby's sleep routine on track.

(continued)...

(Shortform note: This schedule may not be appropriate for all babies. For example, if your baby is exclusively breastfed and your milk supply is still developing, it may not be appropriate to limit your baby to four feedings in 24 hours. This is because your baby’s frequent feedings help stimulate your milk production. If you limit your baby’s feedings, you may not produce enough milk to meet your baby’s needs.)

Implementing the Sleep Plan

When implementing the sleep plan, Giordano advises that you allow your baby to comfort themselves. Babies need to learn to get to sleep by themselves. If you always soothe your baby at bedtime, they’ll become dependent on you and won't be able to sleep for the whole night.

To assist your baby in self-soothing, lay them down in the crib when they're not yet asleep. If they cry, wait three to five minutes prior to checking on them. If they calm down within that timeframe, reset the timer. If they continue crying beyond five minutes, enter and reassure them without picking them up. Avoid speaking to them or looking them in the eyes. Once they settle down, exit the room and remain there a few more minutes before going back in.

The Potential Downside of Letting Your Baby Cry

One potential downside of waiting three to five minutes before checking on your baby and then reassuring them without picking them up is that your baby may still be stressed even if they stop crying. In a research article, researchers found that babies who were left to cry for 20 minutes before being soothed by their mothers had elevated levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, even after they stopped crying. This suggests that even if your baby appears calm, they may still be experiencing stress. The researchers argue that this could have long-term effects on your baby's development, as chronic stress can impact brain development and emotional regulation. They recommend that parents respond to their baby's cries promptly and provide comfort, rather than letting them cry for extended periods.

Now, we'll examine how to build the foundational schedule and how to maintain and refine this approach.

Building the Foundational Schedule

To build the foundational schedule, Giordano recommends gradually adjusting the feeding times for your infant to establish a consistent routine. The more you can stretch the time between your baby's feedings, the hungrier she’ll be. As a result of this hunger, she'll drink more, and because digesting takes longer, she can lengthen the interval between feedings. You're maintaining your infant's daily intake amount; you're just giving it to her in fewer meals each day.

If your infant awakens ahead of the scheduled feeding, give her a small snack and then put her back to bed. Gradually lengthen the interval from snack to the scheduled feeding until the snack is no longer needed. Apply the same approach for the subsequent three feedings. If your infant becomes hungry before the scheduled time, try to delay feeding them by 15–30 minutes.

The Importance of Feeding on Demand

While Giordano recommends stretching the time between feedings, pediatricians often advise feeding on demand, especially in the early weeks of life. This approach ensures that your baby receives adequate nutrition and helps establish a healthy feeding pattern. Newborns have small stomachs and need frequent feedings to support their rapid growth and development. Delaying feedings can lead to inadequate calorie intake, dehydration, and potential weight loss. Additionally, feeding on demand helps establish a strong milk supply for breastfeeding mothers. If you have concerns about your baby's feeding schedule or growth, consult your pediatrician for personalized guidance.

Maintaining and Refining the Approach

After you've implemented the sleep strategy, consistency is key to maintaining it. Giordano advises that after beginning nighttime training, make a strong effort to avoid initiating nighttime feedings prematurely or giving larger portions of food at any point.

(Shortform note: While consistency is important, it’s also important to be flexible and responsive to your baby’s needs. In The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, the authors explain that a healthy full-term baby’s need to nurse can vary significantly from day to day. They emphasize that restricting how often or how long a baby nurses can reduce milk production and leave the baby short of the calories and fluids needed for normal growth, immune protection, and emotional well-being.)

Now, let’s look at how to make reactive adjustments to your infant's routine.

Reactive Adjustments

Giordano says to be prepared to adjust your baby's routine when necessary. For instance, if your child is ill, it might be necessary to adjust their routine to help them get the rest they need. If you’re traveling, your baby might require a few days to adjust to a new routine. When you get back home, it might require several days to reestablish the regular schedule.

(Shortform note: When your baby is sick or you’re traveling, you might need to adjust the timing of your baby’s routine. However, you can still maintain the same pre-sleep ritual. In The Happiest Baby on the Block, Dr. Harvey Karp explains that babies thrive on predictability, so maintaining the same sequence of calming activities and sensory cues (like dimming lights, soft music, or a specific scent) can help signal to your baby that it’s time to sleep, even if the timing is different.)

If you’re returning to your job and enrolling your child in daycare, you may need to adjust your daytime routine. See if the center can follow your schedule, though they might have their own processes. If you employ a nanny, train them to follow the schedule you've created. If your infant is sick, resume the regular schedule as quickly as they're well enough. If any negative behaviors develop while your child is ill, break them as soon as possible. If you're traveling, bring a travel crib and a place to carry out the bedtime routine. When you get back home, resume the regular schedule, using reinforcement training as needed. If you employ a nanny, collaborate for the two weeks leading up to your return to work to help your baby with the transition.

The Dangers of Being Too Rigid

While it’s important to maintain a consistent routine for your baby, being too rigid can have unintended consequences. For example, if you insist that your daycare or nanny follow your schedule to the letter, you may inadvertently create stress for your baby if they’re unable to adapt to the new environment. Similarly, if you try to resume your regular schedule too quickly after your baby has been sick or you’ve been traveling, you may disrupt their natural sleep patterns and make it harder for them to adjust. This is because major changes in routine can temporarily disrupt your baby’s stress hormones and sleep pressure, making it harder for them to fall asleep and stay asleep. Forcing a return to the old schedule too quickly can prolong this disruption and make it harder for your baby to get back on track.