Sleep - we all need it, and most parents say they need more of it. It is one of the most argued about parenting topics, right up there with immunisation. Below are some time proven ideas, most of which will work just as well for a little baby as they will for a toddler.
First up it is Decision time:
You can't force a baby to eat, you can't force a baby to poop and you can't force a baby to sleep. The best you can do is to create a secure environment that allows sleep to overtake your baby. What you can aim for is a healthy attitude toward sleep: that it is a pleasant state to enter and a secure state to remain in. In the same way that daytime parenting is a long-term investment, so is nighttime parenting. There is no quick fix (sorry!).
Where does your baby sleep best?
There is no right or wrong place for babies to sleep, as long as it is safe. Wherever all family members sleep the best is the right arrangement for you and your baby. Some babies sleep best in their own cot in their own room, some sleep better in their own bed in the parents’ bedroom, other babies sleep best snuggled in the parents’ bed. Realistically, most parents use various sleeping arrangements at various stages during baby's first two years.
A note on Sleep Training:
There are many different ideas and styles of sleep training but these sleep-training techniques are just variations on the old cry-it-out method. Use your inner parent voice to screen the advice: Does this advice sound sensible? Does it fit your baby’s temperament? Does it feel right to you? Don't get into a technique that doesn't sit right with you. If you can't stand to hear your baby cry, you are doing no long term damage cuddling them instead! Sleep training techniques seldom work on high-need babies with persistent personalities (like my miss 3).
Sleep starts before bedtime:
Stay flexible. Develop a night time parenting style that works for you. No one approach will work with all babies all the time or even all the time with the same baby. If the “sleep program” isn’t working for your family, stop it and move on. And, be prepared for one style of nighttime parenting to work at one stage, yet need a change as she enters another stage. Follow your heart rather than some stranger’s sleep-training advice, and you and your baby will eventually work out the right nighttime parenting style for your family.
Give baby plenty of sleep cues. Make yourself a routine and stick with it. For example: Dinner -> Bath -> Massage -> Pyjamas -> Sleep sac/Swaddle -> Story -> Final feed/bottle -> cuddle/rock/sing/mobile.
Fill baby up your baby during the day. Babies need to learn that daytime is for eating and nighttime is mostly for sleeping. Feed your baby at least every three hours during the day to cluster the baby’s feedings during the day time.
Re-look at your day routine. Is is restful and calm?
-
"A peaceful daytime is likely to lead to a
restful night. The more attached you are to your baby during the day and
the more baby is held and calmed during the day, the more likely this
peacefulness is to carry through into the night." - Dr Sears
Getting off to sleep:
There are different ways to help baby off to sleep. If one isn't working after a while, move on and try something else to avoid getting tense and frustrated - baby will pick up on it and get tense too. Contrary to popular belief helping baby to sleep when they are young, does not mean you will have to do it forever. They will eventually work out how to get to sleep themselves.
- Feed to sleep. Nestle next to your baby and breastfeed or bottle feed him off to sleep. The smooth continuum from warm bath, to warm arms, to warm breast, to warm bed is a recipe for sleep to soon follow.
- Daddy cuddles. Put baby up on your shoulder. The vibration of the deeper male voice lulls baby to sleep.
- Rocking or walking. Try rocking baby to sleep in a bedside rocking chair, or walk with baby, patting her back and singing or praying.
- Nestling down. For some babies, the standard fall-to-sleep techniques are not enough. Baby just doesn’t want to be put down to sleep alone. After rocking or feeding baby to sleep in your arms, lie down with your sleeping baby next to you and nestle close to her until she is deeply sound asleep.
- Wearing. Some babies are so revved up during the day that they have trouble winding down at night. Place your baby in a baby sling and wear her around the house for a half-hour or so before the designated bedtime.Wearing is particularly useful for the reluctant napper. When baby falls asleep in the sling, snuggled with his tummy against your chest or draped over your chest once you lie down, you both can take a much-needed nap.
- Driving. If you’ve tried all the above transitioning techniques and baby still resists falling asleep, place baby in a car seat and drive around until she falls asleep. When you return home and baby is in a very deep sleep, transfer to bed. Do not leave baby asleep in a car seat as they are not in a safe neck position and risk suffocation.
While nothing is a sure thing with babies, these things will all help contribute to keeping baby asleep.
- Swaddle: Try various ways of swaddling your baby at night. In the early months (and sometimes much later), many babies like to “sleep tight,” securely swaddled. A baby who gets too hot or too cold may become restless. Adjust the layering according to the temperature of the room and the sleep habits of your baby. For swaddling tips read here.
- Quiet in the bedroom. Since most babies can block out disturbing noise, you don’t have to create a noiseless sleeping environment, yet some babies startle and awaken easily with sudden noises. For these babies, oil the joints and springs of a squeaky crib, put out the dog before he barks and turn the ringer off on the phone. White noise in the bedroom can help mask these noises, try searching on youtube for a track.
- Darkness in the bedroom. Keep the room dark even for day sleeps, you may find they sleep longer without the light waking them
- Music to sleep by. Try a continuous-play recording of your baby’s favourite music, so when she awakens she can resettle herself to the familiar sleep-inducing sound.
- Leave a little bit of mother behind. If you have a separation-sensitive baby, leave a breast pad or worn t-shirt in the bed.
- A full tummy. Tiny babies have tiny tummies, a bit bigger than the size of their fist. So, your baby’s digestive system was designed for small, frequent feedings, which is why, in the early months, babies feed at least every 3 to 4 hours at night and more often during the day.
- Lessen physical discomforts: Clear the nose so they can breathe. Relieve teething pain. Change wet or soiled nappies. Pre-warm the bed with a wheat bag. Keep the room at a comfortable temperature - 20-24 degrees.
At the end of the day, your baby will eventually sleep through the night. How often do you see a teenager needing rocked to sleep? Some people by nature just aren't great sleepers, and that's OK too. As parents we can encourage good, healthy attitude toward sleep and create patterns and routines to train the babies brain that it is time to settle down and relax. Whether you co-sleep, feed-to-sleep or let your kids work it out for themselves, getting a baby to sleep well can be HARD. I hope these tips will help you find something that works for you and your family. And remember, it's only a phase, it won't be like this forever.
For more reading try these :
http://www.itibaby.co.nz/#!sleep-and-settling/cm3i
http://www.askdrsears.com
http://www.sleepstore.co.nz
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please add a comment, we would love to hear from you!