Babies & Toddler

Posts Tagged ‘Sleep’

One of the most important processes that your baby has to go through is getting enough sleep. However, this does not happen all the time. Parents, especially the new ones, are often suffering from sleep deprivation because their babies are always awake during the wee hours of the day. Their babies are often agitated, and most of the time, parents do not have any idea for their behavior.

What do you do when it is difficult to get your baby to sleep? Are you one of the clueless parents who would love your child to sail off the seas in dreamland so that you can finally rest on your own as well? Here are some proven methods on how to get your baby to sleep in no time.

First, make sure that you limit the sleep that your baby gets in the daytime. Keep him busy during the day by spending time with him by playing around. Playing with your baby also ensures that he would get some exercise to keep his body in shape. Once you keep your baby busy during the day, he will have a good night’s sleep, partly because he has exhausted his energy while playing.

Second, you may want to keep your baby’s room dark enough for him to sleep well. The baby’s eyes are sensitive to light, and once that he is exposed to a bright room while taking a doze off, he might not be able to relax well.

Third, give your baby a routine before he goes to sleep. Most experts say that routines prepare a baby for bedtime and clearly enough, these routines enable him to relax more. In establishing routines, your baby would have a hint on what he should do before hitting the sack. All of these activities should be done in the comfort of his own room and in his bed so as he would learn to associate the whole thought of the routine to bedtime. You may want to give your baby a bath before going to bed, since baths are really helpful for a baby to be relaxed.

Fourth option is lying down with your own baby to sleep. You may want to lie down next or near to him so that he would feel more comfortable. Babies easily get startled, and they would certainly feel safe by having their mommy or daddy around with them.

It may be quite an age-old remedy, but singing a lullaby is one of the best ways to put your baby to sleep. Sing your baby a sweet lullaby, and talk to him often. You may rock your baby to sleep as well. This would surely calm your baby and get him ready for a good night’s sleep.

If you do not want to deprive yourself of some rest, then follow these simple activities for your baby if ever they are experiencing troubles in sleeping. Rest assured that you will also be off to dreamland because your baby is also fast asleep.

How much sleep your baby has at naptime can affect the quality of his sleep at night time according to research. If your baby is allowed too late in the day it will almost certainly be difficult for him to sleep at his usual bedtime. You should monitor your baby’s biological clock and his sleep times; this will attune you to his rhythm which should then be followed daily to ensure that night times are not a problem. Keep an eye out for your baby and watch for the “sleepy signals” like yawning and rubbing of his eyes, which will tell you when he is ready for his nap time. It is imperative that you let him sleep, as once he is overtired he may have trouble getting to sleep.

Be consistent and note when he is ready for a nap by the signals – these will include a decrease in activity as he winds down, he is noticeably quieter, loses interest in his toys and people, starts to yawn and becomes fussy. Don’t wait too long as he may get his “second wind”, starting to become active again so making it difficult to settle down and nap. By responding as soon as you see the signals will make for a less fussier child later on in the day or approaching evening. It can be a little frustating trying to deal with a crabby child if they haven’t had sufficient nap times. After a week or so you will be used to your baby’s biological clock and recognise the signals that indicate he is ready for a nap. You should then find it a breeze to keep to a consistent napping schedule for your child, making it easier on both of you.

Getting into a nap routine is just as important for you and your child. You need to develop a schedule, just as you do before each bedtime. This will of course be different to what you do at night time, adding similar events like soothing music. The daily routine should be followed accordingly, but if there is a change such as a family outing where your child has been active or he has been involved in some other activity, then of course you adjust accordingly. Your baby will soon recognise the cues that signal when naptime is near, and learn the nap routine, so that he is able to settle down easier.

New parents have many responsibilities. Close to the top of the list is to develop and nurture good sleep patterns and sleeping habits for their new baby. Newborns need to transition from sleeping with the mother to sleeping alone, but getting your baby to learn to sleep on his own takes some time. However, there are many benefits for both the baby and the parents when this takes place. There are a seemingly endless supply of tips and helpful hints to assist parents with this tricky task. Research and try as many as it takes to find out what works best for your baby and you. Trust your intuition and never give up until you have found that magic combination. The reward of your baby and you both getting a good night of sleep on a consistent basis is worth the effort.

Most of the advice you will find to help with your baby’s sleep deals with establishing schedules, habits and associations for your baby just before and during bedtime. Associating bedtime with sleeping is the goal. The sooner you can achieve that association, the more likely the baby will go to sleep without a struggle. Establishing the differences between daytime and nighttime is something that most advisors seem to ignore. Creating the understanding in your baby the change from being awake during daytime and falling asleep at night is a very valuable step. Here are some methods you can try.

Many times your baby has been very active throughout the day and is too stimulated to relax and fall to sleep. Employ one of those sling-type baby carriers that hold your baby close to your body while allowing you to be free to go about your regular activities around the house. Your baby will love being in close contact with you. This will provide ample time for your baby to calm down slowly from that hyped feeling of stimulation and excitement.

Many times the routine of transitioning between thirty minutes or an hour before bedtime is performed by the mother. This may be working against you. Try this with the father. Just before moving the baby into the bed, have Dad hold and cradle the baby close. His voice is generally much deeper than Mom’s is and often the baby can be more soothed by it. This change in routine can be learned as a triggering mechanism for the baby – “Dad is holding me, it must be almost time for sleep.”

Whether you find it in a listing of baby tips or discover it on your own, one of the methods of transitioning into bedtime is to simply take the baby for a car ride. While this idea may seem to be a perfect “quick fix,” I would advise against it. In the beginning, it may seem like a good deal. After all who wouldn’t trade a little inconvenience for a night of peace and quite and sleep? However, as your baby becomes accustomed to that nightly driving ritual, dependence may develop and it will not take long to become much more than just an inconvenience.

The idea is to begin slowly with these transition techniques. Once you and your baby have found the magic formula and have built an almost automatic routine, then just as slowly transition away from them and into a much more simple bedtime pattern. The goal here is to teach your baby to sleep on its own.

Good Night and enjoy your baby and your rest!

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Getting a baby to sleep often presents a major parenting concern. Babies don’t naturally take to sleeping through the night and most dads and moms have to work at ‘teaching’ their infant to sleep by setting up a sleep schedule for them.

There is no one way to do this however and various specialists have proposed different approaches to sleep training a baby. It’s important that the strategy you choose is one that is consistent with your individual lifestyle and schedule. Below are some methods to help your baby enjoy a good night’s sleep, put forth by experts:

Richard Ferber, M.D., author of Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems

According to Dr. Ferber’s controversial theory of “progressive waiting”, babies can be taught to sleep by allowing them to cry on till they feel inclined to sleep. Dr. Ferber stresses that it is important to put the baby in bed while he’s awake in order to encourage him to develop the habit of settling into sleep himself. Thus it is okay for your baby to get accustomed to a late bedtime (even up to 10 p.m.) as long as he is ready to fall asleep on his own by then.

Dr. Ferber, however, also attributes various reasons for sleepiness, ranging from medical conditions to inappropriate sleeping hours.

He recommends his method for babies over the age of 4 to 5 months as before that babies are not physically mature enough to sleep through the night.

Suzy Giordano, author of Twelve Hours’ Sleep by Twelve Weeks Old

Suzy Giordano suggests a four-step plan to getting your baby to sleep:

1. Feeding the baby every four hours, four times in a day.

2. Gradually reducing and stopping the nightly feedings.

3. Getting your baby up to sleep in bed for 12 hours a night.

4. Implementing one-hour a.m. and two-hour p.m. nap times.

Giordano’s method involves keeping a record of all the baby’s feeding, sleeping and diaper changes, right from the time of birth till the time he is sleeping through the might.

It is recommended for babies between the ages of 8 to 10 weeks old and weighing at least 9 pounds.

Harvey Karp, M.D., author of The Happiest Baby on the Block

Dr. Karp’s advises simulating the environment of a mother’s womb to calm the baby to sleep. For this he has developed the five S’s:

• Swaddling

• Holding a baby in a side or stomach position by the parent (not in the crib)

• Creating shushing sounds or using white noise

• Swinging the baby to imitate movement inside a womb

• Encouraging sucking, either on a pacifier or breastfeeding

Dr. Karp’s method aims at making a baby comfortable by recreating the womb environment as closely as possible by swaddling the baby real tight, using loud enough sounds and vigorous swinging, using an automatic swing if necessary.

It can be used on babies right from the time of their birth.

Jodi A. Mindell, Ph.D., author of Sleeping through the night

Jodi Mindell’s strategy for includes setting routines to follow through the day, including a fixed bedtime at around 7 or 8 p.m. She recommends encouraging the baby to fall asleep by putting him in bed while he’s drowsy and gradually withdrawing from activity such as rocking or breastfeeding. This way the baby will give up crying during the night and learn to sleep peacefully.

The key to success using this method lies in getting the baby so accustomed to his routine that he starts anticipating sleep at the fixed time.

A routine can be established as early as 6 weeks, though active ‘training’ should only begin between 3 to 6 months.

William Sears, M.D., co-author, along with wife Martha and two sons, of The Baby Sleep Book

According to the Dr. Sears “attachment parenting” theory, parents need to administer to the baby’s needs by responding to his crying. He also endorses breastfeeding as and when the baby displays hunger and co-sleeping with the baby. Dr. Sears also suggests that fathers actively interact with the baby.

This kind of parenting makes rigorous demands on parents, especially the mom, who needs to ensure that she gets adequate rest and sleep.

This method works fine with babies right from the time of their birth.

Marc Weissbluth, M.D., author of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child

Dr. Weissbluth suggests that babies should not be allowed to remain awake for more than two hours as they get tired, which then interferes with their ability to fall asleep. According to him, it is okay to put the baby to bed even if he’s already dozed off.

He suggests letting a newborn baby sleep every two hours till he is 4 months old, and then selecting a method based on the needs of the baby. He proposes three methods: “No cry” (picking up and comforting a child whenever he cries,) “graduated extinction” (similar to “progressive waiting”) and “extinction” (letting the baby cry.)

Sleep. It refreshes, rejuvenates and restores. Though our bodies are, for the most part, quiet during sleep, there is actually a bustle of activity going on inside us. Getting baby to sleep and having your baby on a regular sleep schedule is so important, that it is worth exploring and discussing.

Not only is a proper and regular sleep schedule vitally important for your baby’s health, it also improves mood, function and physical development. Here are five major benefits that regular and sound sleep offer your child:

1. It helps your baby grow strong and develop quick reactions and coordination: studies show that babies who get regular sleep have improved reaction time, better reflexes and even better use of oxygen.

2. It helps keep baby’s mood even and happy: obviously, babies get cranky and cry longer and more often when they are tired, and if they are sleep deprived, or on an irregular schedule, they can be very challenging to deal with.

3. It helps with memory function and development: Dr. Nilesh Dave, medical director of the Sleep Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center says “During sleep, your brain will process a lot and turn it into long-term memory,” he says. “Memory is a function of what we think sleep does.”

4. It keeps baby from falling asleep at times that are not part of the planned schedule: I’m sure every parent has experienced times when their baby fell asleep in the car, or while out somewhere, only to have the baby wake up irritable and still tired. If a baby is well rested, and if the parents plan their activities to accommodate baby’s established sleep schedule, then more often than not, the baby will stay awake in the car, etc, because it’s during the established non – sleep time.

5. It keeps baby’s hormones balanced: Our bodies use sleep to release certain hormones, Dr. Davé says, including those essential for growth and development.

So, if sleep is so important, how do you ensure that your baby gets enough sleep? Getting baby to sleep does not have to be difficult. Here are some basics that might help:

1. Establish a bedtime routine: This helps your baby settle down, (and helps adults wind down after a long day as well). Allocate about thirty minutes before baby’s bedtime to soothe and relax your child. Read, sing or play lullabies, or just sit quietly in a rocking chair, holding your baby.

2. Only put your baby down when it’s time for sleep: Using the baby’s bed for anything other than sleep gives the child confusing messages about what the bed/ or bedtime really means. If it is clear to the baby that the bed is for sleeping, the chances of the baby settling down are better.

3. Make the baby’s bedroom dark, comfortable and quiet: limit distractions.

4. Don’t play actively with your baby before bedtime: this can over stimulate the baby and make it more difficult to calm down in time for the scheduled bedtime.

5. Stick with the schedule: babies very easily can get off schedule, and it can play havoc with their mood and with their health.

6. Calm and soothe yourself and your baby: take some deep breaths. Your baby will pick up on your own relaxed state and this will help you both get quiet and peaceful.

7. Know when to seek help: talk to your baby’s pediatrician for more ideas for establishing a regular sleep schedule for your baby.

I might add that getting baby to sleep and on a regular sleep schedule is important for the baby’s parents as well, for all of the above reasons. Everyone benefits from a regular sleep schedule!

By the age of three a toddler requires eleven hours of consistent, quality sleep.   Toddler sleep problems stand in the way of this and can  lead tohealth issues such as a lower immunity, temper tantrums, a slower brainfunction, and a poor diet, to name a few.

For many toddlers just the mention that “It is bedtime” sends them into sheer disarray. (1) Crying and a defiant attitude usually accompany this disarray.This is the start of the bedtime nightmare for parents.  (2)The continuance of their crying or temper tantrum once they are in bed.  (3) Getting them to stay in bed without screaming after the parent leaves the room.  (4) Not getting out of bed in the middle of the night, when they wake up. 
With these 4 areas under control toddler sleep problems will be solved and parents will have a pleasant, warm and cuddly bedtime, free from screaming, night waking, and health issues.

1.  Shshsh…. Dont say the words “Its bedtime.” or anything even close to.Instead use atmosphere and quality time with your toddler to let him know it’s time to wind down.  This manipulation should begin 20 minutes BEFORE the time you put in place for your toddler to be in bed.

Create a cozy, calm and quiet atmosphere. Dim the lights, watch a little Animal Planet and cuddle with your toddler. A baby massage is a wonderful  relaxation technique for both parent and toddler and can be done as part of the winding down process.

2. Find and Remind.  On the way to his room, think of something fun and exciting for your toddler to do the next day.   It could be an afternoon of play dough fun, or perhaps he has a party to go to, or finger painting, or a play in the park.  Remind him of it. A little secret: tell him you are looking forward to doing it with him (ensure that you are able to do this. Otherwise do not offer this statement.

3. The Bedroom: short and sweet.  This is an area many parents get wrong. At bedtime your toddler’s bedroom should be within the same atmosphere as when you were winding him down. Prepare his bedroom before you start the winding down process.  Bedroom atmosphere encompasses a night light and soft music.

The time you spend in your toddler’s room after he is in bed needs to be short and sweet. Sit on edge of the bed next to your toddler and read a story, softly. Stroke his hair or use his favorite toy. Quietly remind him of the fun that awaits him the next day if he gets a good night rest. Mention that you are also very tired and heading off to bed. Kiss him goodnight and off you go.

4. When he starts to cry, tell him you love him and you will check on him in a bit before you go to bed. Ignore his crying. While in his room do not appear stressed.  Know in your mind that all will be well.  Your toddler will feel this and it will help him adjust to his new bedtime routine.

In 9 out of 10 cases your toddler will fall asleep very shortly.  However, if you prolong your time in his room and show your fear of his crying he will recognize this and use it as a tool to get you to stay until he falls asleep, which causes him to stay awake longer, lessoning his sleep time and lessoning your free time.

Toddler sleep problems can yield an unhealthy toddler, and although a bedtime routine can take some time to firmly take effect, fixing toddler sleep problems has many rewards for parent and toddler.  All good things come in time, so be consistent and adhere to the bedtime routine on a nightly basis.