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Babies who have a consistent bedtime routine sleep more, wake less during the night, and wake up happier each morning. A bedtime routine, which can last anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, gives your child time to relax and transition the body into sleep mode. Does your baby share your bed? Join the gang. A study found that up to 71 percent of parents and babies across the globe sleep body-to-body. Some, though, consider this a bridge too far, since retiring to your own bed is one of the few opportunities parents get to have a moment of privacy. Baby sleep is something most parents stress about, which can add to their already epic exhaustion levels. As long as your little one seems happy and well-rested most of the time, don't worry about your baby's sleep schedule, patterns and habits, especially in the beginning. Things have a way of getting easier and smoother as you and your baby get used to your new life together. Place your baby down into their cot feet first, rather than head first. Putting them down head first can cause them to startle awake because they feel like they are falling. (You know the feeling when you are just falling asleep, only to jump and wake yourself up again!) It is not about being a selfish parent if you want your child to sleep, as that is often how it is perceived. A well-rested child is a precursor to a well-rested family unit – with huge benefits. If we are going to prioritise maternal health and wellbeing and also infant mental health, sleep has to be part of that conversation. Place your baby with their feet at the bottom end of the cot to prevent them wriggling under the covers and secure the covers only to waist height. Make sure the room your baby's sleeping in isn't too hot or cold. A perfect temperature is around 18-19 degrees centigrade.
Although many parents find that their babies sleep well in co-sleepers, swings, “nests” to be used in beds, cots, and rockers, the general consensus is that these are not safe when used without direct supervision; in certain circumstances, however, parents may find that their pediatrician approves their use. Daytime sleep is also important. Ironically, children who are overtired often find it hard to sleep well at night. Daytime naps will help a lot - if they're well rested, they won't be super charged with adrenaline. Bedtime should become much easier for everyone. Babies sleeping on their tummies has been linked to sudden infant death syndrome. The safest position for your baby is on their back, face up. A night-time dummy can help soothe your baby if they enjoy the comfort of sucking without actually being hungry. Be warned though, dummies regularly fall out of babies’ mouths, so you may be woken up just as much as before by playing ‘hunt the dummy’ in the dark. The gentle approach and caring manner of a baby sleep expert allows them to assist you in the most preferable way to deal with ferber method and to assist you and your family in any way possible.
Have A Nap Schedule
Ideal wake times range depending on the age of your newborn and time of day. In a nutshell, the younger they are, the less time they’ll be able to stay comfortably awake (ie. 30-60 mins). And as they get older, awake time can stretch to as long as 90 minutes. Of course you’ll want to cuddle and comfort your crying baby. Some nights you won’t know why they can’t sleep despite your best efforts. But always try to put your baby back down in their Moses basket/cot when they’re drowsy but still awake so they learn to settle themselves. Keep stroking their cheek if you need to. Feed and wind your baby to make sure that they are full and comfortable. Wind pain is often worse when lying down. If your baby doesn’t conform to what the baby books say about sleep patterns – don’t despair. Don’t assume that it is your fault or you are doing something wrong. Every baby is unique and has his or her individual personality and rhythms. At 3 to 6 months old your baby needs fewer night feeds and will be able to sleep for longer, with most babies sleeping between 12 and 14 hours across the day and night. Having a baby is a steep learning curve and aspects such as 4 month sleep regression come along and shake things up just when you're not expecting them.
As we know, all babies are different and they all reach the various milestones at different times. But the good news is with sleep as with everything else, they all get there in the end. If your baby is still waking at 12 months, try and work with them at their own pace to learn to self soothe and ensure they are eating sufficiently during the day and not napping too much. You can start sleep training your baby when she's 4 to 6 months old. Before that happens, try organizing your days around her sleep and wake patterns, which can help her put in longer stretches of quality sleep. Here are the top sleep problems for babies in this age range and tips for how to solve them: Newborns are adjusting to life outside the womb. It can take up to 11 weeksTrusted Source for a baby to develop a 24-hour sleep-wake cycle. Even then, babies often continue to wake at night. For decades, grandmas—and doctors—taught that feeding babies a spoon or two of cereal would fill their stomach and keep them sleeping all night. But several studies show that bedtime cereal does nothing to promote sleep. Babies who are able to soothe themselves back to sleep (“self-soothers”) awaken briefly and go right back to sleep. In contrast, “signalers” are those babies who awaken their parents and need help getting back to sleep. Many of these signalers have developed inappropriate sleep onset associations and thus have difficulty self-soothing. If you need guidance on sleep regression then let a sleep consultant support you in unlocking your child's potential, with their gentle, empathetic approach to sleep.
Don't Worry If Naps Are Short
If you eliminated all sources of electric and electronic light at night, you and your baby would probably find it easier to sleep. But for most of us, total blackouts aren’t a realistic option. Designate the nursery as a room for sleep, not play. Keep the area around the crib free of toys and other fun knick knacks. Crib distractions confuse baby. They’ll make them wonder, ‘Is this a playpen, or is it a place to sleep?’ Talk to your child’s pediatrician about how often baby should be eating overnight. If you get the go-ahead to cut down on overnight feeds, ensure baby’s eating enough during the day by offering a feed every two to three hours. Then, work on slowly stretching the time between nighttime feedings. For the first 6 months your baby should be in the same room as you when they're asleep, both day and night. This can reduce the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). Particularly in the early weeks, you may find your baby only falls asleep in your or your partner's arms, or when you're standing by the cot. Make bedtime the same time each day to regulate your child’s body clock. A bedtime routine is a powerful cue leading up to sleeptime and should take place in the room in which your baby sleeps. It should be simple, comforting and predictable with calming and quiet activities, such as lullabies and simple rhyming stories, all of which will help your baby to wind down before going to sleep. For gentle sleep training guidance it may be useful to enlist the services of a sleep consultant.
You can sleep train and night wean at the same time. In fact, sleep training will sometimes lead to a drop off in overnight feedings simply because your baby will learn to fall back asleep on their own. But sometimes, if your baby is underweight or has other medical conditions, you might need to continue night feeding, even during or after sleep training. When people talk about sleep regression, they are usually referring to when your child starts waking up during the night and has trouble falling back asleep. There are many causes, and the triggers could be different at different stages of a child’s development. Surprisingly, the best time to start your bedtime routine is in the morning. Infants who get sunlight and walks outside during the day (and whose nursing moms avoid stimulants, like dark chocolate) sleep much better at night. Babies thrive on closeness and comfort. Many parents end up co-sleeping, whether they intended to or not, as it settles their baby and so enables everyone to sleep. Exhausted every sleep training option? A baby sleep consultant may be able to help get your little one on the right path to regular rest. A sleep expert will be with you every step of the way, guiding you on how best to find a solution to your sleep concerns, whether its sleep training or one of an untold number of other things.
Try Not To Stimulate Your Baby
Waking your baby - after you ease her into bed - sounds nuts, but the wake-and-sleep technique will bring you many hours of added slumber by preventing sleep problems before they develop. It doesn't take much to turn a baby's sleep routine on its head. A cold or an ear infection can wreak havoc on sleeping patterns, as can emotional challenges such as Mom returning to work or getting used to a new babysitter. Limiting the lengths of naps to no more than two hours in the early days and weeks is the single best thing parents can do to resolve day/night confusion quickly and to encourage baby to have longer stretches of overnight sleep. Check out extra intel regarding Baby Sleep Trainers at this NHS entry.
