By Sandy Fleming
You've got a new baby in the house. Congratulations! And now you feel like part of a sleep deprivation experiment. Sooner or later, the cycle of waking every few hours all night long takes its toll and your body and mind start to suffer from lack of sleep. Something's got to give, and it can't be you since you have so many responsibilities.
The knack of sleeping through the night is a learned habit. Babies do not come equipped with this ability. When they first arrive, their little bodies simply cannot go that long without food. New parents are prepared for this and plan to spend a few weeks with less sleep than normal. Many doctors claim that a baby's weight dictates when that blessed first uninterrupted night of sleep will occur. Twelve pounds is the magic number. So unless your child has some special circumstances, you can start looking for that milestone when your baby weighs approximately twelve pounds.
Once your little one has managed to lengthen
out the time between feedings and has slept all night a few times,
your actions and responses will determine how often those quiet
nights occur and when they become the normal routine. Try these
suggestions to bring quiet nights to your house sooner rather than
later.
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Keep to a schedule. People are designed to eat
and sleep on a regular schedule. You get hungry at mealtimes and
sleepy at bedtime because you do these things at roughly the same
time each day. Your baby is the same way, and will learn to eat
and sleep at regular times if you offer food and rest at regular
times.
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Limit evening naps if your infant is having trouble
falling asleep at bedtime. Sometimes it's easy to want your
little one to sleep during the early evening hours so that you
can spend uninterrupted time with the rest of your family or your
spouse, but if bedtime is becoming difficult, you may need to
rethink this strategy. It's not very healthy to trade quiet
early evenings for a wide-awake baby at two in the morning.
Be soothing at bedtime. Avoid overstimulating
your youngster in the evening. If your child has trouble settling
down for sleep, check what's going on after supper. Physical
play, bath time, sometimes even shopping can stimulate a child
and cause sleep difficulties. Create a bedtime routine. Babies feel more secure
when routines are established and consistent. If you always feed
baby, sit and rock while you read a story or sing a lullaby, then
put the little one to bed, baby will come to associate the routine
with sleep time. Just be sure to make your routine portable (something
that can be done at grandma's house or in a hotel), and
have different care givers participate. If Mom always puts baby
to bed, the sitter will have a hard time when you choose to go
out for a movie. If Dad always has the honor, then Mom might have
trouble when Dad has to be away on a business trip. Put your baby in bed before he or she actually
falls asleep. I know it feels all warm and snuggly to hold the
little one until the eyes close and the breathing is soft and
slow, but you will find that baby will quickly come to feel that
your presence is necessary for sleep. You don't want that!
You want your little one to come to understand that sleep is something
that everyone does on his or her own. -
Young infants may like to be "swaddled."
This ancient technique involves wrapping baby snuggly in a blanket
so that arms and legs are close to the body. Some think that little
ones appreciate this because they are unused to all of the sensory
input coming from their new little bodies. Swaddling reduces the
random movements of their limbs and makes it easier to rest. To
swaddle a child, lay him or her on a blanket with some space at
the feet. Fold the blanket over the baby's body on one side,
fold up the blanket below the feet, and wrap the other side of
the blanket around the infant. Do not cover face or head, and
lay the baby on his or her back on a firm mattress. This method
works well for very young children who are not yet trying to roll
or scoot.
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Be low-key at night. When baby does wake, keep
the lights low and your voice quiet. Do just what you need to
do to make your little one comfortable and no more. You certainly
don't want your youngster to decide that late night is play
time! Be minimalist in the middle of the night, or you may need
to buy one of those baby T-shirts that announce a party in the
crib at 3 AM!
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Be prepared to listen to a bit of crying. Young infants should have every cry investigated and their needs should be met in the night. This is how they learn to trust that parents and caregivers are always there and always ready to make things right. However, at some point in infancy, little ones also develop a sense of boredom and will cry at times to cause someone to pick them up, play with them, or move them around to new scenery. These things are great during the day, and you should respond to these wishes within reason. But you do not want to have to do these things at night! If your child cries, by all means, check on the baby. Make sure  the child is comfortable, dry, safe, and physically satisfied. It's really hard to sleep if you are thirsty or sore or cold. Once you're satisfied that all is well, give the young one a quick good-night pat and leave the room. If the crying starts again right away because you left, wait a few minutes before responding. Repeat the good-night pat and leave the room. Each time the baby cries, wait just a little bit longer before responding. You can watch the clock or set a timer if you need to, as long as you're sure that there is no physical need that should be met.
Praise your child in the morning when the
night has been quiet. Just because your baby cannot talk to you
just yet doesn't mean that the child doesn't understand
some of your words or at least your tone and demeanor. He or she
will get the message that you are pleased with the quiet night
and will respond to this praise.
If these suggestions fail you, by all means
talk to your doctor or healthcare professional. It's that
important that you get your family back on a regular schedule
of sleeping through the night nearly every evening. You'll
feel better and your baby will feel better in the long run.
Article written by Sandy Fleming.
All opinions expressed are that of the writer.
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