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There is nothing more frustraiting than being dead tiard yourself and having your baby refuse to go to sleep. Experts agree that if you want to avoid sleeping difficulties it is vital to develope a predictable routine in your baby's first year. Of course in your baby's early weeks you 
should let him set the pace, but your baby should settle into a routine between three and six months. This is the ideal time to develop a bedtime routine, where you put your baby to bed while he is still awake and he learns to settle himself to sleep.
Sleeping Through - "Sleeping through" is a confusing expression as it implies soundly sleeping without stirring all night. In fact, humans of all ages have breif waking periods during the night, including babies who "sleep through". It really refers to the stage when babies put themselves back to sleep, rather than waking up completly and crying after these breif periods of waking. The age at which babies do this can vary tremendously but, generally speaking, if your baby still wakes at night after six months, and you are finding it difficult to cope, you may wish to seek help.
Developing A Routine - Hear are some steps you can take to start settling your baby into a bedtime routine within his first year.
- Try to put him to bed at the same time and in the same place every night
- Help him to distinguish between night and day by using familiar routines such as having a warm bath, changing into his night clothes, reading to him, singing nursery rhymes and darkening the room.
- Treat day and night feeds differently. Make day feeds sociable - talk to him and play with him. Night feeds should be quiet and uneventful. Try to feed him even before he has the chance to wake up properly.
- Put him to bed when he is drowsy but not asleep. Try not to over-stimulate him just before putting him to bed.
- Put something that smells of you (such as a breast pad) in the cot, as this can be a source of comfort. Take care to make sure everything you put into the cot cannot be a safety hazard.
- Keep background noise low but don't aim for total silence as it's a comfort for your baby to hear that your still around.
Solving Sleep Problems - Once your baby is over six months of age you can start to activly shape his slepping habits using one of the following routines. Many parents feel that by the time their baby is this age they have had enough of night time waking and use one of the following techniques to help their baby learn to sleep by themselves. However, there is absolutly no reason to follow these methods if your happy with things as they are.
The Checking Routine - This is an excerllent way to help your baby, aged six months or over, to go to sleep alone. Results can be quick in as little as a week for some parents but you must stick to it.
- Tell your baby it's time for sleep, that your going to leave the room, but that you won't be far away - then go. Even a young baby will understand what you mean by your tone, actions and mannor.
- If he cries, wait five minutes, then return. Don't turn on any lights, play with him or reassure him. Just stroke his hand or face until he is calm and leave the room again.
- If he still continues to cry, leave it a little bit longer (say around eight minutes), before returning. Continue the same pattern until he falls asleep.
The Gradual Retreat Method - This is ideal if your a mum who usually cuddles your baby in bed or stays with him until he falls asleep.
- Sit by your baby's cot holding his hand until he falls asleep. Continue to do this for a week.
- For the next week, sit by his cot without holding his hand until he falls asleep.
- The following week, sit at the end of his cot until he falls asleep.
- Continue to move away from his cot in small stages, a week at a time, until you reach the door. Sit at the open door for a week. By this time he should be able to sleep without you being there in the room.
Co - Sleeping - You'll receive all sorts of advice about wheather or not you should allow your baby in bed with you. Often, when your feeding your baby it is convenient and relaxing to feed him while you are lying in bed. However, after feeding it is preferable that bub be placed back in his cot, even if it right next to your bed. Current research shows that there is a small risk of babies being accidently suffocated by bedding or by sleeping adults rolling onto the baby, so sleeping in bed with your baby should be avoided.
YOU - Don't forget about your own needs. Try to take advantage of the times when your baby is sleeping by having a nap yourself. Don't worry if the housework slides a bit. If there's a choice between sleep and doing the washing up, for example, choose the sleep. Accept help from family and friends if you need to. Remember, despite your new role as a mum, you are still an individual with your own needs. If you need an hour or two to yourself, this does not make you a bad mother.
Sourced from bounty book
(October 2006) (
Lexi xxx
