After reading about techniques to promote good baby sleeping habits, a few nuggets of wisdom stood out that were consistent with what I have discovered from my experience as a mother of three children, aunt of 15 nieces and nephews, and registered nurse. Lack of sleep is a frustrating experience for all new parents and learning some helpful tips about how to promote better sleep for you and your baby is crucial for your and your baby's health.
1. Be Flexible In Choosing Baby Sleeping Techniques- Perhaps the biggest lesson I have learned in the past 25 years is that each child is different, so flexibility is a key factor in parenting! What works with one child may not work for another. Our first child was very active, even in the womb, and easily stimulated by the environment. Not realizing how to help him sleep, I tried several different baby sleep training techniques that I had read about and learned from talking with other mothers, like letting him "cry it out," using a pacifier, placing him in a car seat near the washing machine, and driving him around the block several times. I also tried carrying him in a front pack while vacuuming the house and limiting day naps. These methods were unsuccessful, but after trial and error and considering his tendency to become over stimulated, I found that providing a quiet, calm, dim environment, and using soothing words would best settle him to sleep.
2. Develop A Bedtime Ritual- I have found that children of all ages respond well to routine. In an article by "Baby Center," parents reported that establishing a consistent bedtime routine was the number one way they helped promote newborn sleep. Since each baby is different, try different methods and decide which works best for you and your baby. Click on this link for a list of sleep training techniques: http://www.babycenter.com/0_baby-sleep-training-the-basics_1505715.bc?page=2
After you learn what sleeping method your baby responds to best, make it a ritual. Also, I have found that a bedtime routine provides a sense of familiarity during times of travel when baby sleep is easily disturbed by being in an unfamiliar environment.
3. Be Consistent- Over the years, I've seen how being consistent, whether it is establishing and being consistent with a bedtime routine or later with discipline, gives a child a sense of security from knowing what to expect. In research, consistency of a sleeping method seems to be more important than the actual method itself. Consistency is important, but remember to keep flexible during times that your baby is ill, teething, going through a new stage in development, or your schedule changes. Being too rigid will create stress for you and your baby, which may then negatively affect both of your sleep.
Establishing healthy sleeping habits will help you deal better with the many challenges of becoming a new parent and help your baby in getting the sleep necessary for proper growth and development. For questions or concerns about your baby's sleeping, always seek the advice of your baby's doctor, as there may be other contributing factors involved.
References:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/baby-sleep/FL00118
http://www.babycenter.com/0_parents-favorite-sleep-strategies_7528.bc
http://www.babycenter.com/0_establishing-a-bedtime-routine-with-your-baby_1507759.bc
Written by: Shelley Scheibel, RN, BSN
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