I was working in the kitchen earlier today consulting the archives on Sleep Consultancies and I wrote this post. What are your thoughts?
Parents
sometimes worry that if their baby is asleep on their back, it might be
dangerous if they vomit. But babies sleeping on their backs have no
difficulty turning their heads if they're sick. Many baby monitors now
include a video option where you can see your baby sleeping. These can
give you peace of mind to see your baby is OK and you can visibly check
whether they’re groaning a little or a lot and weigh up the likelihood
of them settling back to sleep without you. If you have twins and plan
to have the twins sleep together for the first few months, make sure you
swaddle them snugly (perhaps in a premade baby swaddler that cannot
unravel) and put them top to tail. And be sure to use rumbly white noise
to keep them calm and reduce wiggling. Encourage use of a security
object. Once your baby is old enough (by 12 months), introduce a
transitional/love object, such as a stuffed animal, a blanket, or a
t-shirt that was worn by you (tie in a knot). Include it as part of your
bedtime routine and whenever you are cuddling or comforting your baby.
Don’t force your baby to accept the object, and realize that some babies
never develop an attachment to a single item. An infant’s digestive
system needs to have developed to support longer periods of night sleep
and their calories and nutritional needs must be met during the day. We
tend to see this happening between 9 -18 months. Any time you think you
might fall asleep with your baby, make sure they are on their back in a
clear, safe space. The chance of SIDS is lower when babies sleep in a
room with an adult than when they sleep alone.
If
your baby isn’t sleeping because she’s sick, know the signs it’s time
to call her pediatrician, most commonly including fever (101 Fahrenheit
or higher if your baby is 6 months or older), bloody nasal discharge,
swollen glands or an earache (babies may pull at their ears). For some
kids, sleep training is a necessity. The longer-and-longer approach is a
gentler alternative, or you can consider the no-tears method of pick
up/put down. If your baby is beautiful and perfect, never cries or
fusses, sleeps on schedule and burps on demand, an angel all the time,
you’re the grandma. A nightlight is a good way to prevent you from
tripping over any toys in the middle of the night and making a noise
that might wake them up. It also means you won’t have to turn on the big
light and make it harder for them to get back to sleep. Over the coming
weeks and months, you’re going to gently teach your baby he is loved.
You can start right away by using the best cues that help him drift off
to sleep and give him the confidence to slumber securely and fall back
to sleep when he wakens. However, you’ll do it in easy baby steps, so
his faith in you grows and grows. The gentle approach and caring manner
of a baby sleep expert allows them to assist you in the most preferable
way to deal with
sleep training and to assist you and your family in any way possible.
All Babies Sleep Differently
It
is normal for parents to be up 2-3 times or sometimes even more times
during the night for the first 6 months. Your baby will get hungry, they
may need changing or could be too hot or cold which may cause them to
wake up. By the time your baby is 6 months, they might be capable of
sleeping through the night. Adult beds aren't safe for infants. A baby
can become trapped and suffocate between the headboard slats, the space
between the mattress and the bed frame, or the space between the
mattress and the wall. A baby can also suffocate if a sleeping parent
accidentally rolls over and covers the baby's nose and mouth. Look out
for your baby or toddler’s sleep associations such as needing to be
rocked to sleep or fed to fall sleep. Once you’re aware of what they
are, you can help to encourage them not to depend on them to fall asleep
by gently removing/stopping the association when you notice the signs
of them getting visibly sleepy. At birth babies don’t distinguish
between night and day and this awareness develops gradually within a few
weeks and is established by two months. If you are considering
co-sleeping, talk to your health visitor about safety issues. A bedside
cot with an open side is a happy compromise that offers a safe
environment while keeping your baby nearby. If you need guidance on
4 month sleep regression then let a sleep consultant support you in unlocking your child's potential, with their gentle, empathetic approach to sleep.
During
the first weeks of life your baby does not yet have a set day-night
rhythm. You can help create this rhythm by setting regular times for
going to bed and waking up. These need to allow plenty of time for
sleep. The more regular the hours, the stronger the sleep-wake cycle
will be. This helps you predict when they need sleep. Regular hours are
important for older children too. There is no right or wrong place for
babies to sleep. Wherever all family members sleep the best is the right
arrangement for you and your baby. Some babies sleep best in their own
crib in their own room, some sleep better in their own cot in the
parents’ bedroom, other babies sleep best snuggled right next to mum in
the parents’ bed. You should never leave your baby placed on the stomach
because that increases the risk of SIDS or suffocation. So keep your
fussy little child in your arms until she’s calm and then be sure to
follow the “back to sleep” rule. Try and ensure that your baby takes
their day naps in their cot too rather than in prams or car seats which
are not ideal, regular nap zones. The more naps they have in their cot,
the better bedtimes will be. Babies who enjoy consistent bedtimes and
familiar going-to-sleep rituals usually go to sleep easier and stay
asleep longer. Yet, because of modern lifestyles, consistent and early
bedtimes are not as common, or realistic, as they used to be. There are
multiple approaches to
ferber method and a sleep expert will help you choose one that is right for you and your family.
Avoid Letting Your Baby Get Too Hot Or Too Cold
Just
because your baby reaches six months you don’t have to move them to
their cot right away. If everyone is sleeping well there really is no
rush. If you have space you might just want to move their cot into your
room to start with but if you’re already cramped in your bedroom and
your baby isn’t yet falling asleep for longer stretches at night a move
might be just the ticket for all of you. Generally, newborns sleep about
8 to 9 hours in the daytime and about 8 hours at night. But they may
not sleep more than 1 to 2 hours at a time. Most babies don't start
sleeping through the night (6 to 8 hours) without waking until they are
about 3 months old, or until they weigh 12 to 13 pounds. About
two-thirds of babies are able to sleep through the night on a regular
basis by age 6 months. How do you get babies to sleep twelve hours by
twelve weeks old? I believe that babies would do this on their own if
parents just left them alone and encouraged their babies’ natural
tendencies. But twenty-first-century parenting is wrought with
insecurity. Babies sleep a lot, particularly newborns, and it’s not
always possible to stay at home all day to ensure every nap is lying
flat on their back in their cot or Moses basket - as the experts
recommend. Research has shown that early evening is the time babies are
most likely to cry and be difficult to comfort. Which might just be when
you're most tired. Not great. 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
gentle sleep training or one of an untold number of other things.
You
don’t want your baby to sit up too straight because her heavy head
might slump forward and make it hard for her to breathe. While some
babies have tragically died when they were left to sleep in an upright
car seat or infant seat, to date there have been no reported cases of
babies choking while sleeping in a fully reclined swing. Don’t worry
about keeping the house silent while your baby sleeps during the day. It
is good for them to get used to sleeping with a certain amount of noise
and will help to teach them the difference between day and night.
Daytime is signalled by lots of interaction with you, toys and play,
while night-time is signalled by quiet and dimming of lights.
Repetitive, nearly monotonous sounds that lull baby to sleep are known
as white noise, such as the sounds of a fan, air conditioner, or even
tape recordings of womb sounds or vacuum cleaner sounds. Also, try
running water from a nearby faucet or shower, a bubbling fish tank, a
loudly ticking clock, or a metronome set at sixty beats a minute. (These
can all be tape-recorded.) Travelling can actually help baby to sleep
better. A change of scene can help break bad sleeping habits. Extra time
outdoors, doing new things with mum, dad and family can make babies
feel more tired than usual so they sleep more easily. Our homes are busy
at night, filled with bright light, noise, and lots of activity. All
this can overexcite nosy little infants. No wonder they put up a fuss
when they’re suddenly put in a dark, quiet, still room all alone.
Whether its something specific like
sleep regression
or really anything baby sleep related, a baby sleep consultant can
guide you to find a sleep solution as individual as your baby is.
Spring Into Action At The First Sign Of Sleepiness
Younger
infants up to 6 months tend to sleep on and off around the clock,
waking every 1–3 hours to eat. As they near 4 months of age, sleep
rhythms become more set. Most babies sleep 9–12 hours at night, usually
with an interruption for feeding, and have 2–3 daytime naps lasting
about 30 minutes to 2 hours each. After 4 months, your baby is becoming
very aware of their surroundings and this includes when you want them to
go to sleep. To encourage the most healthiest, deepest and restorative
sleep, most sleep should be now taken in their cot. A quiet wind-down
routine helps baby transition from active wake times to restful sleep
periods. Without this transition it can be difficult for babies and
young children to settle their minds and bodies and become prepared for
sleep. Discover more information regarding Sleep Consultancies in this
NHS web page.
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