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Help Your Baby Sleep
Help Your Baby Sleep: a selection of articles by: News Canada
This article is based on a number of brief publications from News Canada, ranging from 1 to a few paragraphs each. I have combined them to make it easier to read the entire series.
Seven ways to help your baby sleep
A sound sleep is not only good for the baby, it's good for the whole family. A baby that is well rested is more likely to wake up with a sunny disposition, while one that is not may be cranky. Although all babies are different, they can be taught healthy sleep habits.
Here are some pointers for parents:
(1) Napping
Naps are an important part of a baby's daily routine. In early infancy, the first task is to help your baby learn to sleep longer at night and stay awake for increasingly longer periods during the daytime.
(2) Routine
A consistent routine establishes an important signal to your baby that it is bedtime or nap time, eventually becoming an expected ritual for your baby. This routine can include reading, bathing, singing or cuddling.
(3) Calming period
Gradually reducing stimulation, noise and activity will give your baby the calm down period needed to relax and respond to bedtime comforting. These transition signals can begin 30 minutes before bedtime, giving your baby a chance to sense that it's time to sleep.
(4) Comforting
Comforting babies through hugs, gentle back rubs, soft rocking or even light rubbing of their tummy helps to calm them before bedtime. Remember to put babies up to 12 months to sleep on their backs to help prevent SIDS.
(5) Surroundings
Surroundings that are conducive to sleep include: a dark room, comfortable bedding and crib; swaddling newborns to prevent your baby from flailing and startling herself. Creating an ambience that is comforting and distracting from other household sounds can also help.
(6) Comfortable diaper
The diaper is against the baby's skin constantly for the first years of life, and can cause discomfort. An absorbent diaper that fits well and helps to keep your baby dry is more comfortable and helps to prevent leakage which can disrupt sleep.
(7) Sleepy signals
Your baby tells you when he's tired through sleep signals. It's really important to notice those signals and start the bedtime process. Signals of sleepiness may include yawning, fussing, slower movement and the zoning look - half shut eyes staring into space.
For more information about babies and sleep, visit the Pampers Website.
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Click Here for more details on this ebook (a new screen will open).
Test your sleep smarts
You already know there's more to putting your baby to sleep than a good feeding and singing a lullaby. Test your knowledge of baby sleep.
True or False
(1) An adult's sleep habits begin to form in infancy.
True. Good sleep habits are formed early. If a child does not learn to sleep well he may have ongoing, lifelong sleep problems
(2) Sleep increases brainpower.
True. Sleep recharges the brain's battery and sleeping well increases your attention span. Infants who sleep well have longer attention spans and appear more persistent when engaged.
(3) If my child misses her nap, she will make up for it by sleeping more at night.
False. Children who miss naps can not make it up by sleeping more later. The sleep they miss is gone forever.
(4) Babies can be trained to sleep well.
True. There are several ways to promote sleep in babies and routine is one of the most important. Having a firm sleep schedule and good timing may help prevent sleep problems in the future.
(5) Parents should put their babies down immediately after they fall asleep.
False. The best time to put your baby down is when she is drowsy, but not yet asleep, because she needs to develop "self-soothing" skills. These help her to get herself back to sleep if she wakes up in the middle of the night.
More information on how to help babies sleep can be found at the Pampers Website.
Did you know?
Pampers diapers fit so well because they are based on measurements from babies across the globe. Visit Pampers for more information about Pampers products.
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Brain food for babies
Did you know that lifelong sleep habits begin as early as infancy? Like learning to eat, crawl and talk, babies can also learn to sleep. One study done with 3 year olds receiving treatment for sleep problems found that 84 % of these children had demonstrated problems since infancy. According to Dr. Marc Weissbluth, pediatrician, Pampers Parenting Institute board member and author of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, sleep affects children's overall health, including their ability to learn.
"Sleeping well increases brain power just as lifting weights builds stronger muscles," Dr. Weissbluth says. "It increases your attention span and allows you to be physically relaxed and mentally alert at the same time." He is an advocate for consistent naps and early bedtimes, saying that babies who are kept awake late to accommodate parent schedules end up paying a price in long-term sleep deprivation. He believes that sleep problems that are carried into the toddler and pre-school years can make children less mentally alert, more inattentive, and easily distracted.
There are several ways to a healthy sleep. Here are a few of Dr. Weissbluth's recommendations:
- Sleep Duration: Missing a nap here and there will probably not cause any harm. But if it becomes as a habit, your baby will lag behind in his sleep which can lead him to become over fatigued.
- Naps: Long naps occurring at the right time make your baby feel rested.
- Sleep consolidation: Uninterrupted sleep or sleep that is continuous and not disrupted by awakenings is best.
- Sleep schedule: Babies and children alike benefit from keeping a routine. Regularity and consistency in timing of sleep helps diminish crying and resistance to bedtime.
Keep in mind that every baby is unique. What worked for your first born may not work as effectively with her little brother. Watch, listen and trust your instincts, you know your baby best. For more ways to help baby sleep, visit the Pampers Website.
The big settle down: Age-based tips for sleeping through the night
Adapted from Bedtime Rituals That Work, by Suzanne Dixon, MD, MPH
All of us, from newborns to adults, move between light sleep and deep sleep during the night. Anyone who boasts that her child sleeps straight through really means that when the child comes up into light sleep, he can get himself back down without crying or calling for a parent. How can you help your child reach that same milestone? Read below to find out.
0 to 3 months
A newborn's daily habits aren't fully established yet, so in the first weeks it's fine to let her doze off while you're nursing or rocking her. But by 8 to 10 weeks, she can begin learning to fall asleep on her own. Letting her fall asleep while feeding can establish a link between the two, making her more likely to cry for more when she wakes up later. If she starts to look sleepy during a feeding, ease her into her crib. Stay nearby as she nods off, but don't hold her or rock her to sleep. Babies this age need to feed around the clock, so don't expect an undisturbed night.
When your baby wakes up at night, it's your job to teach her that it's not playtime but feeding time. Don't turn on the lights or carry on a conversation. Just feed her, change her if she's wet, and set her back in her bed. The less interesting you make nighttime awakenings, the sooner she'll catch on.
4 to 6 months
By 4 months, a baby can sleep six to 12 hours straight through. Don't rush to pick her up as soon as she groans or whimpers, and chances are she'll fall back asleep by herself. If she does wake up and wants a feeding, stall a bit to be sure she really needs it. If she's been fed and changed and is still crying for you, go in and let her know you're there, but resist picking her up. Pat her and speak softly. Let her discover her own style of settling herself back down into sleep.
7 to 12 months
Even if your baby "slept through" before, she'll likely start making a fuss at night again due to her newfound thinking skills: She can now really miss you when she doesn't see you. A brief reassurance when she awakens will help her through this stage.
Babies' sleep patterns are often disrupted while they're mastering a new skill. For example, if your baby is learning to pull herself up to a standing position, expect her to practice this in her crib at night, too.
If you've gone back to work and find your milk supply decreasing, a nighttime feeding can help you maintain a good level of milk supply. It's easiest to keep your baby in your room if this is the case, but make sure your spouse is amenable to this arrangement.
For more sleeping tips by age, visit the Pampers Website
News Canada
About The Author
News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.
News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.
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