HOW TO ENSURE YOUR CHILD GETS THE BEST POSSIBLE SLEEP
By: Littlebird India
Tags: Baby, Baby Sleep, Children, Parenting

HOW TO ENSURE YOUR CHILD GETS THE BEST POSSIBLE SLEEP

As a new parent, constantly worrying about the sleep patterns of our child is natural. Sleep problems are very common in newborns, especially in their first few months — before the baby has a regular sleep-wake cycle and needs to be fed every few hours. We want to help you parents better prepare yourselves for these times. If this is your first step into sleep training, you’re in good hands.

Sleep training is designed to teach your little ones self-soothing, which is the babies ability to calm themselves so they can fall asleep without your help. Sleep training ensures a happier, lighter mood in your baby with less fussiness and irritability through sorted sleep schedules.

Before we get deeper into sleep training, here are some basics of good sleep hygiene:

● Make sure bedtime and morning wake time is the same everyday. Especially weekends. Don’t turn your baby into a weekend party animal.

● Keep the bedroom cool, calm and dark.

● Beds are for sleeping and not for watching TV. Keep screens out of the bedroom. Research says, using electronics before bedtime makes it difficult to sleep.

● Try calming down activities before sleeping, like a bath, or singing a lullaby

● Keep bedtime routine activities in same order, predictable, enjoyable and short.

PERFECT TIME TO SLEEP TRAIN YOUR BABY

According to most experts, infants are ready to begin sleep training at 4 to 6 months. By the 4th month, babies are ready to self-soothe and begin to follow a regular sleep-wake cycle. But at this age, your little one also starts to understand that he/she can get you to come running with a single cry, thus making sleep-training a challenge. Some babies of this age group may not be ready for sleep training until they’re a bit older. If in doubt, do consult your doctor.

SLEEP TRAINING METHODS

1. The Ferber method

The gist of the Ferber method, or the more simply put, “Cry It Out” (CIO) approach suggests putting your baby to bed when they’re still awake and to allow short intervals of crying underlined by comforting without moving or embracing your child. The logic is this — in order to sleep on their own through the night, babies need to learn to help and soothe themselves to sleep. Teaching a baby to soothe himself may require you to allow the baby to cry for a period of time.

Don’t let the baby cry indefinitely though. Keep checking at progressively longer methods.

If you’re interested in knowing more, famous mommy blogger Leyla talks about and describes it as difficult for her as the baby in her words “was over tired, fussy and cranky.” But she also says, it differs from individual to individual.

To know more about the ferber method - https://www.babycenter.com/0_the-ferber-method-demystified_7755.bc

2. The ‘no tears’ approach

The no-tears approach believes that bedtime offers an opportunity to connect with your baby by adopting peaceful and cosy night time rituals. No tears sleep training is a more gradual approach which involves soothing the baby to sleep by providing comfort right away when the child cries. Pediatrician William Sears, author of a book named The Baby Sleep Book, is a leading proponent of this approach.

For a deeper insight, refer to: https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/no-cry-no-tears-sleep-training-method-for-babies/

3. Other approaches

Fading approach falls in the middle of the above two sleep training tactics. In this approach, you cautiously reduce your bedtime role by sitting near the baby until he falls asleep. Each following night, you gradually move yourself farther away from the crib or their bed and only return to check on your baby and reassure him with your presence (without picking up the baby) every few minutes until he falls asleep.

Various experts suggest similar methods. One example is having a specific routine with your baby involving the five S’s: swaddling, the side or stomach positioning for calming your baby (not for sleeping), shushing, swinging, and sucking.

There is no ‘perfect’ method or ‘right method’. One method may work for one mother while another may not. After all, no two children are the same.

If one of these methods sounds like it would be a good match for you and your baby, read up more about it and take an informed decision.

To know more about sleep training, see this video on How to sleep train your baby — Baby Sleep Course on Channel Mum: