This method of baby sleep training basically refers to returning and checking on your baby until she learns how to soothe herself to sleep without your help. Before starting any sleep training, you should first be sure that your baby is getting enough day time sleep, is over six months of age and is feeding well in the day. Never sleep train a baby who isn’t well.
After following a familiar and relaxing bedtime routine, put your baby in her cot while she is still awake and give her a few minutes to see if she might settle. If not, then go into her and calmly remind her it’s time to sleep. When sleep training, it’s really important that you don’t become visibly upset as your baby will pick up on it. Stay as calm as possible and remember that the end goal – a baby who sleeps through the night – will make this worth it! (more…)
The recent media coverage of Penelope Leach’s new book, The Essential First Year – What Babies Need Parents to Know, has focused on this sensational headline –
“Crying-it-out Harms Babies Brains.”
This media coverage is tough on the sleep deprived mother who hears that on the one hand that, if she doesn’t do something about her sleepless baby, he will probably grow into a sleepless child who will have problems with his weight and/or behaviour. And on the other hand, if she allows him to cry until he figures out how to fall asleep by himself, it may harm his brain.
I think it’s safe to say there’s a middle ground, which might be called “common sense parenting”. As parents we are faced with choices that we have to make on behalf of our children on a daily basis and these choices have to take into account the needs of our whole family. (more…)
I often hear people say there is no difference between these two baby sleep training techniques because they both allow a baby to cry. As with all things “parenting”, there are different views and we all must choose our own way (and try not to be too judgemental when people do something that we wouldn’t do!). In my opinion there is a significant difference between allowing a baby to “cry it out” and “controlled crying”. (more…)
There is no one answer to the age old question of how to get baby to sleep through the night. If there was, there wouldn’t be so many books, products and child sleep experts available to help! I wouldn’t be writing this blog post, and there wouldn’t be millions of exhausted parents frantically searching for a solution. However, here are 6 key steps you can follow which will encourage your baby to sleep through the night.
Keep in mind that under 6 months your baby may need feeding in the night and that you are teaching your baby how to sleep. This can take a while but by putting the right elements in place as soon as possible, it will make things easier for you all in the long run. (more…)
If your baby is waking throughout the night and all you need to do is pop the dummy in her mouth to help her fall back to sleep, then your baby is probably waking for the dummy and you may have a negative sleep association on your hands.
Your baby has learned to use the dummy to self soothe and fall asleep. All babies wake a few times in the night. Those who can self soothe will normally go straight back to sleep. Those who can’t will call for someone to help them.
If your baby is able to use the dummy independently, pops it back in her mouth when she wakes, and goes straight back to sleep, then I would say the dummy is a positive sleep association. It’s something that helps your baby sleep through the night without your involvement and provides her with comfort. (more…)
Using behavioural techniques including ‘controlled crying’ to help infants to sleep does not lead to later emotional and behavioural problems, according to new research by the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute.
The world-first study followed up 225 six-year-old children who had received behavioural sleep intervention as babies to assess their health including emotional wellbeing, behaviour and child-parent relationship. (more…)
If you’re finding it hard to teach your baby to sleep in her cot or crib, this video won’t help. But it will make you smile! For a little more help with your baby’s sleep, visit our community area.
Here’s an example of a bedtime routine which you and your baby or toddler will love. You’ll want to adapt this depending on your little one’s age. But remember that it should be focused and not too long. 20 minutes for an 8 week old baby, moving to a maximum of 45 minutes for a toddler is ideal. (more…)
Napping seems to be one of the most difficult challenges parents face with their baby’s sleep and I can understand why it’s frustrating. A long day with a tired baby is no fun for anyone.
Now, new research has confirmed that sleep is an integral part of how infants learn more about their world.
We have understood for some time now that babies and children need sleep in order to learn. And another study, carried out by psychologists at the University of Arizona-Tucson has found that babies who nap in the day are more likely to exhibit an advanced level of learning known as abstraction. (more…)
If you’ve been following the progress of Josie George in her journey to help little Kai sleep through the night, well… the verdict is in. He can do it!
Josie and I looked at two approaches to teach Kai to sleep well on his own – 1) Leaving him for short periods of time, returning to reassure him until he falls asleep. Or 2) Staying with Kai whilst he falls asleep and gradually moving outside of the room over a several nights.
Because Josie has been working to improve Kai’s sleep for many months, she knew he would respond best to the approach of gradually withdrawing her presence at bedtime.
A couple of nights into the plan and she wrote a blog post that was enough to put anyone off going any further. He was pretty much awake from 2:30 until 6:30am.
But by night four, Kai slept through the night with just a brief awakening at 10:30pm. It’s really wonderful to read about the impact of this on Josie. Kai is nearly 18 months and he has never slept through the night. And yet, after a lot of support from Josie, plus some serious perseverance and consistency, he showed his mummy he could do it.
There’s still work to be done, behaviours to reinforce. The following two nights weren’t so good. But then he did it again. That’s twice in one week! Now that Josie and Kai know he can sleep through, it will be easier to improve things until Kai does it so often that Josie just takes it for granted!
So if you’re considering tackling your baby’s sleep problems in the New Year, Josie’s success might just give you the encouragement you need!
