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Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Sleep at 6 months


Mums and dads need sleep but so does baby. Promoting good sleep habits from a young age can reduce problems in toddlerhood and beyond. Sleep is an issue that we all go through as first (second, third ...) time parents. My guy is no different, he likes to be awake!

The big question is when should a baby sleep through the night? I have many friends who have had an easy ride with their little ones sleeping through the night from an early age. My little man is not one of these babies. We accept he may have to feed in the night and also wake up (we do so why shouldn’t he?) but we also want him to sleep for long periods of time and have restful sleep. So how do we get a balance that we feel happy with?

I have gone through many thought processes when it comes to sleep and concluded that leaving him to cry is against my concept of parenting. He should be able to call for me when he needs something and I have a duty to respond. That said, he does cry... I’ve read a good many books and seen endless web sites but it’s hard to find a ‘how’ when looking for information on self-soothing and putting back to sleep when he’s screaming at the top of his lungs waking up the neighbourhood at 4 in the morning. So here’s what we do...

He has a lovely bedtime routine which I enjoy very much. It’s not for everyone but as I always say, you have to find a way that fits you, your baby and your family. So my guy has tea around 5pm then we watch something quiet like peter rabbit and have quiet play time. I don’t cook or clean in this time as he seems to get clingy and cries if I go out of the room which he doesn’t do at other times of the day, so this is his time. Around 6 we go up for a nice warm bath. He is sitting steady now so enjoys having a splash with the bubbles. This is a great time to sing some songs and he is really cheerful, regardless of his previous mood. After his bath he has a quick massage most nights as he has quite dry skin then it’s into pj’s and his sleepy bag at which point he is usually very tired and starting to complain. He then has his milk while I read him a story then either falls asleep while drinking or is almost asleep when I pop him in bed. He has a dummy at night so pop that in and kiss him goodnight then leave the room. Most of the time he will go off to sleep alone but when he doesn’t, I go back in and kiss him again and then leave again. If he gets himself in a tiz I go and pick him up just very briefly then pop him back down with a kiss and sit near him. If he continues to cry I repeat this until he goes off to sleep. When he wakes in the night and it’s not time for milk I do the same. It is by no means easy but definitely reduces the amount of crying and the length of time he cries for. The fact that I am right there with him helps me to know he is ok and knowing his routine I can be sure he’s not hungry.

For naps he was having 40 minutes three times a day and sometimes 20-30 minutes in the pushchair late afternoon. He had been on a three hour routine but recently after his naps were decreasing in time and he was getting in a state I did some research found Tracy Hogg and discovered that he could manage a four hour routine at this age. Tracy Hogg aka the baby whisperer has some really good ideas about routines and methods for increasing naps and putting back down to sleep. I have used several of her ideas and adapted them for our situation such as the picking up briefly explained above. Since I changed his routine I have been making a conscious effort to lengthen his naps using the same technique as I do at night. He is getting more sleep and has condensed the 3/4 naps into 2/3 naps and is starting to wake less at night. It has taken a few weeks but there is definite progress and light at the end of a long long tunnel of wakeful nights. 


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