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.
Buy Tracy Hogg's complete guide at
Nice post. Our son Arthur also likes to be awake.
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