Solutions and Tips for Sleeping Success
by Dani Hamblett
Sleep. It’s the brass ring of early parenthood, sought by all, achieved by few. And for some parents, the mysteries of getting their child to sleep extend well into toddlerhood.
Look for information on getting kids to sleep, whether in a book, magazine or blog, and the terminology alone will make your head spin: sleep training, co-sleeping, crying it out, self-soothing, sleep locations, the great crib bumper debate and the list goes on. Add to that a wealth of information on the risk of SIDS, and the topic of sleep can be a very overwhelming one for parents.
According to Elizabeth Pantley in her book The No-Cry Sleep Solution, newborn babies do not have a sleep problem; their parents do. Babies’ biological clocks are not as mature as those of adults. We all go through periods of light and heavy sleep during the night, but babies alternate through these phases more frequently than older children and adults. Their sleep cycles are shorter for what doctors believe are two reasons: first, survival — babies need frequent wakings to assess their need for food and warmth, and second, it aids in their developmental and physical growth, which is extremely rapid before the age of two. Expecting babies to sleep the way we do is simply unrealistic.
Pediatric guru Dr. William Sears believes that parents can lead the way to help guide babies toward healthy sleep behavior. “Sleep is not a state you can force your baby into,” says Sears. “Sleep must naturally overtake your baby. Your nighttime parenting role is to set the conditions that make sleep attractive and to present cues that suggest to baby that sleep is expected.”
One thing all the sleep methods do agree on that can aid parents in this task is establishing a routine. Opinions vary, but three to five months is generally considered the best time to aspire to have a nighttime routine in place if you want it to stick. Giving baby a bath, putting on pajamas, reading a story, while keeping the lighting dim and voices low are a few suggestions.
An important thing to remember is that because the sleep cycles of babies and young children are shorter than those of adults, they will stir often in their sleep, and this does not always mean that they need help from mom or dad. “All children wake during the night,” says Dr. Jodi Mindell, author of Sleeping Through the Night. “The real issue is whether they can return to sleep on their own.” Parents should resist the urge to comfort baby until they have been given time to try and get back to sleep on their own. Firstborn babies, according to Mindell, are more likely to have sleep problems than their subsequent siblings because parents are less likely to stick to consistent routines.
Yet, getting your child to sleep through the night is not the only issue parents have. A new study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that parents may assume sleep challenges are the norm for infants and young children, causing them to overlook what could be more serious problems — sleep disorders such as apnea or night terrors. Dr. Kelly Byars, one author of the study, offers parents a rule of thumb: “If a child has problems across two consecutive well-child visits” — at the 6-month checkup, for example, then again at 12 months, “then that is likely an indicator that this is a problem that should be addressed, as opposed to saying that it’s a problem the child will grow out of.”
Ultimately all babies are different, and families need to find the right method that works for them and their schedule. With a little effort and a lot of consistency, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
