Tips for Putting Your Baby to Sleep in a Crib

I was talking to my best friend Kristen yesterday who had a baby boy in February – and she is dying of sleep because it has become really hard to put him down for naps and even to bed at night. She kept pushing on me that when I have a baby, nothing is predictable—except for a shortage of shut-eye!  It’s every parent’s recurring nightmare: you and your baby are super tired, but your baby will not fall asleep.  In the first few months of your baby’s life, getting her to sleep can be a challenge. Newborn babies sleep around 16 hours a day, but due to the need for frequent feedings, these often occur in one- and two-hour stretches at a time. When your baby is 3 months old, sleep time increases up to five-hour intervals, and by 6 months, she may sleep from nine to 12 hours at a time. Mayo Clinic experts point out that regardless of your child’s age, it’s never too soon to learn how to put a baby to sleep in a crib to encourage good sleeping habits.

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Co-Sleeping – Is it okay? How to stop it.

What is co-sleeping? When parents share their bed with their infant. It is pretty controversial in the United States. Is it loving your child or is it not safe?

I know plenty of parents who do it because it is so hard to get their kids to go to sleep…but honestly, the parents I do know that don’t do it have a better quality of life and their children seem to be more independent.

Why do some people choose to co-sleep?

• Encourages breastfeeding by making nighttime breastfeeding more convenient
• Makes it easier for a nursing mother to get her sleep cycle in sync with her baby’s
• Helps babies fall asleep more easily, especially during their first few months and when they wake up in the middle of the night
• Helps babies get more nighttime sleep (because they awaken more frequently with shorter duration of feeds, which can add up to a greater amount of sleep throughout the night)
• Helps parents who are separated from their babies during the day regain the closeness with their infant that they feel they missed

Safety Hazard to Co-sleep?
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns parents not to place their infants to sleep in adult beds, stating that the practice puts babies at risk of suffocation and strangulation. And the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) agrees.

Other Risks of Co-Sleeping?

• Other children — particularly toddlers — because they might not be aware of the baby’s presence
• Parents who are under the influence of alcohol or any drug because that could diminish their awareness of the baby
• Parents who smoke because the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is greater

Tips to helping your child sleep alone:

1. Eliminate distractions: remove TVs, computers, and other electronic devices from your kiddo’s room to create an environment meant for sleep.
2. Routine, Routine, Routine: establish a bedtime routine where your child takes a warm bath, puts on their PJs, brushes their teeth and then read a few nice bedtime stories together. In this way your child feels more secure about going to bed and helps them out psychologically by reducing nighttime anxiety.
3. Leave the room: leave the room before your child falls asleep so that he or she is not depending on you being in the room to actually fall asleep.
4. No Monsters: add security by giving your child stuffed animals, fav blankies to reassure your children of “happy” things in their room and not scary monsters under the bed.
5. Be consistent: if your child crawls into bed with you in the middle of night, take your wandering kiddo back to his or her room and assure them they must stay in their room and then go back to your bed. Don’t try to explain too much or you will be giving into what they want, for you to stay with them in their room at their bed.
6. Reward: once your child starts to try and sleep alone – reward your kiddos with a favorite breakfast, extra bedtime book, anything to make them realize that if they stay in bed, they can be rewarded (just don’t go overboard!)

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Pull-ups to the Rescue

My 4-year-old and I recently went to our local retailer to purchase some nighttime diapers. Yes, she still uses them at night. We’ve tried to reduce fluid intake and have her get up at night to use the potty, but it hasn’t worked out yet. Anyway, our retailer was out of her size, so I ran the idea of pull-ups by her. We tried these before and she couldn’t stand them (didn’t like the feel, the girly prints, or the fact they were like underwear), but that was before she knew they had pull-ups with Diego ‘the animal rescuer’ on them.

Though I was happy about her interest in the pull-ups, I was concerned that they would be padded for boys, not girls. Since I couldn’t find anything on the box stating that they were specific to gender (except for the boys on the box wearing them) and the store representative told me they were all padded the same, I went for it. I have to say, it is making my life easier. Now Lilah is happy to put on her pull-ups when she puts on her jammies (since they are like underpants, not diapers). This means we haven’t had any night time accidents from me forgetting to put her diapers on before bed. I used to forget sometimes if she was already under the covers when I went in to read her a book. She has also been more receptive to using the “potty” just before bed for some reason which means we are one step closer to using nothing at all. The lesson I learned is just because it didn’t work in the past, doesn’t mean it won’t work now OR if at first you don’t succeed, wait, and then try another way. Go Diego Go 🙂

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Tips for reducing stress during kiddo bedtime

All parents deal with that special time of night that I like to refer to as the “witching hour”…when you are tired from a long day of work and your sweet kiddos are tired and turn into cranky kiddos and you may burst into tears. Ha!  In my opinion, whoever is caring for your children during the time before bed isn’t the only one who is dealing with the kids’ moods – it’s the whole family! At this time of day, you are trying to wind-down your children, fatigue is high, the family is transitioning their own day and kids often are at their neediest. It’s no wonder this time of day can be painful for parents! Many moms and dads need the time to decompress and have some quiet time themselves around children’s bedtime. Here are some tips on how to keep the peace without resorting to 2 tall glasses of vino and know that your children go to bed smiling.

Get comfy as a parent
Changing after work helps you make the mental shift you need to rid of a sour mood. The minute you put on your comfy clothes, you begin to relax. Also, often time parents are wearing work clothes they don’t want to get dirty with the kids when they get home, so changes creates a more relaxed atmosphere.

A breath of fresh air
Kids tend to be wound up from the day and even more excited when you arrive home from work. Before beginning your evening routine, take a walk around the block or just head out to the yard.

Give kids what they want — you.
Many moms come home and immediately feel they have to jump into household chores. Instead, take your shoes off and give your kids your total attention so they don’t spend the new hour or two fighting for your attention. Even if it is just ten minutes, your children will then most likely go play with their toys or entertain themselves with their siblings, etc.

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But I’m Not Tired!

Is this the phrase you hear from your child – when it is clearly late by the clock on the wall – and their grumpy, reactionary response to a call for bedtime tells you that he or she is in fact VERY tired? In our family our daily schedules are full, and if we want to spend time together, sleep tends to fall on the later side. I have always been thankful that my daughter sleeps well through the night and generally wakes up on her own; though I have found that having a good bedtime routine helps keep nighttime fuss to a minimum. The younger your child is when starting a bedtime routine, the more quickly the habits can be set into their brains. The goal is to have your kids fall to sleep on their own without you having to lie next to them or rock them to sleep.

Here is a short list of guidelines to follow:

• Stop or reduce physically and mentally stimulating activities 1 hour (or more depending on the child) before bed. Instead, have your child read, draw, or play with their toys in a quiet place. I know it is not recommended for them to watch TV during this time, but in our house, if it is something she’s not particularly interested in, it can have a sedative-like effect. If we are calm then she calms down. That does not mean let them fall asleep in front of the TV (though I am sometimes guilty of this after a long day). You still want to make sure they are awake when you start their sleepy-time routine.
• Bedtime routines vary depending on what works best in your family and the age of your child. Very often a bath is a perfect activity because it is relaxing. Even if bath time is not included, make sure they put on their pajamas, brush their teeth, use the potty and wash their face at a set time.
• Next, it is a good idea to help them unwind by talking with them and reading a bedtime story (or 3 as the case may be). Often my daughter tries to stretch her ‘just before bed time’ by ignoring my reading and instead starts jumping on the bed or playing around. I remind her that I am going to continue reading and when I’m done, I will leave the room whether she listened to the story or not. That always seems to get her to lie back down and listen.
• After the book – fix their covers, kiss them goodnight, wish them sweet dreams (or whatever you do) and leave the room. Many children have a favorite blanket or stuffed animal that gives them comfort while falling asleep. This is okay unless they are infants in which case it can be a safety hazard. Fans can be a nice white noise if there is still too much noise and activity in the house, but try to stay away from leaving any music on. I’ve known too many people that can’t fall asleep unless the TV or radio is on. This is not a habit that you want to nurture. There may be some crying, but unless is seems excessive for a long period of time – let it happen. If you run in every time your child starts crying, he or she will continue to do it.

Don’t give up – Yes, it can be painful in the short-term, but in long run you will set your child up for healthy nighttime habits. Be sure they get enough sleep between their night sleep and their naps to enable them to think clearly and recharge their cells.

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