Babies sleep in general (Your Baby and Sleep in general)

Member Name: HitchJo

Product:	Your Baby and Sleep in general
Date:	15/09/09 (33 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Top tips to help

Disadvantages: may not work for everyone

I have always been blessed with good sleepers my son was sleeping through at 4 weeks old, my second child at 5 weeks old and my new baby is sleeping through now at 7 weeks old. As a parent you need your sleep because of contending with night feeds, or in most cases you are working and most of all you need your sleep when you have more children that you have to look after which doesn't enable you to sleep in the day.

Tips

Routine

Always try to get your new baby in a routine with feeding. I have had my children in a 2, 6, 10 routine with feeding. If they have woken early through the day for the next bottle I have upped the oz of the bottle to help them feel a little bit more full for longer, eventually they are able to miss the early morning feed out and sleep longer through the night which means you get a good nights sleep for the next day. If you have a hungry baby try the hungrier babies milk to help keep them full for longer. With my daughter she was a hungry baby even on the hungrier baby milk so I added a quater of a rusk mashed down and dissolved in her night bottle to make her feel a little more full. I would not advise this technique until your child is 3 months old so that their digestive system is able to handle the rusk. I wouldn't advise to use the night time milk because it is that thick that it takes your child longer to drink the bottle and the struggle to finish it which means they are not getting as full as they need and will wake up for another feed early.

Blankets

My son liked to be swaddled. This is when a child is wrapped up in a blanket around their body with their arms strapped inside. This makes them feel secure and warm. If you are using this technique ensure that you do not cover the childs face. If you are having to do this is hotter weather then make sure that you use a thin cotton sheet to wrap the child in and ensure they are wearing a vest and not a baby grow so that they do not overheat. When the child gets older they like to be able to move around and tend to kick off the blankets this is where a grow bag is best. A grow bag is a big bag like sheet that zips around the feet and torso with two strapps over the sholders. This works in a way that your child can kick their legs but is able to stay covered so that they will not wake up because they are cold.

Soothers

I have always given my children soothers these are good for many reasons. It has now been a proven fact that soothers help reduce the risk of cot death due to they remind the child to breath while they are asleep. A baby is will usually fall to sleep while they are drinking the bottle because of the sucking action. I have notice when using the soothers they have helped bring up the stubborn wind that causes griping pain in babies so this has helped settle off my children a little more. It can sometime take a little while for your child to find a soother that they like but when they are used to one this will help settle them to sleep. When my child has woken through the night I have poped thier soother in and my child has settled off again within 5 minuites.

Bathtime

Giving your child a bath before bed is a good relaxation technique to help your child settle a little better. The warm water helps relax the child and will make them feel more sleepy. The bath also helps babies wind as it warms their belly and takes away the pain. I always use a lavender baby bath due to lavender is a natural relaxant and I have found this sooths the child ready for bed. This works for all of my children at any age I still use this technique on my 5 year old and it works with him.

Books

Reading to older childen is a good way of relaxing them before bed. Either when they are in bed or if they are cuddling on the sofa before going upto bed it helps them feel secure and relaxed. Reading a book in a quiet soothing voice helps them feel contented and safe a child like to hear your voice because it is what they know and understand about being safe and relaxed. I tend to try and find a book that is about night time or bed so that they understand what bed is.

Night lights

There are all kinds of night lights for children of all ages. My daughter has one that plays musical lullabys and nature sounds and projects shapes onto the ceiling. All the baby night lights have the same things but always make sure that they are not too loud the quieter they are the more your child will stay quiet to try to listen to the sounds which helps them fall to sleep. My son is 5 and has a night light but prefers the landing light left on which gives him a sence of security. I don't mide this due to the bathroom is downstairs in our house so if he does get up to the toilet he is safe on the stairs. My daughter is nearly 2 and she also has her musical night light that she has to have on to help her sleep.

Singing

Your child is familiar to your voice it is the first thing that they heard and recognised. So the sound of your voice is relaxing to a child because it is what they know. Singing a lullaby quietly and in a soft tone help relax your child even if you are not much of a singer it doesn't matter it will still relax your child and help them fall to sleep.

Cuddles

I don't belive in picking up your child all the time but in some cases it is good for the child to have a cuddle from the parents or even being rocked to sleep. When a baby is born they pick up the smell of their parents so that they can relate to them. This helps them feel comfortable and contented. My son still likes to cuddle before bed that relaxes him and makes him feel safe to go to sleep. My daughter likes to have a cuddle and have her hair stroked to relax her and my third child likes to lie on my chest and have her back rubbed to relax her. If your child falls to sleep on you this can work out a bit awkward to move them to bed without waking them. If you can try to position your child so that you are able to move easily without waking them this will make it easier for you to be able to put them in bed. Ensure you have a warm blanket for them, if you have let them fall asleep on you they have had the warmth from your body so the sudden shock of being colder will wake them. I found that rocking my son in a rocking chair helped and made it easier to settle him to sleep when he was having a love.

Bottles

Up until my children are 3 I have given them a milk bottle before bed that I have warmed up. This helps them feel a little full before bed and has warmed their tummy to help settle them. This is ok until they are starting to potty train through the night and it also ensures that they are getting calcium at least once a day.

There are other reasons why children will not sleep such as suffering from colic and being ill if you would like any advice on how to deal with these problems I will be happy to try and help.

Summary: Tip for people to try and help