Sleep training is the way, helping a baby learn to get to sleep and stay asleep through the night. Some babies develop a regular sleep routine quickly and easily. But many others have trouble settling down to sleep or getting back to sleep when they’ve been wakened.
There are many factors that affect baby’s sleep pattern such as baby’s medical condition, temperament, individual variations in circadian preference, parenting and physical environment. Sleep problems are common and variety from age to age. Sleep training is recommended and has to adapt individually by time.
Sleep training could be started as early as newborn period. Babies adapt themselves better with regular schedule in term of eating (hunger) and sleeping pattern. Sleep training also regulates hormonal cycling and make consistent internal biological clock, leading to better way nurturing your child.
Newborns sleep approximately 16-20 hours per day. In 1 -4 hour sleep periods, followed by 1-2 hour awake periods. Sleep- awake cycles are largely dependent upon hunger and satiety. Sleep amounts during the day approximately equal the amount of night time sleeping.
At this age, set regular time of eating and sleeping. The main reason of newborns crying out at night is hunger, feeding them as they want to. Regular sleep- wake cycle will help you manage your time to rest and perform other activities.
3–6 months infants generally sleep a total of about around 13-15 hours. Day/ night differentiation develops between 2-3 months old and nocturnal sleep periods become increasingly longer. Sleep periods extend to 6-8 hours at 4-6 months old.
Day/ night differentiation is the key. Sleep environment must be set differently day and night. Sunlight exposure is necessary during the day. Night time feeding should be set approximately 2-3 times and must be quiet and a soothing time to help the child falling back to sleep.
6 months– 1 year infants sleep longer in the night time. 70-80 % of 9 months old infants sleep through the night. Most infants nap between 2-4 hours divided as 2 naps per day.
Bed time resistant and sleep onset association problems are common in this age group. Regular bedtime and bedtime routine are important techniques helping the child to sleep. This is the best time for the child to learn who to soothe herself to sleep. Make sure that she doesn’t sleep too long or too late in the afternoon. Daytime nap shouldn’t later than 3-4 pm.
Toddlers sleep about 12 hours per day. Most of toddlers generally nap 1.5- 3.5 hours and give up a second nap by the age 18 months old.
Wakening up during the night from separation anxiety, nightmares and night terrors happen often within this age group. Transitional object as a lovey is a good technique to solve this problem.
Sleeplessness happens to all new mothers since the baby was born. It’s true that enough sleep and rest will effect mother’s emotion and quality of nurturing. So, sleep training will be the solution of better sleep for mother and the baby.
The best way to get enough rest is setting your biological clock like your babies. Sleeping and waking at the same time as your baby, you will get rest at that period. Regular sleep routine could predict sleep-wake pattern of your baby and you can manage your time to rest. Assistants are important for newly mother. Father, grandfather-mother or nanny should support and take caring the baby when you feel tried.
When night waking continues to be a problem, the following suggestions might be the technique teaching babies how to get back to sleep by themselves.
Sleep training is a big task in some family and differ individually in family and cultural. By the way, there are some points that may have to remind you.
Do’s:
Don’ts
Adequate sleep increase the child’s ability to learn during the daytime and causes positive mood. So, sleep training is important and should be emphasized to all caregivers. By the way, bear in mind that sleep training are depend on the individual situation, family cultural and particularly on the child herself.
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