Summary: Sleep in the general state of physical and mental rest and sleep problems in infants keep the parents awake and tensed during a large portion encountered during raising children.
Sleep problems occur in many ranges of age and at various periods in a child’s life. There may be many origins of a sleep problem in children. The problem may be that of going to sleep, staying asleep and or refusal to take short naps. Organically damaged children may show disturbed sleep or even may show a night and day reversal that’s it and some may sleep all through the day to stay awake at night. If this occurs then it’s important to break the reversal pattern by keeping the child awake during the day either by playing with them or by adapting other means.
Every parent faces tension when it comes to putting their infant to sleep. But now there are many ways to do so. Babies generally don’t automatically go off to sleep as they don’t know the difference between day and night. Babies need to be trained by parents and this can be learnt and done through practice. There are various ways to handle such a situation and get your baby to sleep in their bed at night.
How much should a baby sleep?
During the early months, babies sleep straight for 16-18 hours and then by the time they reach one year they sleep for around 12 hours. You should always start regulating their sleep by training them but unfortunately the newborns nowadays are so stubborn that you can’t do much with it but keep playing with them during the day till they get tired and then put them to sleep at night.
How to get a baby sleep in the crib?
· Transitional object- Try and give your child an object like blanket or stuffed toy. The child may take these objects to be his or her most cherished possessions and this could soothe them and put them to sleep. A great way to achieve this would be to keep the blanket or toy next to you for some time so that it gets mum’s scent. Babies generally have strong smelling sense and when they startle and wake up, which they usually do then they find comfort by the smell of their mother being around and this helps them to sleep again. Hence choose the right transitional object like soft toy and ensure that’s its stitched well and there are no loose fibers or does not have any buttons as these objects can be dangerous for the baby. Always buy washable soft toys to keep it clean. Avoid toys that make noise or irritate baby’s tender skin.
· Differentiate between sound sleep and merely sleeping- During infancy baby tends to move quickly from the state of sound sleep to merely sleepy or alertness. Try and understand your baby’s cues and use them effectively. If your baby falls asleep while eating them wash him dry and lay him in the crib or any designated place. If your child is awake then encourage him to be awake by socializing with him or playing. By learning to distinguish the difference between alertness and sleeping periods, you will be able to give your child a sound sleeping phase.
· Try and separate day from night- Newborns usually mix up day and night and eventually sleep the longest during the day. To help your child understand the schedules, learn to use the night time as their longest sleeping hours. During night prepare your child for the bedtime routines, like playing quietly, reading or even massaging or giving a warm bath. Change your baby’s pajamas, rock him, swaddle and darken the room. This will help make the baby realize that its bed time and the end of the day. Try and change the environment when the baby wakes up to make him or her realize that it’s a transition from night to day.
· Change day and night meals- Since newborns eat round the clock, he might wake up several times during your sleeping time. So to keep the night less disruptive, you should try and make the night meals more functional. You should also try to feed him the minute he tries to whimper so that he does not get the chance to really wake up. If your baby sleeps next to you then it’s even better, don’t try to put on the light but try and simply make your baby realize that its not playtime. During the daytime, try doing the opposite and treat the mealtimes as a playtime by singing, talking or interacting with your baby.
· Encourage older baby to sleep in the cot or crib- During infancy baby does prefer to sleep in the parents arms. He may love to be rocked or may sleep if you carry him around in a sling or if you sing a lullaby. But eventually you should try and get him to sleep on his own and in his own crib or cot. Introduce this very slowly and gradually. Do this when your baby is drowsy and not completely sleeping. Lay him when he is drowsy and then love and make him comfortable. He may associate falling asleep and then so on it may be easier.
Newborn babies usually should sleep for around 16-18 hours but usually 3 or 4 months infants don’t sleep through the night. There are many reasons like for example their stomachs are very small and they constantly feel hungry especially if the baby is being breast fed. Your baby’s bedroom should always be dark when he or she goes to sleep. Keep the environment very quite and if possible try and avoid street noise by using some melodious musical toys. You can also avoid the noise by hanging insulated curtains. You should play with your baby during the day so that they get tired by night.
Getting your baby to sleep is not an instant job, it’s a gradual process hence be patient and follow the schedule. After the baby reaches 5-6 months their sleeping time decreases as babies are like adults and you should never try and compare them with other children as each child’s needs are different. Try and put them to sleep in their own bed so that you don’t have to struggle again to break them away from your bed when they are about 1-2 years old. Make your child’s upbringing a beautiful experience for the child as well as you.
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