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Sleep Baby, Sleep!

Ask any new parent and they will tell you that baby sleep is a popular topic in their home. While many newborns seem to sleep at all hours of the day, getting them to sleep well at night can be a real challenge. Now, it’s perfectly normal for a brand-new baby to wake during the night to feed (since their little stomachs can’t hold enough food to sustain them for long periods without eating), but after a few months, those sleepless nights can really start to take their toll on parents.

So what – if anything – can tired parents do to start getting a good night’s sleep?

First, you need to determine if the baby sleep issue in your home is abnormal. While every child has different patterns and routines, it is reasonable to expect that your baby sleep through the night starting somewhere between 3 and 6 months of age, and fall asleep without much of a fuss.

The first thing that parents should do is ensure that the schedules and environments that they provide for their children are not adding to (or creating) the problem. Many children simply need the right set of circumstances to rest well on their own – and let their parents and siblings enjoy a restful night too! Babies especially thrive on predictable routines and calm environments, so take a look at a typical “day in the life” of your child, and see if you can identify things that might be detracting from a restful environment.

Many parents will talk to their family doctor or pediatrician about their child’s sleep problems. This is a good idea, as your doctor may have some suggestions for you that you haven’t tried yet. However, many parents complain that doctor’s don’t take the issue very seriously, telling parents to “tough it out” until their son or daughter “grows out of it.”

Dana Obleman, a professional sleep consultant and baby sleep expert, suggests on her http://www.sleepsense.net website that parents take a pro-active approach to teaching their children to sleep through the night. Obleman says, “A happy and rested household is within every family’s reach, and the steps that parents need to take to get there aren’t nearly as complicated as you might think.”

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