So you decided that enough is enough! You need your sleep and sanity back! And the only way to do that is by creating some structure in your baby's sleep routine. Well sleep training will do just that. You don't have to think of sleep training as some harsh means of controlling your baby. And you certainly don't have to hear them cry all night. In fact, there doesn't have to be much crying at all. There are many things you can do to help your baby get to sleep, and stay asleep.
Here are some of my best sleep training tips:
The best place to start is a solid, and consistent bedtime routine, at a descent hour. This will help teach your baby predictability. The more they know what's coming, the more likely they are to accept it. You can start by something simple like a bath and reading a book. It doesn't have to be anything complex. As long as it is the same routine, every night, at the same time. Eventually your baby will get use to this routine and know it's time to go to bed
Create a good sleeping environment. This may include things such as: room darkening shades, swaddling if your baby is young, comfortable jammies, proper room temperature. Anything you can do to make them as comfortable as can be, to promote a restful nights sleep.
The next thing is a biggie. What I always try to teach everyone, is to put your baby to sleep drowsy but awake. This may be a little difficult but it is essential to getting your baby to sleep through the night. Your baby has to learn the skills to fall asleep independently, so that she may do the same when she wakes in the middle of the night. A baby that falls asleep, by rocking or nursing, will expect the same thing when they wake at night. A baby has many short sleep cycles, so they wake up a lot, and I'm pretty sure you don't want to keep running in her room to rock or nurse her back to sleep. Do yourself and your baby a favor and put her down to sleep awake. It's the best thing you can do for your baby's sleep. Just this step alone should solve most if not all of your sleep troubles.
The next important step is to find a sleep training method or program. Sleep training is not easy, and neither is teaching your baby how to fall asleep independently. It's going to take major work and your going to need help, there's nothing wrong with that. There are many programs out there for you to choose, but most of them are divided into the following: Are you going to let your child cry it out until they fall asleep? Or are you going to go in and comfort them? Take a stand, and pick your program. There are some programs that utilize both crying and comforting, but if you feel uncomfortable with letting your baby cry at all, that won't work. So think long and hard about how you want to do this, because once you start, you're going to have to be firm and consistent. I highly recommend the Sleep Sense Program. I wrote a review on it here. If you don't want to buy a program, you can try a variety of different methods created by "sleep experts" to see what works, but this may take a lot more time and patience. It will be a trial and error kind of thing. To learn more about those methods refer to my article Baby Sleep Training: No Cry Methods There are also my least 2 favorite techniques "controlled crying", where you allow your baby to cry, but check on them at intervals, or just let them "cry it out" completely. There are many choices, pick something you feel comfortable with, and something you can actually see yourself committing to.
The last, and most important piece of advice I can offer is be consistent, and don't give up! Whichever program or method you choose, no matter how hard it gets, and how badly you want to give up, stick to it! If your baby takes and hour to fall asleep the first night and 50 minutes the next, that's progress. Take every day at a time, don't look too far ahead and hope your baby is going to be sleeping through the night within a few days. Sleep training takes time, patience, and commitment. And think about what your poor baby is going through, this isn't easy for them either. They want to be able to just fall asleep and stay asleep too. It's a process you have to go through together. If your lucky you can sleep train your baby within a week, but for most it's going to take a bit longer. It's not easy, but I promise you the uninterrupted, blissful night's sleep, is so worth it in the end. Good luck, happy sleep training!
For more help and information on how to get your baby to sleep through the night, please take a look at my Personal Consultation Packages
Self sooth Imagine putting your baby down to sleep awake and she just dozes off to sleep, completely on her own. You don't have to do any work. Just lay her down, and walk out of the room. She doesn't cry, whine, or get upset, just peacefully falls asleep. You would probably tell me that I'm nuts, and this is impossible! I don't blame you, I didn't think it was possible either, but it is. This is exactly how my little one falls asleep. I taught her to fall asleep on her own, and this is exactly what she does every night, no crying, no fighting. She is able to self soothe. The best part of teaching her to fall asleep on her own, is that she is able to fall back asleep in the middle of the night, when she wakes from a sleep cycle. Meaning no unnecessary nighttime wakings. (Read about why your baby should be falling asleep on her own here) Getting your baby to self soothe, or fall asleep on his or her own is an amazing accomplishment, that will solve most, if not all of your sleep troubles. However, it is probably the hardest part of sleep training. I have answered many emails on an individual basis regarding this topic. I even wrote up my my own plan, to helping your babies fall asleep on their own, and emailed it out. What I have learned is that moms usually wait too long to address this problem. How can you all of the sudden teach a 6 month old to fall asleep on their own, when they have never done that before? They are going to put up a fight like you wouldn't believe! So here are some of my best tips to helping your baby fall asleep on her own.
Solid bedtime routine. Make sure you have a consistent bedtime routine for your baby. Same routine, same time each night. This is very important, and I can't stress it enough. You can't expect a baby to cooperate when their sleep schedule is all over the place, or the routine is always different. A consistent routine gives your baby predicability. When they know what to expect they are more likely to accept it.
Move feeding or nursing. If you are feeding or nursing your baby to sleep, you are going to want to break that sleep association. So what you do is move the feeding to the beginning of your bedtime routine. This way your baby has the opportunity to fall asleep on her own and not in your arms. If your routine was bath-book-feed. It should now be feed-bath-book. If your baby stays awake after a feed, it's fine to leave the feed as last in the routine.
Put your baby down, "drowsy but awake". I know you have probably heard this a million times, but this is truly the best way to go about this. If your baby is wide awake, your going to have a hard time getting her to go down. So make sure she is very sleepy or "drowsy" before you lay her down.
Pick a sleep training method and stick to it. Do it over and over if you have to. Even if that means you are picking your baby up, and putting her back down, over and over, like a maniac. The plan is that you pick a method and stick to your method. Your baby will eventually tire out and accept what you are trying to accomplish, and she will just fall asleep.
Buy a good sleep training program. If you have tried different methods, and nothing is working, you may have to buy a program to help you. Chances are your baby may have very strong sleep associations, and this is not going to be any easy fix. I recommend the Sleep Sense Program. You can read my review on it here.
Don't ignore your baby's cries. If your baby is crying, she is communicating a need. She's probably scared, after all, this is all new to her. Respond, and respond right away. Let your baby trust you. If she's crying and you don't respond, how will she ever learn to trust what you are teaching her?
Stay with your baby. Some babies feel more at ease knowing you are right beside them. Your baby needs to learn the skills to fall sleep on her own. Leaving her might scare her, and she won't even want to try to fall asleep. Eventually, when your baby masters this, you won't have to stay with her at all. But in the beginning you're going to have to show her that you won't leave her and it's ok for her to fall asleep.
Don't give up! This is most important. Many times moms see how difficult and overwhelming the first night can be, they give up, and don't get to see that it gets easier. The second night is easier than the first, and the third gets even better. By the end of the week your baby will most likely be falling asleep on her own in under 5 minutes. Even if it takes 2 weeks, that's a great accomplishment, so don't give up!
Remember that you don't have to stop nursing, rocking, or cuddling your baby, to teach her to fall asleep on her own. In fact I encourage an abundance of that. Just don't let that, be the reason she falls asleep. You can incorporate nursing, rocking, or anything else your baby enjoys into your bedtime routine. Just make sure your baby stays awake, so that she can fall asleep on her own in the end. Teaching a baby to fall asleep on her own is one of my specialties. For more advice or a step by step process take a look at my Consultation Packages.
Chamomile:The Wonder Herb I absolutely love this herb. When Brianna was a few weeks old she was crying every evening at the same time (characteristic of gas/colic). Our Pediatrician recommended .5oz of Chamomile Tea. She stopped crying the minute I gave it to her. I gave it to her anytime I saw signs of gassiness or discomfort. This herb worked wonders, no more crying, no more kicking her legs in pain. She was like a new baby, I couldn't believe how well this worked. I gave it to her very diluted, you don't want to make it too strong because your baby may reject it. Try giving it a little at a time to see how your baby tolerates it. Although I have never heard of any dangers, please check with your Pediatrician before you take any my advice. Colic, gas, sore tummy, Chamomile tea can soothe a colicky or gassy baby. Although colic has no identifiable cause, it can stem from gastrointestinal discomfort. Chamomile has long been a remedy for intestinal spasms so that's why it works great for colic. It has been used for centuries and has a long track record for safety. In one of two clinical trials published by the American Academy of Pediatrics "68 healthy term infants who had colic (2 to 8 weeks old) received either herbal tea (German chamomile, vervain, licorice, fennel, balm mint) or placebo tea (glucose, flavoring). Each infant was offered treatment with every bout of colic, up to 150 mL/dose, no more than three times a day. After 7 days of treatment, parents reported that the tea eliminated the colic in 57% of the infants, whereas placebo was helpful in only 26% (P<0.01). No adverse effects were noted in either group." Better sleep Chamomile is also known for its soothing and relaxing properties. It is used as a natural sleep aid. So not only will it sooth a gassy baby but help your baby relax. Babies need their sleep just as much as we do. This herb can help relax a inconsolable baby so both of you can be happy. Teething No need to use dangerous over the counter teething jells. The FDA issued a warning against the use of those products anyway. Chamomile is great for teething. Soak a clean washcloth in the tea and let your baby gnaw on it. The soaked wash cloth can also be frozen for an added benefit. It also does wonders for teething when given to drink. 1-2oz should be enough depending on the age of your baby. The relaxing property of the herb will help take the edge off the teething pain naturally. Tip: Buy a Sassy Strawberry or Grape Teether. You can put ice cubes in it, dip it in the chamomile tea and put it back in the freezer for a couple minutes. This works great for teething!
Others Studies have also confirmed that Chamomile has anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic, anti-allergenic properties. But because I strongly suggest those types of serious conditions be investigated by your pediatrician, I will not even include the uses of Chamomile in such conditions. I do not advocate any home treatment of infections, rashes, or fevers etc. I'm just simply sharing the endless wonders of Chamomile with you.
Expert sleep advice from Dr. Jodi Mindell In this week's Time to Share, I want to introduce someone who is an expert on sleep. With a list of credentials like hers, you know you are getting expert sleep advice, that you could trust. Dr. Jodi A. Mindell, Professor of Psychology and Director of Graduate Psychology at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, is a clinical psychologist specializing in pediatric sleep medicine. Dr. Mindell is also the associate director of the Sleep Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Mindell has written extensively on pediatric sleep disorders and presented over 200 papers at national and international conferences. She is the author of Sleeping Through the Night: How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night's Sleep (HarperCollins, 2005), Sleep Deprived No More: From Pregnancy to Early Motherhood - Helping You and Your Baby to Sleep Through the Night (Marlowe, 2007), and co-author of A Clinical Guide to Pediatric Sleep: Diagnosis and Management of Sleep Problems (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2003) and Take Charge of Your Child's Sleep: The All-in-One Resource for Solving Sleep Problems in Kids and Teens (Marlowe, 2005). Additionally, Dr. Mindell is the associate director of the Sleep Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She is also vice-chair of the Board of Directors of the National Sleep Foundation. She chaired the National Sleep Foundation's Sleep in America 2004 poll which focused on sleep in children ages 10 and under and their parents/caregivers, and co-chaired the Sleep in America 2006 poll that targeted adolescent sleep. Dr. Mindell has made over 200 radio and television appearances discussing children's sleep disorders. Furthermore, she is on the Advisory Board of Johnson's Baby, on the Board of Advisers of Parents magazine, and a member of the Medical Advisory Board for BabyCenter.com.Yes Dr. Mindell is very impressive, and someone I look up to. Here is some expert sleep advice from her.
This is probably the coolest tool out there. It's a customized sleep report designed by sleep expert Dr. Jodi Mindell for Johnson's baby. After answering a few questions, you will get a report on your baby's sleep patterns and problems. You can also see how other babies in that age group compare. You might be pleasantly surprised to see, that your little one actually isn't that bad at all. Take a look, this is great! http://www.johnsonsbaby.com/sleep/?goPage=sleep
So you decided that enough is enough! You need your sleep and sanity back! And the only way to do that is by creating some structure in your baby's sleep routine. Well sleep training will do just that. You don't have to think of sleep training as some harsh means of controlling your baby. And you certainly don't have to hear them cry all night. In fact, there doesn't have to be much crying at all. There are many things you can do to help your baby get to sleep, and stay asleep.
