The 7 Biggest Baby Sleep Mistakes That Parents Make

Home
>
Babies & Toddler
>
The 7 Biggest Baby Sleep Mistakes That Parents Make

The 7 Biggest Baby Sleep Mistakes That Parents Make

When parents face difficulties with infant and child sleep issues, they can often feel helpless and alone. Although it seems like everyone has advice to give, it seems like nobody offers a definitive plan as to how to get your child to sleep through the night

The topic of infant sleep is foremost in every new parent's mind, and the information available on the subject is highly varied. Some books recommend getting up with your baby a dozen times a night, while others suggest letting them cry until they throw up! With contradictory advice like this, its no wonder parents are confused.

Although most parents can appreciate that their infant needs to sleep in order to grow and develop, many are unaware of the important sleep associations children acquire along the way. If a child is not given the opportunity to develop strategies to fall and stay asleep on their own, they may become dependent on outside stimuli to assist them. Consider these tips below for helping your child get the sleep they need?

1. The single most important skill you can teach children is how to fall asleep on their own without any external help. It is a life skill that is just as important as learning healthy eating habits or the benefits of daily exercise.

2. Consistency is the key. Whatever your method, you need to stick to it. Bedtime and naptime have to be non-negotiable. Sleep is just as important to a child's health as a nutritious meal.

3. A predictable bedtime routine is an important cue to let the child's body know that bedtime is near and its time to relax and prepare for nighttime sleep.

4. A short naptime routine will help in creating a relaxing environment that will prepare a child's mind and body toward the idea of naptime and ease the transition.

5. An early bedtime is the key to avoiding overtiredness and hyperactivity in the evening. Any time between 6 and 8 pm is ideal for most infants and toddlers to be heading for bed.

6. Think of sleep as a continuous 24-hour cycle. Whatever happens at each stage of the day has a direct impact on what happens for the next 24 hours. Think twice about skipping naps and allowing late night bedtimes. It will affect what happens at the next stage of the 24-hour cycle.

7. Infants who are allowed to fall asleep while breastfeeding or bottle-feeding often require this routine when they wake during the night. If possible, avoid letting your child fall asleep while feeding.

Those sleepless nights aren't good for you or your baby - and a gentle, effective sleep strategy is a lot easier than you're probably thinking. In fact, most babies will learn to soothe themselves into a deep and peaceful sleep within just a few nights!

Dana Obleman (http://www.sleepsense.net) is a professional infant sleep consultant and is the author of "The Sleep Sense Program: Proven Strategies For Teaching Your Child To Sleep Through The Night." She has helped hundreds of families develop a gentle, step-by-step sleep program for their children, and is able to guarantee the success of her methods.

In The News:

Baby Prince Harry's 1984 Christening Ravaged By Rowdy Toddler Prince William ...
Huffington Post
Two toddlers running around for a minute or two. they were babies themselves. William couldn't have been more than two. Typical behavior for any two year old, and his dad did pick him up a couple of times.He wasn't screaming or anything or hitting ...

and more »

Independent Online
Why does a baby cry?
Independent Online
Over the years, there have been many advocates of leaving babies and toddlers to cry. Mothers were told their babies were just “exercising their lungs” or that continually picking up a crying baby would “spoil” it. More recently spells of crying have ...

Gloucester County Times - NJ.com
Baby Instructions: Help! My toddler is having a meltdown
Gloucester County Times - NJ.com
So when you see your toddler do something just like you, know in your heart that you are doing a great job. Blythe Lipman is the president of Baby Instructions. She is passionate about babies, toddlers and their parents. After working in the field for ...

and more »

What's Happening in Georgia
Florida Times-Union
Children's programs at the library: Book Babies' Reading Program for babies 6-23 months, 9:30 am Wednesdays; Toddler Time Reading Program for children age 2, 10:15 am; Story Time Reading Program for children 3-5 years, 11 am; Camden County Public ...

PUPPY LOVE: ANNOUNCING A NEW ADDITION TO THE FAMILY
Tucson Citizen
Remember babies, toddler hood, and puppies? Sure you do. Are you yawning yet? I'm proud to announce a new addition to our family – our puppy Finnegan. I named him that because Finnegan in Gaelic (the Irish National language) means “small white haired ...

1100 enter Baby and Toddler of the Year competition
This is Hull and East Riding
MORE than 1100 proud sets of parents have entered their children into the Mail's Baby and Toddler of the Year competition. Photographers at St Stephen's shopping centre were overrun with parents trying to squeeze their children in across the weekend, ...

Daily Mail
Many Moms Don't Know Their Babies Are Overweight
WebMD
By Denise Mann May 8, 2012 -- Many moms of chubby toddlers don't realize their babies are large for their age, and this misperception may be setting the stage for their tots to grow up to be overweight or obese, a new study shows.
Most Moms Wrong About Babies' Body SizeHuffington Post
Most Mothers Can't Tell Their Toddlers are Overweight13WHAM-TV
Mothers cling to chubby ideal for toddlers: studyHealthNews
Press TV -Daily Mail
all 39 news articles »

ShopSmart Identifies Dangerous Baby Products
Clarksville Online
No gate is a substitute for careful supervision of a baby or toddler. Use cool-mist humidifiers in your child's room instead of warm-mist humidifiers or vaporizers whose steam can cause burns or that have dangerously hot surfaces. When not in use, ...

An Interview with Stanley the Adult Baby
Gawker
I think it would confuse them to see adults acting as a toddler or small child. But anyway, that's the only time I role-play in public. Many people I interact with are aware of my adult baby role-playing, but it doesn't really get in the way of things.

BABY TALK: Cleaning baby's teeth
Bradenton Herald
When you are bathing your baby you can wrap a soft wet cloth around your finger and gently rub your baby's gums. This will feel good to your baby as well as get him used to having his gums rubbed. Babies start the teething process around 3 1/2 months.

and more »

Google News