Sleep Solutions
Bedtime Routines
Most parents know the basic "5 B's" of bedtime routines: bath, brush teeth, bathroom, books, and bed. Our family, however, has invented many other fun (but not too physical) games that we've added to these basics. Because we frequently make bedtime fun, our children don't resist bedtime. Here are just a few games we've made up:
Top Ten Things to Do to Get Baby to Sleep
Babies can make us laugh; they can make us proud. They can also make us crazy, especially when it comes to bedtime. Help is on the way. Read Dr. Jodi Mindell's "Top Ten Things to Do to Get Baby to Sleep" to help your baby fall asleep.
Please...Please...Go to SLEEP!
Sleep deprived. That's what so many new parents learn is their new way of life after baby comes! Soon baby learns to sleep for longer periods of time but just when you think it is getting better, along comes teething and our sweet little one is up at night even more. Read "Please...Please...Go to SLEEP!" to learn more.
Nighttime Parenting
Babies younger than four months old have very different sleep needs than older babies. Read "Nighttime Parenting: Helping Baby Sleep" to help understand your newborn baby's developing sleep patterns, and help develop reasonable expectations when it comes to your baby and sleep.
Wonderful Sounds for Sleep
Research indicates that "white noise" sounds or soft bedtime music helps many babies to relax and fall asleep more easily. This is most certainly because these sounds create an environment more familiar to your baby than a very quiet room. Read "Wonderful Sounds for Sleep" to learn more.
Laughing Through the Chaos - Things I could be doing right now...
BUT! These moments of quiet tranquility could end at any given moment, so I'm going to savor them. I'm going to use nap time for what I believe God intended nap time to be. ME TIME. I need my quiet time - my time to sit back, relax and do something for myself.
The Great Crib Escape
My year-old child has begun to climb out of the crib at night. How do I keep her safe? Start by thinking about her environment in larger and larger circles, from the crib to the door. First, the crib.
Tips for a Better Night's Sleep
New moms often miss out on rest because their kids aren't sleeping through the night, but catching the right amount of sleep doesn't get any easier as moms age.
When Your Baby Wakes Frequently to Feed: The Pantley Pull-off
If your baby is waking up every hour or two to breastfeed, bottle-feed, or locate his pacifier, you may be wondering just what it is that causes him to wake up so often. The reality is that brief nighttime awakenings are a normal part of human sleep, regardless of age. All babies experience these. The difference with your baby, who requires nighttime care every hour or two, is that he is involving you in all his brief awakening periods.
Laughing Through the Chaos - Things I could be doing right now...
BUT! These moments of quiet tranquility could end at any given moment, so I'm going to savor them. I'm going to use nap time for what I believe God intended nap time to be. ME TIME. I need my quiet time - my time to sit back, relax and do something for myself.
Depleted Mother Syndrome
One morning a few months after our second child, Laurel, was born -- we'd been up much of the night (again) and were blotto with fatigue -- my wife looked at me and said "Parenting can wreck your life!"
Banishing Bedtime Blues
"My son won't go to bed at night without a struggle. He keeps getting up with all kinds of excuses. It doesn't seem to matter what we tell him. Nothing works. What do you recommend?
ADHD and Sleep
Children with ADHD are more likely to have sleep difficulties. However, good sleep hygiene in conjunction with self-soothing relaxation techniques may help to solve your child's sleep problems.
Wonderful Sounds for Sleep
Research indicates that "white noise" sounds or soft bedtime music helps many babies to relax and fall asleep more easily. This is most certainly because these sounds create an environment more familiar to your baby than a very quiet room. Read "Wonderful Sounds for Sleep" to learn more.
Dealing with Insomnia
It's common for a mom to be lying awake in bed while her baby or toddler is snoozing blissfully. Unfortunately, low quantity and poor quality (= depth) of sleep erode a mother's health and well-being, and give her a strong shove down the slippery slope toward depression.
Babies and Sleep: Reluctance to Let Go of Those Nighttime Moments
Here's something that may really surprise you: As much as we may want our babies to sleep through the night, our own subconscious emotions sometimes hold us back from encouraging change in our babies' sleeping habits. You yourself may be the very obstacle preventing a change in a routine that disrupts your life. So let's figure out if anything is standing in your way.
From A to ZZZZs: Solving Baby Sleep Problems
by Ann Douglas
While your nightstand may be overflowing with books about pregnancy and birth, you may want to add a baby sleep book to that stack, too. Getting the sleep facts of life before your baby arrives on the scene can help you to be a more rested new parent. Here's a quick guide to get you started.
Top Seven Strategies for Preventing Baby Sleep Problems
- Try to get your newborn to bed when he is sleepy but not overtired.
- Use the power of daylight to reset your newborn's sleep-wake clock.
Nighttime Parenting
Babies younger than four months old have very different sleep needs than older babies. Read "Nighttime Parenting: Helping Baby Sleep" to help understand your newborn baby's developing sleep patterns, and help develop reasonable expectations when it comes to your baby and sleep.
- "My Newborn Won't Nap!"
- A Lack of Sleep or ADHD?
- ADHD and Sleep
- APP Revises SIDS Risk Reduction
- Babies and Sleep: Reluctance to Let Go of Those Nighttime Moments
- Banishing Bedtime Blues
- Bedtime Routines
- Cortisol and Sleep Disruption
- Dealing with Insomnia
- Depleted Mother Syndrome
- Early Bedtime Means Better Sleep
- Easing the Transition from the Family Bed to Solo Sleeping
- Eating Right for Sleep
- From A to ZZZZs: Solving Baby Sleep Problems
- Getting More Sleep With Twins
- Helping Your Baby Get to Sleep
- Helping Your School-Age Child Learn to Fall Asleep by Himself
- Laughing Through the Chaos - My reason for laughing at 5 a.m. when I wish I was sleeping
- Laughing Through the Chaos - Things I could be doing right now...
- Maximize the Benefits of Pacifiers and Minimize Problems
