SLEEP PROBLEMS
Have you ever noticed the knowing look that people give you when you first mention that you are pregnant? The look that is followed with horror stories of sleep deprivation and an end to Life As You Once Knew It? It ’s tough if you are expecting one baby, b ut what if, horror of horrors, you are expecting twins or triplets!!! It ’s true that every couple will enter the ‘zombie-zone’ for at least a few months; waking every few hours through the night, feeding your babies and settling them back to sle ep, falling immediately to sleep yourselves, only for the clock to tick faster than you ever knew it could and hey presto, wake up, it ’s feed time again. We expect it for a couple of months and can deal with it, but then what we would all like is for the b abies to get in to a routine, sleep through the night and give their worn out parents a chance to recharge their batteries in preparation for the day ahead.
Nice idea isn ’t it? Well, according to the experts it can be done and the aim of this article is t o draw together ideas and suggestions from sources including the Internet, media, and various books.
We should start by saying that sleeping problems in babies are very common and we shouldn ’t beat ourselves up if we are having problems with our children. There aren ’t any rules regarding how much a baby should sleep, for example it is quite normal for a child to lie awake for half an hour or so when first put to bed, and it is also normal for young children and babies to wake up during the night .
What all the experts do seem to agree on is that a regular and familiar bedtime routine is crucial to a settled night’s sleep. But if your babies or your children are having trouble with sleep what can you do?
1. Perhaps you should discuss the matter with your GP or Health Visitor.
2. Check the environment where the babies sleep. Is it a comfortable room, dark and quiet enough?
3. Have your babies eaten enough and are they dry before they are put to sleep? Have they had plenty of cuddles and comfort from you before being put down to sleep?
4. Avoid highly stimulating games and play just before bed. Consider a wind-down routine, perhaps looking at some books before bath-time, or after the babies have had their last feed.
5. You could try tapes of lullabies and soothing music.
6. Wait till they grow out of it.
If you ’ve checked all of these things, what other methods could you try ?
1. All in bed together. Some parents love this and some hate it - what is clear though is that babies love it! Some health professionals are for it and others are totally against it, but the decision is down to the parents. The Department of Health does adv ise against bed-sharing if either parent smokes, has taken drugs which make you drowsy, has been drinking alcohol or if they are very tired.
2. Controlled Crying Method. This is about helping your children to fall asleep, but with minimum intervention from you. It is a common choice for parents of younger children, but can only work if both mum and dad are consistent and are determined to stick with it.
3. The Elastic Band Method. This method shows your children that, although you’ re still nearby if they ne ed you, they can fall asleep on their own. The basics of this method are putting your children in the cot and after the familiar goodnight kiss and cuddle you move slowly backwards and forwards between the cot and the bedroom door. Hence the elastic band bit - you leave the cot again, then return perhaps thirty seconds later. You can reassure your children but you must not have eye contact. The point is that by being there, they will build up enough confidence to fall asleep without the fear of being left alone.
4. The Checking Option. This one is good for all ages from three months. Similar to the Elastic Band approach because it reassures your children that you are always nearby - the difference is that you don’t stay in the room. You could go back every two minutes or five minutes, whichever works for you. Apparently, the golden rule is to be as boring as possible and don ’t pick them up and don’t give up after a few nights - consistency is the key .
The key things to remember are:
1. Before you put your children to bed, go through a mental checklist to make sure they are well, fed and comfortable.
2. Once you ’ve decided which option you will try, decide how and when you will implement it and stick to it. Babies need simple rules that stay the same, night after night, in order to give them a chance to learn to change their habits.
What about mums-to-be?
Don ’t be frightened or put off by the horror stories. It is up to you whether you want to establish a routine early on w ith your babies or just play it by ear. It is well worth reading up regarding sleep and routine before you babies arrive, just to give you an idea of what you would like to do. It is also definitely worth getting together with mums of other babes, particularly twins, to discuss what worked best and what didn ’t work for them. What you should remember is that opinion changes nearly every day regarding what is best for our babies.
For me, the Contented Little Baby Book by Gina Ford was excellent. Gina ’s routi nes are very regimented and not for everyone, but I found that I interpreted the book in my own way, I used her ideas to help me build a structure to the day for the boys and left out the bits that wouldn ’t work for me .