What About Infant Sleep Problems?

During the first three months following birth, infant sleep problems are common. One of the more troubling situations is where the baby is awake for substantial periods at night. This can become disruptive for both parents and other children.

The solution does not rest in any one approach to eliminating this problem. Whatever routine works for the family provides the solution. And so, the task is to work out what routine or routines will enable everyone to get the sleep they need.

Reliable Routine

In order to solve your infant sleep problems you should develop a consistent and reliable routine that will work for you and your baby. This routine should consist of all the things you do in helping him or her get ready for bed. Some bedtime routines include a short playtime, a bedtime story, midnight feeding, diaper changing or taking a bath.

Many parents find themselves sleepless because their baby wakes up in the middle of the night. When this happens, the best way to prevent this is to provide your baby with effective sleep associations. A “sleep association” is a thing or routine that your baby links to falling asleep.

It is important that you put your baby to sleep when he or she is still slightly awake. It is not good to let them get used to falling asleep while nursing, being rocked or drinking milk in a bottle. This is because when you baby wakes up, he or she will need the same conditions he experienced in falling asleep in order to go back to sleep. Teaching your baby to fall asleep along in his or her crib will help in preventing infant sleep problems.

One of the most common mistakes that parents make is to allow themselves to become a part of their baby's sleep associations. When this happens, expect your baby to cry in the middle of night and relax only once you arrive. To prevent this, you can give your baby a stuffed toy, blanket or other objects that they can incorporate with their bedtime routine.

Normally, Infant sleep problems go away when your baby reaches five to six months. Then, however, if your infant continues to be wakeful in the middle of the night or finds it difficult to fall asleep, its time to ask your baby's doctor whether there are any other conditions which may be responsible.

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