Helping Your Baby Sleep Better

1-3 months of age

Your baby should be sleeping 16-20 hours per day.

Encourage wakefulness during the day while also allowing your baby to have distinct sleeping periods.

If he is awake when you want him sleeping keep any activity to a minimum.  Keep it dark, don’t talk or play with him.

Put your baby to sleep on his back without bumper pads, wedges, sleep positioners, pillows, blankets or toys.

Establish a bedtime routine.  Keep your bedtime routine calm and do things that will help induce sleep like having a warm bath, massage, cuddling, rocking, reading a story, singing some quiet songs.  Do the last of the routine in the room where the baby will sleep.

BE CONSISTENT!

Ideally your baby should be put in his bed while drowsy but still awake.

It is OK to let your baby fuss for a few minutes when he is awake in the night.  Make sure he is safe, comfortable, fed or does not have symptoms of illness.

4-7 months of age

Sleep pattern at this age: 2 naps/day, 8-12 hours of night time sleep.

Average amount of sleep is 14 hours with a range of 9-18 hrs.

If your child is overly tired he may not sleep as well at night.

Continue to be consistent with a bedtime routine.

When your baby is crying soothe him without picking him up.  Any cuddling, feeding or talking you do may encourage your baby to wake for attention.

8-12 months of age

Sleep problems may crop up at this age due to increased awareness of separation from parent.  Night terrors may also appear.

Try to keep the sleep experience positive.

Be consistent with your responses to wakefulness at night.

A transitional object such as a favorite toy or blanket may be helpful to help your child feel secure.

If your child keeps crying and calling for you, a few words of reassurance from the bedroom door with a quick exit may be helpful.  Try to lengthen the time between personal appearances until your baby is asleep.

Sleep habits are learned behaviors

Good sleepers are made, not born and often need parent direction to establish proper sleep habits

Periods of illness or changes in family routine may cause temporary disruptions in your infants sleep patterns

Information taken from Primary Children’s Hospital Kidshealth website and compiled by Joan Littlefield, Early Intervention Nurse.

As your kiddos get older, they may occasionally need help to maintain a good bedtime routine, or maybe just a good sensory calming strategy.  Here is a suggestion found on Nurture Store's website that you can make at home and keep handy for necessary calming. http://nurturestore.co.uk/bedtime-sensory-tub-lavender-dyed-rice

Bedtime Sensory Tub with Lavender Dyed Rice:

Start by placing uncooked rice in a  doubled plastic bag.  Then mix up the color - a blend of blue and pink food coloring makes lavender.  Pour the food coloring into the bag of rice and stir, stir, stir to distribute the color.  Lay out the rice to dry over night.  Add flour heads from Lavender stalks to add an extra sensory element.

I also found a recipe for Lavender Cloud Dough to provide a calming sensory experience during the bedtime routine at www.growingajeweledrose.com

Lavender Cloud Dough Recipe:

Mix 8 cups flour, 1 cup vegetable oil, and 5 - 7 drops of lavender essential oil in a sensory bin or container.  You can also add 1/2 cup of powdered tempera point or crushed chalk to color the dough.  

That's it!  Cloud dough is an amazing sensory material that is soft, fluffy and mold-able.  It also can be stored indefinitely in an airtight container.