How to Deal with Your Baby’s Sleeping Problems

Many people would attest how rewarding parenthood can be, but these same people would also say how difficult it is to take care of a baby. Perhaps the most difficult part of having baby is sleep – the baby’s and yours as well. It is thus important to know how to deal with baby’s sleeping problems so that you can keep your sanity throughout your child’s babyhood.

Here are some tips on how to deal with your baby’s sleeping problems:

1. One way to deal with your baby’s sleeping problems is encourage a positive attitude toward sleeping at night – sleeping is an ordeal that cannot be forced into your baby, and in fact, forcing can just create more problems. The most that you can do is to stage a situation that is secure enough for your baby to be taken over by sleep. You should have a long-term goal in mind and that is to encourage your baby to have a positive attitude toward sleeping by instilling that sleep is something good to do, and not something that one has to do out of coercion or fatigue.

2. Help your baby get used to several sleep associations instead of just one; this will help you deal with your baby’s sleeping problems. There are different cues for your baby to sleep, it may be a song you sing, cradling, rocking, the blanket or whatever thing or activity that accompanies sleeping. It may not be a good idea if there is only one thing that your baby associates with sleep – what will happen if that is absent (e.g. you cannot sing for a night, you had to wash the blanket)? The baby should be able to sleep without being dependent on one stimulus.

3. Another way to deal with your baby’s sleeping problems is keep the baby calm during the day – some people recommend tiring the baby during the day so that he or she would sleep throughout the night. This can actually be counterproductive. Being calm and secure during the day helps the baby keep calm at night as well. If your baby is restless at night, make a list of situations that could have made him or her unsettled during the day. Try to eliminate these things and observe if things would improve during sleeping time.

4. Keep startling sounds away – you do not really need to make the nursery sound proof since you baby can actually block out noise. However, sudden episodes of sound can be very startling even if they are just squeaks or small squeals. Be sure to have your hinges and joints oiled, put the dog away, turn off the phone ringer when your baby is sleeping so that there would not be any suddenly disturbing noises around to cause baby’s sleeping problems.

5. Leave a bit of your self – baby’s sleeping problems stem from separation anxiety. You do not really have to be present the entire time your baby sleeps, but you can leave something behind that would remind your little one of you. Record your voice singing your baby’s favorite lullaby and have it playing on a loop. Leave a piece of your clothing or a breast pad so that your baby can smell your presence. These things can help keep secure your baby and a big help to resolve baby’s sleeping problems.

It is indeed important to keep your baby well-rested; otherwise, you yourself would not be able to rest. Knowing how to deal with your baby’s sleeping problems is a very essential part of parenthood.

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What can I do about sleep problems?

I used to have trouble falling and staying asleep. Recently I had surgery to correct a deviated septum so that cured the sleep apnea. I no longer have trouble staying asleep, but I still have trouble falling asleep. What can I do about this? Should I see a doctor, a psychiatrist, what?

Answer
There is so much you can do to accomodate falling asleep. I would consider seeing a doc as a court of last resort. One of the best things you can do is develop a soothing bedtime ritual, because the body takes its sleep cues from things that regularly signal sleep to it. One example is to get into a hot bath (or if you have a hot tub spa, even better) for 15 or 20 minutes or so. Then when you get out, go about your bedtime prep routine (nothing that will make you agitated or more awake, like watching the TV). Don’t have caffeine or do strenuous physical activity at this time. Within 20 minutes your core body temperature will drop and that will signal sleep to your body. By that time, you must be in bed, in the dark, ready for sleep. If you fight it off because you are still active, the signal will pass unheeded. This is a surefire way to get your body to relax for sleep. It doesn’t have to always be a bath, if that’s not what you are into, but any similar, soothing, repetitive routine that signals your mind and body you are about to go to sleep will eventuallly work over time. (The hot bath thing can work the very first night though, because it’s just a matter of science rather than of getting your body used to something.) Another good idea is to do a good visual check of your bedroom. Is it conducive to sleep? Many people sleep better if their bedroom is reserved only for sleep and sex … no TV, no big pile of bills on a desk, nothing that reminds them of work they have to do, etc. You should also consider if the temperature, amount of light, texture of your bedding, type of pillow and al these things are exactly as you want them to be. If not, take the time and make the investment to make it right for yourself, because nothing can affect your life like failure to get a good night’s sleep, as you well know. Good luck catching better zzzzzzz’s.