Why isn't my child sleeping through the night? A question raised by many mothers who are dealing with sleeping problems in their children.
A newborn baby usually wakes up every 3 to 4 hours to eat. He sleeps 18 hours a day on average. When your child reaches the age of six months, he will begin to sleep for longer periods at night. At the age of one year, your child should be able to sleep 11 to 12 hours per night.
You should be aware, however, that night waking is a normal part of our sleep cycle. The difficult part is getting your child back to sleep without assistance when he wakes up in the middle of the night.
Sleep is vital for the growth of every child. Follow the steps below to train your baby how to sleep alone in his bed:
Begin at the age of 12 weeks. Change your child's diaper and feed him no later than 11 p.m. Put him to bed right away. Allowing your child to sleep while breastfeeding is not a good idea. It will be difficult to break the habit.
If your infant wakes up in the middle of the night, avoid turning on the lights. Do not rock him or get him out of bed. Just chat to him quietly till he falls asleep again.
If your child begins to cry after you have placed him in bed, comfort him and leave the room. Return at regular intervals to check on him. Do not get him out of bed.
Begin at 12 weeks of age. Change your children's diapers and feed them by 11 p.m. Put them to bed as soon as possible. It is not a good idea to let your child to sleep while you are breastfeeding. Breaking the habit will be difficult.
Avoid turning on the lights if your infant wakes up in the middle of the night. Do not rock or take them up from their beds. Just talk gently till they fall asleep again.
If your children start crying after you've put them to bed, simply console them and leave the room. Check in on them at frequent intervals. Do not disturb them from their sleep.
If your child refuses to sleep and gets out of bed every time you put him/her back in, simply accompany them back to bed. This phase will take time, but your youngster will eventually learn to follow your guidelines.
Allow your kids to have their favorite soft toy or blanket next to them. it will comfort them if they wake up in the middle of the night.
Make your baby's day active and social. When they become one year old, shorten their naps and shift them to an earlier afternoon nap.
Babies wake up in the middle of the night for a variety of reasons. It is critical to establish and adhere to your own set of rules. Unless you are sick, do not break your rules. Allow your spouse to assist you in establishing these guidelines and take turns in tucking your youngster to sleep. That would be really useful if you were invited to a friend's place.
You can also contact a sleep coach who can support you on training your child. Don't worry, children will quickly learn to sleep alone. So try to relax and enjoy your time with your child.