TIPS FOR BABY SLEEPING

Naptime frequently can be a stressful time for both the parent and child alike, and bad habits can develop quickly. The key is to teach your baby how to fall asleep alone, in his/her own environment, instead of relying on some outside force to get your baby sleeping. Make sure that you don't allow yourself to fall into a pattern where you have to do something in order to get your baby napping.

The common mistake is to take your baby for a stroll or a drive when you know that it is right around naptime. It's all too easy to do that instead having to deal with actually allowing your baby to learn how to fall asleep on his/her own.

Instead, get your baby falling asleep without any external stimulus, so that your baby can sleep independently and naptime can be a peaceful
and rejuvinating time for you both.



Rock-a-bye, baby
In the treetop
When the wind blows
The cradle will rock
When the bough breaks
The cradle will fall
And down will come baby
Cradle and all

Baby is drowsing
Cosy and fair
Mother sits near
In her rocking chair
Forward and back
The cradle she swings
And though baby sleeps
He hears what she sings

From the high rooftops
Down to the sea
No one's as dear
As baby to me
Wee little fingers
Eyeslink to a non-NIEHS site wide and bright
Now sound asleep
Until morning light

Is your baby getting the sleep he needs? Keeping track of your child's slumber (when he falls asleep, how often and for how long he wakes up, and the length and frequency of his naps during the day) is one way to find out for sure. It will also help you understand your child's unique sleep schedule and identify problems such as repeated night wakings or inconsistent bedtimes before they turn into bad habits. Plus, simply filling out a chart every day can help you feel more in control of your life — something that's particularly important if you're feeling overwhelmed by your baby's nighttime demands.

Check out our sample chart below from the book Solving Your Child's Sleep Problems by Richard Ferber, M.D., to see what a completed chart looks like. Click here to view and then print out a blank chart to use at home.



How to do it

Shade the boxes that indicate when your child is asleep. Mark the time he gets up in the morning and from naps with the letter "U." Use a "D" to show when you put him down for a nap or at bedtime. After several days of filling in the chart, you'll see a pattern emerge. You can use this information to help you decide whether you need to make some adjustments to your baby's sleep routine. Or take it with you to your next pediatrician's appointment if you have concerns about your child's sleep habits. Download a printable version of this chart to use at home (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader — If you don't have the Acrobat reader but would like to get it, click here. It's free.)