Sleep, Baby, Sleep

Let’s face it; when it comes to getting our kids to fall asleep we will do just about anything. We rock them, sing to them, walk the floor with them, lay down with them and sometimes drive around the neighborhood with them. Obviously we do these things for the sake of peace and quiet and because we think it’s the only way to get them to sleep. But sometimes there is a price to pay.

According to Dr. Richard Ferber, author of “Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems”, brief awakenings during the night are a normal part of the sleep cycle. What becomes problematic is when your child awakens to conditions that are different than they were when they fell asleep. In other words if your baby falls asleep while nursing, in your bed and then awakens alone in a crib, she will become upset and cry until you recreate those conditions. The same theory applies to the three year old who falls asleep with a parent lying down with him. The key here is that in both cases the child falls asleep under certain conditions then when they awaken they look for the same condition thus becoming more awake and …well, you know the rest. Dr.Ferber calls these habits “sleep associations”. So by all means, help your baby or child prepare for sleep by whatever means but leave before they actually fall asleep.

If you are already deeply entrenched in bad habits that are making for a poor nights sleep for you and your child I suggest you read Dr. Ferber’s book which has very detailed suggestions for making step by step changes with the least amount of distress.