Sleep!

One of the most popular baby topics is getting your child to sleep (and maybe you can rest too). Most experts talk about sleep in two different phases, before 3 or 4 months and after that. There is a limit to what parents can do to influence the sleep of their small babies. However, after about three or four months experts are very clear that parents need to be training their little one in how to sleep well. I will not really talk about co-sleeping or family beds because this is just not a practice that our family intends to use.

Tips for newborn - 3 months old:

• Remember that your baby still needs to eat around the clock because he has a tiny tummy. Therefore he will wake up at night. Experts consider "sleeping through the night" to be a 5 hour stretch - until they are at least six months!
  
• Babies are LOUD sleepers - they suck, move, hiccup and can even cry while they are sleeping - there is no need to disturb them if they are sleeping even if their noises are keeping you awake.
  
• Typically babies should only be awake for one to two hours at a time. As soon as they show signs of tiredness you should help them get to sleep. (This has been a tough one for us - our little one likes to stay up for stretches of time and then sleep a bunch!)
  
• Watch for sleepy signals like yawning, pulling at the ears, rubbing their eyes etc. - get to know your baby's sleep signs.
• If a baby has trouble falling asleep there are a few things that are especially helpful to younger babies: Swaddle them, Shh them (literally make a loud shhing sound or get some kind of white noise - make it loud, our son loves the hair dryer), Swing/ rock or otherwise move them, Suck (either their hand or pacifier), Side lying or on their back. These are the 5 S's - they are also supposed to help with colicky infants.
• You can help your baby begin to learn day and night by having them sleep in areas that are nosier and have more light during the day and making sure that it is quiet and dark where they sleep at night.
  
• When you feed them at night keep them mostly in the dark - use a small nightlight or something similar to light your way and limit the diaper changes that you do.
  
• If your child is colicky you can tell by the rule of 3's: at least three times a week, for three hours a day, for three weeks straight. Often this occurs at the same time in the evening. Experts all have different ideas about what causes colic - Harvey Karp believes that using the 5 S's above will deter colic! If your child is colicky it should end around three or four months of age and it is essential that parents begin regular sleep training at that point for their little one.
  
• It is crucial to remember that this is only a short phase of their life and that soon they will be sleeping more regularly (God willing) with your help.
  

We'll talk about tips for four months and up next time!