Introduction
Babies. The very word evokes the scent of powder and precious beauty. When babies are born, their quaintness, fragility, and innocence stuns all into subdued admiration and active showering of love, alternately. New parents are still finding their footing and figuring the way ahead of this blessed addition to the family, while experienced parents are simply trying to balance it all.
But as the sleepless nights begin, waking every few hours to feed and check in on them, parents start tiring out. Working in the day and handling one’s crying infant at night can be challenging. However, it is not a permanent situation, and the earlier parents start sleep training their babies, the faster peace and quaintness return to their home. But how to establish healthy sleeping patterns in babies and toddlers? With the following sleep training tips.
What Is A Healthy Sleep Pattern For Infants And Babies?
Babies and infants require more sleep than adults to grow and develop well. Lack of adequate sleep is also a factor in sudden unexplained infant death syndrome (SUIDS). Babies aged less than 1 year need 12 to 16 hours of sleep in a day, including naps. As for toddlers aged between 1 to 3 years, 11 to 14 hours of sleep every 24 hours is considered optimal.
Therefore, parents should try to break this time period into 3-4 naps, trying to keep the longest nap for nighttime. While this will take some time, being less active or being quiet around babies after it gets dark automatically reduces their interest in staying awake. They would rather return to their colorful land of dreams till they are old enough to be aware of their surroundings properly.
Tips To Establish Healthy Sleep Patterns In Babies And Toddlers
Try Setting A Schedule
It is ideal to try and set up a schedule for feeding, playing, and sleeping for your babies. Of course, they might just end up tiring out and dozing off. But having a schedule to refer to and adhere to, as much as possible, really helps parents develop healthy sleeping patterns for kids. From assigning bedtime to nap time, scheduling makes it easier for parents to organize and tackle.
Separate Eating And Sleeping
It is important to separate the experiences of eating and sleeping for kids. While they might start dozing off and wish to continue eating in their sleep, stop feeding them. Keep the food aside and wait for them to wake up before feeding them again. This will ensure your child develops a healthy relationship with food.
Set Up A Quaint Environment
It is ideal to set up a distraction-free, quaint environment to put kids to sleep. A bedroom with a designated crib or bed for your child, with soothing covers and dimmed lights, is ideal for undisturbed, satisfying sleep in infants.
Employ Music And Lullabies
Playing music or singing lullabies to babies is another wonderful way of lulling them to sleep. The employment of soothing rhythm and beats helps babies fall into a deeper sleep very quickly.
Tell Them Stories
Storytelling is an art that can entertain kids for hours. Reading out or narrating the right kind of story at the appropriate time is important as some can rouse babies into action and laughter while others can help them fall asleep to pleasant dreams. So, improve your infant’s vocabulary, creativity, and sleep quality by telling them stories every night before bed.
Be Patient
It is imperative to be patient when dealing with babies and toddlers, as they have little self-control or awareness. They may often obey you to simply please you, but if they cannot persist in it, do not be upset with them openly. For example, if your toddler feels scared to sleep alone, but you have had a long day, do not take that anger out on them by forcing them to do otherwise. Help them face their fears to become independent and self-sufficient babies. This will take time, but your patience will be rewarded.
Maintain Boundaries
It is important to maintain boundaries with toddlers and babies, especially if you wish to teach them healthy sleeping patterns. For example, if your toddler has woken up in the middle of the night and is fussy, peep into their room but do not let them see you. If your child quietens down within 10-15 minutes, then you do not have to enter their room as they have managed to soothe themselves. This will also make them understand that unnecessary fuss does not get any attention paid to them unless due to a genuine reason.
Conclusion
Establishing healthy sleeping patterns by training babies and toddlers in it may be easier said than done, but it is not that complicated. All it needs is a patient and calm parent along with a healthy baby. Oh, and this guide, of course. So what are you waiting for? There is no time like the present to start training your babies and toddlers in healthy sleeping patterns.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5078711/#sec-a.m.etitle
The views expressed are that of the expert alone.
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