5 Tips for Healthy Sleep Habits and a Happy Child

 

Healthy Sleep Habits = Happy Child

Whatever the age of your baby or child, they need plenty of sleep to help them be healthy and happy. Parents need their sleep too, so establishing a regular bedtime routine is really important. Young babies tend to sleep when they need it, and as they get older they should develop their own regular sleep pattern, but problems can occur if your baby won’t sleep. Here are 5 tips for healthy sleep habits and a happy child – and they are equally relevant for younger babies and toddlers too.

1. Know when your child is tired

Often your baby or child won’t sleep simply because they have become overtired. Learn the signs your child is beginning to tire – such as grumpiness, drowsiness or a lack of interest in people and toys. If your child regularly experiences difficulty getting to sleep try bringing bedtime forward as they may be too tired to settle.

2. Introduce a bedtime routine

By introducing a routine when your baby is quite small you can help them develop healthy sleep habits and learn when it’s bedtime and what to expect. Start with activities such as a bath, change of clothes, feed, and cuddle. Some people find baby massage is a useful thing to try at bedtime, as it relaxes your baby and helps them to settle.  As your child gets older keep the routine but add extra activities, such as brushing their teeth, reading a story, or singing a song. Wherever possible be consistent with the routine and the time your child goes to bed.

3. Create a relaxing environment

If your child or baby won’t sleep it could be because they are not comfortable. Keep the bedroom temperature cool (but not cold), close the curtains, and turn off the lights – or use a dimmer switch or night light if your child doesn’t like the dark. In contrast, in the morning open the curtains to let plenty of light in, and keep the house warm and bright – this will help your baby learn the difference between night and day.

4. Make some noise!

Babies and children can sleep through noise, so don’t feel that your house needs to be silent at bedtime. Remember that your baby spent nine months in the womb hearing everything that was going on around them. You may even find that being able to hear the sounds of people moving around, the hoover or the TV can be reassuring as your child knows you are nearby if they need you. “Womb music”, lullabies or white noise can also help a baby to settle, while an older child may like to listen to nursery rhymes or a story before they sleep.

5. Be consistent – and realistic

There are as many different sleep methods as there are baby experts, be consistent and stick with it for at least a couple of weeks. Your baby needs to know what to expect from bedtime and if you chop and change their routine they are more likely to become unsettled, which will cause even greater issues with sleeping. Above all else, be realistic. All babies are different, so don’t measure your baby against another, and if something doesn’t seem to be working as well as you expected, don’t give up hope – your baby will settle into a good sleep pattern in their own time.

Follow these tips and you’ll help your child develop healthy sleep habits and be a happy child!

Baby Won’t Sleep Cause of Sickness? 5 Expert Tips on How to Care for Infant

 

As parents, we want to see our children healthy and happy. There is nothing that grieves you more than when your child is in pain and you cannot do much to help. My daughter Chloe suffers from Asthma and has done since she was born, she has a constant cough and in the winter a continuous cough, which carries on throughout the night. The nights I have had to tend to her and give her medication, she takes it and always goes back to her cot with rarely any fuss. But it is upsetting to see her this way.

When your baby is ill, they are often fussy, uncomfortable, and have difficulty sleeping. The regular night-time routine will be flipped upside down and previous soothing techniques will not work. For example, your baby who has started sleeping through the night may suddenly start waking up several times or a baby who loves the car may scream all the way home.

Colds, diarrhoea, and fever are just a couple of illnesses that can be caused by harmless viruses and tend to go away on their own. Babies are born with some of their mother’s immunity to illness, further enhanced by breastfeeding; they are not immune to ever-changing viruses. If you are unsure or worried about your baby’s health do not hesitate to check with your physician.

When a child is sick, sleep is a key ingredient for their recovery. When you have visited your physician/doctor when ill, after prescribing medication they always advise you to get plenty of rest and sleep, this same principle applies to children.

Here are some useful tips to help you deal and prepare with your infant during illness

1. Monitor

To understand when your baby is sick, you have to understand what they are like when well and that is what a parent knows best. Nobody understands their child more than the parent or primary child’s career. To understand if your child is ill or if they are recovering, monitor daily their temperature, behaviour, temperament, intake of food and liquids, interactions with others, and sleep patterns. These indicators are the best tell-tell signs.

2. Medication

Depending upon the age of your infant, there are only a few over-the-counter medicines allowed, consult your physician and /or pharmacist to ensure you are prepared and fully stocked. Some parents prefer the “Ole Wife’s Tale” style of medicine which is the use of only natural products such as a teaspoon of honey. Do your research and consult a medical professional first, as these could be harmful if an incorrect dosage is administered or the child is not the correct age to be consuming the ingredients.

3. Thermometer

There are various locations where the temperature of a child can be taken and internet research can give lots of different answers all citing to be the correct “average” temperature of your baby. As a general rule, a temperature of over 37.5 (99.5F) is a fever. The word “fever” can scare and petrify the hearts of any parent. It means “an elevation of body temperature above the normal and is a sign of illness,” such as viral, bacterial, or other types of infection. A fever is not an illness on its own.

There are now various thermometers available on the market and can be very baffling.

1. Digital Thermometers – Digital thermometers are quick to use, accurate, and can be used under the armpit, mouth, or rectum.
2. Ear (or tympanic) Thermometers – They are put in the child’s ear and can be very annoying and unpleasant for the child.
3. Digital Pacifier/Dummy – This is less irritating than an ear or rectal thermometer, it is fast, convenient, and non-invasive. It can also be pleasant if the child is used to a dummy.
4. Strip-type Thermometers – Strip-type thermometers, which you hold on your child’s forehead, are not an accurate way of taking their temperature. They show the temperature of the skin, not the body.
5. Infrared Thermometer – No contact thermometers. The laser is pointed at the child’s forehead and provides an accurate reading on a digital screen. It is quick, accurate, and can be used on a fidgeting child.
6. Mercury-in-glass Thermometers – Mercury-in-glass thermometers haven’t been used for some years. They can break, releasing small shards of glass and highly poisonous mercury.

4. Room Temperature

The ideal room temperature is 16-20ºC. 18ºC (65ºF) is perfect. An infant sleeping in a room that is too hot has an increased risk of Cot Death and SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). It can be very difficult to estimate the room temperature, so using a room thermometer in the rooms where the baby sleeps and plays is best. To help cool a room, open a window and close the curtains or use a fan, but do not place it directly onto your baby.

Use sleepwear for babies and not t-shirts or other daytime clothing, as baby sleepwear should be fire-retardant. They should never be sweating or hot to the touch, especially in the hands. If you use blankets, loose or soft bedding, tuck it snugly along the sides of the mattress. But not any higher than chest level and a baby’s face should never be covered during sleep. Be sure that you do not tuck blankets so tightly that the baby cannot move. The most appropriate coverage is a “Baby Sleep Bag,” are wearable blanket with armholes and neck openings. They help the baby stay at the right temperature through the night without the problem of traditional blankets and sheets being kicked off or getting tangled up.  There are various sizes according to your child’s age, weight, and length. Available in various designs and Tog ratings (describes the level of warmth in a product) and can be worn throughout the year.

5. Food and Drink

A child may not have much of an appetite when sick, so increase their fluid intake to prevent dehydration and constipation. Avoid undiluted sugary drinks such as juice and carbonated drinks, as these can worsen digestive illnesses. Keeping your baby hydrated is very important as dehydration can cause complications and may result in hospitalisation. Monitor for a decrease in urine production, lack of tears, dryness in the mouth and sunken eyes as these are indicators of dehydration.

Once your child has started to recover returning to the bedtime sleep routine, benefits the whole family. Continue to monitor your child, give them medication as and when needed and watch their temperature. Every child needs consistency, rules, and expectations to live by, so they know what is expected of them on a daily basis. They will grow up learning responsibility and understand consequences, therefore less likely to push boundaries.

10 Tips on Caring for Twins

 

“Congratulations, you’re having twins!” While twins are great news, you might also be panicking. Extra nappies, extra feed, two slippery bodies to manage at bath time – how on earth will you cope with two babies?! While having twins is hard work it’s also enriching, and you’ll soon work out routines and methods to help make life easier.

Here are a Few Tips on Caring for Twins to Start You Off:

1. Sleep When Your Babies Sleep

Every new mum is advised to sleep when their baby sleeps and with twins, this makes even more sense, especially if your twins are not in the same sleep pattern! Grab every moment you can to rest – see tips 6 and 7 for more help. You might also find it helps if you put your twins to sleep in the same crib or cot – this can help establish a regular routine for both of them, and twins who sleep together often sleep better as they help each other to settle.

2. Nurse Your Babies Together

It might sound challenging to do, but whether your babies are breastfed, bottle fed or a combination, feeding them at the same time gives you more time for rest and can help put your babies on the same sleep and feed schedules. Cushions can help you arrange both babies at the breast, or bouncy chairs and headrests make bottle feeding two at once much easier.

3. Routine is Everything!

Try to get your babies into a routine as soon as possible – and preferably the same routine together, no more than 30 minutes apart! This will help the babies get into a good settling routine.

4. Keep Records

You’ll have so much going on that it will be difficult to keep track of which baby last had their nappy changed, needs some medicine, or turned down a feed. Keeping brief but detailed records makes it easier to manage everything.

5. Bath Time Tips

Bathing two babies at once can be very difficult, and dangerous too while they’re small. If you can, always get help at bath time – you can hold a baby each, or one person can entertain one baby while the other is bathed. If that’s not possible, consider bathing your babies alternately – they may only get a wash every other day but you can still get into a routine that way.

6. Let Things Go!

We’re talking housework here … For the first few months at least, don’t worry about the housework. Taking care of your babies and getting some rest yourself is far more important!

7. Ask for – and Accept – Help

Don’t be afraid to ask for help – and be specific about what kind of help you need. Everyone loves twins and you will be inundated with people wanting to hold the babies – but if you’d really rather your family and friends were doing some washing or cooking you the odd meal, then ask them!

8. Invest in the Right Equipment

Equipment for twins can be very expensive, but the right carrier, cot, or pushchair can make your life a lot easier.

9. Join Twin Support Groups

Only another parent of twins can understand what you’re going through, so look for twin clubs either online or locally and become a member. They’re a great way to make new friends and get advice and support.

10. Acknowledge Your Twins’ Individuality – and Accept Their Differences!

Your twins might look similar – or identical even – but remember they are individuals with their own personalities. Dressing them the same can be fun but as they get older be prepared for them to assert their individuality!

Establishing Newborn Sleep Patterns – For Healthy Sleep Habits

 

Welcoming a Newborn into your family is one of the most joyous, life-changing experiences you’ll ever enjoy. Unfortunately, it also means you can kiss goodbye to a good night’s sleep for the next few months! Newborns rarely sleep more than two to three hours at a time as their tiny bellies aren’t big enough to hold enough milk to keep them sleeping for longer than that.

However, there are several steps you can take to start instilling healthy sleep habits right from day one.

Tip 1: Beware of Sleep Props

A “sleep prop” is anything your baby needs in order to fall asleep. For example, if your baby always wants to be rocked or breastfed to sleep, or can’t fall asleep without a dummy/soother in his mouth, she has formed a reliance on a prop, and that reliance will become increasingly hard to break as she gets older.

It’s better to encourage your baby to develop self-soothing strategies so she can fall asleep on his own. The best way to do this is to put her in her crib while she’s sleepy but still awake so she can develop the skills necessary to fall asleep independently without a prop.

Tip 2: Create a Clear Separation between “Day” and “Night”

The sooner you teach your baby that daytime is for active play and nighttime is for sleep, the better. This might seem like a challenge when your Newborn seems to do nothing but sleep, but there are some things you can be doing right now to create a clear separation between the two periods:

Adopt an “EAT – PLAY – SLEEP” pattern of activity during the day. This will aid in preventing any kind of sleep/feed association as you’ll often be feeding baby when he/she wakes from sleep instead of always before.

Take your baby outside during the day to enjoy as much fresh air as possible. Doctors say this helps set their circadian rhythms and encourages them to sleep better at night.

When your baby wakes at night, stay in his room and keep the lights dim and the conversation to a minimum. She should learn as soon as possible that nighttime is not a time for play.

Tip 3: Establish a Bedtime Routine

Establishing Newborn sleep patterns right from day one is a great way to help your baby organize days and nights and consolidate night-time sleep more quickly. I suggest starting a bedtime routine off with a bath. It’s such a significantly different experience that your child will soon learn that a bath means bedtime is near. (Of course, if your baby absolutely hates baths, don’t force her to take one—your bedtime routine should consist of fun and relaxing activities that both you and your little one can enjoy.)

Here are some activities you could incorporate into your bedtime routine:

• Bath
• Massage
• Pyjamas
• Feeding
• Kisses goodnight and into cot or bassinet

By following a consistent routine, you will teach your baby to look forward to bedtime and anticipate what is about to happen next.

Is a Thumb Sucking Habit Bad For Night-Time Routine?

 

Hmmmmm Thumb Sucking Habit

I get a lot of emails from people who are interested in working with BabyWinkz asking about my thoughts on thumb-sucking. Generally, their question is similar to this: “Judy, I’ve noticed she’s started putting her thumb in her mouth as her way of self-soothing. I don’t know if I should be encouraging it, discouraging it, what should I do?”

To Encourage or Discourage… that is the question

Well, there will be people who disagree with me on this one, but I’m just going to say what I think regardless. Babies who discover their thumb turn into perfect sleepers because they have the ability to self-soothe and it’s attached to them. It’s not lost in the cot. It’s not reliant on the mother breastfeeding, bottles in the mouth, or anything else. It’s independent because it belongs to them, they know how to use it, and they use it well.

The truth of the matter is that most children who develop a self-soothing strategy that involves a finger or a thumb only use it in those few minutes it takes to get from one stage to the next. You’re awake, you’re getting sleepy, you’re ready for sleep to come, the thumb goes in, a minute or two later, they’re fast asleep, thumb comes out.

You cannot keep your thumb in through all your sleep cycles. It’s absolutely impossible. It’s not like they’re in there with their thumb in their mouth all night long. When they have a little brief wake in the night, they might use it again for that minute or two it takes to get back in, and that’s it.

What if it becomes a Problem?

Occasionally, it becomes a long lingering problem. Everybody knows a 12-year-old who still sucks their thumb; or some horror story like that about thumb sucking. The truth is there are definitely strategies. If you notice your child’s lingering a little too long with it, we can curb it with behavior management.

You can even do it discreetly. If you notice your toddler sticking it in there when she is watching TV or in the car, you can just gently remove it and maybe replace it with something else, a beaker cup of water or a little bit of a snack. You can ease out of it just with a little bit of redirecting. I don’t want you to worry too much about it.

Dummy or Thumb Sucking

The other thing people always say is, “Well, if I give them a dummy/pacifier instead, then I can take the dummy/pacifier away. I have the power over that.” Do you want to know a little secret that lots of parents don’t tell you? Even though they tell themselves they’re going to take it away, they don’t.

I cannot tell you how many people have confessed to me that their five-year-old still sleeps with the dummy/pacifier because it’s your child’s sleep strategy. It’s like if you sleep with a pillow every night, are you, all of a sudden, going to decide, or let somebody else decide, that “I’m taking it away from you tonight”?

It’s emotional. It causes the child emotional distress. It causes the parents emotional distress, so they don’t do it. They just dance around it and say, “Oh well, it’s OK, it’s OK, it’s OK,” and they don’t do it. That is a problem as well, using a dummy/pacifier to sleep. It’s not an appropriate way to sleep through the night. It gets lost, they have got to find it. They put 20 in the cot, or in the bed with them to hope that they find one in the middle of the night. That’s not a good strategy for becoming an excellent sleeper.

Keep that in mind. Don’t panic. Don’t let your mother-in-law tell you, you should put gloves on her, or try to discourage it. Again, like I said, most babies don’t use it long-term, nor do they have a thumb stuck in their mouth all day long. Just chill about it and let it happen. Again, like I said, if it does become a long, lingering habit, I’ll help you get rid of it.