Anyone who has lived with young children or talked to new parents can agree that one of the biggest milestones in a child’s life, or in your own, is when he starts to sleep the whole night. Every sleep-deprived new parent rejoices when they can sleep for periods longer than two hours at a time. Very few are lucky enough to have a young child that quickly adapts to sleeping the whole night. Many times parents are key in helping the child develop good sleeping habits at an early age.
Gone are the days where we just “let him cry himself back to sleep,” only to be replaced by better approaches to helping your child sleep the whole night. There will be some crying involved but there are additional strategies that will help your child develop good sleeping habits. Helping children sleep the whole night can start at infancy. Between two and three months, many infants will wake every couple hours for feeding; however, they may begin to sleep for six to eight hour stretches at around four months. If you find that your infant has trouble sleeping and crying frequently, call your pediatrician to ensure your baby is not ill. To help soothe your infant, you may consider rocking him, turning on a radio or a mobile that plays a soft lullaby. You may have to continue feeding throughout the night should your infant need that to soothe him back to sleep. This could be as simple as putting him to bed with a bottle.
As your infant becomes older, it will be important that he learns to put himself back to sleep without feeding or help from you. This way his behavior becomes a habit. As parents, it’s hard not to run into the baby’s room and pick up your little one who has been crying and not able to fall back asleep. Try to encourage your child back to sleep by talking, singing, or gently stroking his back until he falls back asleep in his own crib. Picking him up will teach him to depend on you being there to rock him back to sleep and this is not an effective sleeping habit. When your child is crying, first wait it out to see if he falls back asleep on his own. If he does not, you should check on him to ensure that he does not need to be changed, too hot or cold, or ill. Let your little one know that he is ok in his own bed and he should go back to sleep.
Should you need to use these strategies, gradually decrease the amount of time and interaction you have with your infant. If you are rocking him to sleep, decrease the amount of time or just long enough to soothe him and then allow him to fall asleep in his own crib. If you give your baby a bottle, gradually water it down and decrease the amount so it eventually is only a small amount of water. If your child wants to sleep in your room, allow him to lay with you for a limited amount of time or lay with him in his bed gradually decreasing the time. You should also decrease the number of times you check on your child when he has been crying. Be sure to continue telling him he is fine but refrain from running to his room every time he whimpers.
Teaching your child that he can be comforted in his own crib and find comfort in his own room will help him develop habits that help him sleep through the night. Stick with your approach to help your child settle into a routine and remember it’s a learning experience for your child as well as you. As with anything new, it can be scary but it helps your child grow into an independent sleeper.