IS YOUR BABY SLEEPING DISORDERED?
Don't worry if your baby needs your support for a long time to fall asleep, if he/she wakes up and wakes up again and again during the night, or if your baby's sleep patterns are disrupting yours.
We all wake up many times during the night, followed by seeing that we are safe and going back to sleep. Most of us don't even realize we're awake because it only lasts a few seconds. This location is also of interest to babies. However, there is only one difference. While they go to sleep, they still want the initial conditions to be in place. These can be any conditions that can disrupt the mother and father's sleep patterns, such as being held, rocked, sleeping with a bottle or pacifier, or sucking breast milk. Therefore, it is very important that your baby learns to sleep alone.
Experts give the following suggestions to families who have sleep problems: "Parents should not accept this as fate, and they should break their baby's habits during sleep. In this case, different methods can be tried according to the structure and wishes of each family.
The most important point is that the baby is put to bed when he is sleepy but still awake and learns to fall asleep on his own. The first few days can be difficult to understand in changing the sleeping habits. However, a good sleep awaits both you and your baby afterwards.”
Nocturnal Eating Disorder
Frequent waking during the night, especially in infancy. Your baby cannot go back to sleep without drinking a certain amount of milk or eating formula. After the 6th month, babies do not need nutrition during sleep at night. It is rather considered a fun nexus in motherhood. Sleep is interrupted due to both the time spent awake and the more frequent wetting of the bottom. In these children, the amount of fluid drunk at night can be gradually reduced.
Feeding intervals should be tried to be extended. In any case, if your child insists on this request, the given liquid can be diluted. The night's sleep will be less interrupted when the milk or juice that you dilute more and more each day loses its appeal. By six months, your baby should be able to sleep 9-10 hours a night without interruption.
Limit Setting Disorder
In most families, there is great tension at home in the evening when it is time for the baby to sleep. After the age of 2, most often between the ages of 3 and 6, the sleep date becomes a period when trying to find excuses not to sleep and the baby knows no bounds in developing his creativity in this regard.
Experts say, “It is a period in which behaviors aimed at delaying bedtime are exhibited as a result of the failure of the parents or the person who takes care of the baby to set their limits.” “This includes all kinds of excuses, such as watching a little more TV, listening to another fairy tale, repetitive 'good night' kisses, a glass of water, wanting to go to the bathroom. These are the excuses that it is believed that the baby will impose on the parents.
Boundary setting disorder is the inability to send the baby to bed at the right time as a result of the failure of the people who take care of the baby to enforce the rules regarding bedtime, or to encounter severe resistance in this regard. If the rules about bedtime are not set or if the implementation of these rules is not safe and stable, the child will want to go to bed later every night and will not be able to sleep at the time necessary for him.
Since the approach and wishes of each family will be different in treatment, it would not be quite correct to determine a common method. However, in general terms, there should be certain rules for the date of sleep, parents should act together and show a confident attitude.
Suggestions for Your Child's Sleep Pattern
Don't listen to the protests about the bedtime date.
When your baby is sleepy, only put him to bed while he/she is still awake.
Make sure he/she gets up at the same time every morning (including weekends)
Let him/her play for a while in the open air and touch the sunlight every day.
Avoid methods such as pacifiers, bottles, standing shakes.
Between time, set your baby's bedtime 15 minutes earlier every few days. However, do not rush into this matter.
Let him sleep with his favorite toy or blanket, which will reduce the anxiety of being separated from you during the night.
Avoid games that will invigorate him before he goes to sleep. In the same way, when he wakes up at night, do not be pleasant in a way that encourages him to wake up frequently, be careful to be annoying.
Do not have a television in the bedroom.
Do not allow caffeinated drinks such as cola or tea 3-4 hours before going to sleep.
Check back from time to time after you put your baby to bed (For a minute). This will tell the seriousness of your rules as well as giving confidence to the baby.
Reward your baby when he follows your rules.
Make sure that your rules are followed with the same seriousness and determination by all of us who care for the baby, including you.
Despite trying all these suggestions, you cannot improve your baby's sleep transition and sleep, we recommend that you consult a sleep specialist without losing your courage.