Top parenting stories this week
Nightmares, Night Terrors and Nighttime Fears
What to do when things go bump in the night
by: Elizabeth Pantley
Dealing with Nightmares
- Children spend more time dreaming than adults do, so they have more dreams–both good and bad.
- If your child wakes with a nightmare, stay with her until she feels relaxed and ready to go to sleep.
- During a night terror, your child’s eyes will be open, but she won’t actually be seeing.
- The best response to a night terror is a gentle pat, along with comforting words or Shhh Shhh sounds.
- Find ways to help your child confront and overcome her fears of the dark, such as giving her a flashlight or a special stuffed toy to sleep with.
f your child’s sleep is disrupted by nightmares and fear, it can affect her mood, behavior, health, memory and growth. Here’s what you can do to solve these common childhood sleep disrupters: To view the full story click here.
Changing from Two Naps to One
Is your child ready to drop his morning nap? Here’s how to make the transition from two naps to one.
by: Elizabeth Pantley
Dropping a Nap
- Most children switch to one nap between ages 12 and 24 months.
- Your baby’s temperament can be affected by dropping a nap too soon.
- If he naps well for one of his naps, but totally resists the other, he may be ready to switch to one a day.
- Choose a single naptime that is later than the usual morning nap, but not as late as the afternoon nap.
- Keep your child active until about 30 minutes before the naptime you have chosen.
ost children switch from two naps to one between ages 12 and 24 months. Here’s how to tell if your child is ready to drop his morning nap: To view the full story click here.
When to Start Sleep Training
Find out when to start sleep training and how best to sleep train your baby
by: Nancy Ripton
Sleep Training
- Start sleep training at six to eight weeks of age.
- By six months, most babies have the capacity to sleep through the night.
- When your baby starts to rub her eyes, yawn, suck on her fingers, fuss and show a shortened attention span, it’s time for bed.
- During training, put your baby to bed awake and regularly come back to soothe her until she falls asleep.
- Establish a nightly routine that will let your baby know it’s time for bed.
he first month of life is exhausting for parents, says Dr. Cathryn Tobin, author of the Lull-A-Baby Sleep Plan. Your baby can’t tell the difference between day and night and needs to be fed every two to four hours. When it comes to sleep, it’s survival mode. But once you’re through that initial rough patch, it is possible to teach her to sleep through the night. Here’s how. To view the full story click here.
Summer Sleep Solutions
Long sunny days and busy summer schedules can wreck havoc on sleep routines. Here's how to get back on track.
by: Sydney Loney
Summer Sleep
- Many kids don’t get enough sleep in the summer and it can completely change their personalities.
- Kids who go to bed later at night will often wake at the same time they normally would, or sometimes even earlier.
- Napping on the go in a car seat or stroller is not as restorative as motionless sleep in a crib.
- If you’re embarking on a summer excursion, leave first thing in the morning when your child wakes up, or right after a nap so you don’t disrupt his sleep schedule.
- Maintain your nap and bedtime routines no matter where you go so your child knows what to expect and will have less trouble falling asleep.
hether you’re spending the day at the beach or heading off to yet another summer BBQ, chances are your child is no longer on a regular sleep schedule. Here’s how to maintain nap and bedtime routines so your child gets enough sleep in the summer.
To view the full story click here.
Safe Co-sleeping with Baby
How to make co-sleeping work for you and your family.
by: Elizabeth Pantley
Co-sleeping
- Every family has different nighttime needs and the key is to find the solution that feels right to everyone in your family, whether it's putting baby in a crib in the nursery, or co-sleeping.
- The best choice for co-sleeping is to place a large, firm mattress on the floor, making sure there are no crevices that your baby can become wedged in.
- Infants should be placed between their mother and the wall or guardrail as fathers, siblings, and grandparents don't have the same instinctual awareness of a baby's location as mothers do.
- Remove pillows and blankets in the early months and don't wear night-clothes with strings or long ribbons. Don't wear jewelry to bed and if your hair is long, put it up.
- Make sure that your young baby is sleeping on her back, which is the safest position for sleep.
he family bed, co-sleeping, shared sleep–no matter what you call it, it means that your baby sleeps with you, or very close to you. Co-sleeping is popular with parents (particularly nursing mothers) of young babies who wake throughout the night and also with parents of older babies who enjoy the nighttime closeness with their child. If you're considering co-sleeping, here's what you should know about the easiest–and safest–way to share sleep with your child. To view the full story click here.
