Baby Sleeping -  Babies Who Don't Sleep

To enjoy your baby sleeping he or she must first get to sleep. Babies who don't sleep often either don't know how,  are not given the best opportunities to go to sleep or simply can't because of discomfort.

The good news is that this is all changeable with a little bit of knowledge.

Most of you who know me or have worked with me know that I am often talking about building sleep in babies who are overtired to help get their babies to sleep.  When we are discussing what is happening or not happening for sleep so we can work out what steps to take, the knowledge that sleep builds sleep often takes people by surprise.

 

All too often when we explore what has been trialled, I hear that they have tried everything including keeping their baby up longer hoping that it would completely tire him or her out and so sleep better. Unfortunately that is the exact opposite of what would be helpful.

 

To get good quality sleep, you need to be relaxed.  When any of us are overtired, we tend to have more difficulty going off to sleep. The same is true for your baby sleeping and also for your toddler.

 

When this idea is new to you , it can take a little while to get your head around.  For a lot of us it doesn’t seem to make to make sense.  Most people think that if any of us are over tired we will just go to sleep because we are exhausted.

 

At times this may appear true. Certainly there are many, many babies who do this every day.  They are so beyond overtired that they just crash, often after being awake for hours on end , beyond what they can cope with.  Most times, they are cranky and not happy when awake. Usually sleep will occur in waves with a few nights of problem sleep and then one or two nights of blissful sleep.  When good sleep is not sustained like this there is usually a problem of overtiredness.

 

Babies who don't sleep can become a baby sleeping peacefully and without fuss in most situations, once we work out what is and is not happening for your baby around sleep.

HEALTHY SLEEP HABITS HAPPY BABY-

 

Healthy sleep habits happy baby

 

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Healthy sleep habits make for a happy baby.  This is a concept that is confusing and surprising for many new parents wanting a happy baby and happy child. When we all have healthy sleep habits we get happy child, happy teen and happy adult. It is no secret to those of us who have studied this concept and sleep method that the result of proper sleep habits is happy all round.

 

 

So how come this is so new to many?  I guess it is because all this knowledge has been lost over the generations with families now living further away.  On top of that families are more fractured and distant than before and in western cultures our expectations from life are skewed to unrealistic proportion that only puts pressure on ourselves and our relationships.

 

 

As more people understand the value of proper sleep and see the difference in happy baby and happy child, this information will become second nature again.

 

We are aiming to encourage healthy sleep habits happy baby so that each one is set  for a lifetime of healthy sleep habits. There is often a misconception that baby sleep training is harsh, disrespectful and soul destroying for baby and parent. This doesn’t have to be so.  When you understand your baby’s behaviours and cues more accurately, these healthy sleep habits are respectful of everyone.

 

 

Parents are seeking more gentle sleep methods that teach proper sleeping habits not just a quick fix while their baby continues to be cranky and unhappy because good sleep habits  elude them more often than not.

 

This method of teaching proper an healthy sleep habits takes a little longer than traditional baby sleep training methods however the benefits  are long term, positive and healthy.

 

Healthy sleep habits happy baby is the standard we are aiming for and not harsh, strict routines and practices that are disrespectful of both baby and mother.

Sleeping baby- Why doesn’t my baby just go to sleep?

 

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Sleeping baby usually brings images of cute baby, laughing baby and smiling baby. We all fall in love with a baby who is relaxed, happy and is easy to care for. A baby who seemingly sleeps easily, wakes happy, feeds well and is generally a joy to be with.

 

For many new parents this is only a dream in the first weeks and months as they struggle to work out how to help their precious newborn baby be one who is a smiling baby more often than not.

 

Many new parents wonder why my baby doesn’t sleep even though he or she is tired.  This can certainly be a confusing time for parents. After all babies are easy to look after aren’t they?  They are so small surely it can’t be that bad?

It is many a parent who says how can something so small because so much work and take up so much time? Where did my cute baby go?

 

So why doesn’t a newborn baby just go to sleep when they are tired?   It is important to remember that a newborn baby is immature.  He or she is completely dependent on their caregiver for everything and they know this.  Your baby is also very responsive and geared for survival. Their senses are taking in everything in their environment so they can learn as quickly as possible.  The difficult thing is that your baby may find it difficult to switch off when they are feeling saturated with stimulating activities. All their sense are turned on for survival so sight, sound, touch and smell are all turned up.

 

Babies can get overstimulated really easily.  Often more quickly than we think is reasonable. When your baby changes from being a cute baby and smiling baby to one who is cranky, it often means that he or she needs to sleep.  Your baby is relying on your to help him or her to get to sleep.

 

If you have a sleeping baby you will have a laughing baby who is happy and easier to care for and enjoy

Sleep Training-When to start baby sleep training

 

Sleep training and more specifically when to start baby sleep training can be confusing when you first start reading about this topic.  For a new parent who is focussed on being their best and doing their best for their baby it can be quite difficult when fatigue is the over-riding state of being.

 

There is no right time for infant sleep training or trying ways to succeed in getting baby to sleep.  Some parents are happy to wait until their baby is much older, while others choose to start implementing healthy habits from day one.

 

The important thing to remember  is that your baby is an immature being who needs your support, patience and understanding.  Where many parents come unstuck is having unrealistic expectations of their baby.

 

Sleep training is often implemented when parents wish for their baby to sleep all night. One of the key things to remember in getting your baby to sleep is that there is a developmental stage when sleeping through the night is a realistic outcome for your baby. Any efforts before then are wasted because your baby is just not able to do that.  It becomes frustrating and stressful for everyone.

So when to start your baby sleep training is an individual choice starting firstly with considering  your baby’s developmental ability. Yes you absolutely can start implementing helpful sleep habit before this time, however it is important to be accepting that it will not be successful in the first months every time.

 

Parents with expectations that their efforts in getting baby to sleep will for the most part be unsuccessful initially will do best.  Patience, perseverance and understanding will help you through those early months while you are both learning about each other, behaviours and how you fit together.

 

When to start sleep training can be done from day one with realistic expectations of the outcomes of infant sleep training.