Let them "sleep like a baby"
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The goal of sleep learning is to help our baby become a part of the routine and cadence of our family. One of the first steps involves helping her move longer stretches of sleep to the nighttime, because that is when our family sleeps! With our help (molding, training), it is realistic to have our babies sleeping 8 to 12 hours through the night, without feedings, by the time she reaches 12 pounds (which is usually between six weeks to two months).
Once our baby is born she (the baby) begins to have a part in the learning process. This adventure will be one step at a time, in concert with God who made her and knows her best. We have the privilege to help our child begin, in very gradual steps to take responsibility for what she is developmentally able to do. |
Starting from day one
If you are someone who wants to help your baby develop a routine that will help him assimilate into your family’s routine, this article is designed to help you know how to begin that process. This is a very special time of getting to know this special gift from God and will be like none other in your life, so we want you to enjoy it to the fullest.
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3 weeks to 3 months
If you haven't started the process outlined in "Starting from Day One" go ahead and begin that now. If you have, and your baby has gained back her birth weight and is continuing to gain, you can begin to be more aware and thoughtful about her routine and help her move in the direction of sleeping longer at night.
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Starting sleep learning with an older babyThe longer we wait to begin to help our child have good sleep habits, the more endurance we will need to help "undo" the habits already formed. But it is not too late! Read about the encouragement that Erin, a seasoned mom, gives to a desperate-for-sleep friend.
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20 Minutes of Grace
Learn about the advice from a pediatrician at Ryan's 2 week old visit that changed everything for Verna! This becomes the basis of much of the sleep learning. You may have heard the phrase "Cry it Out" but that isn't what we are talking about, which is one of the reasons we don't use the phrase. This is a gentler, least crying approach.
Learn about the advice from a pediatrician at Ryan's 2 week old visit that changed everything for Verna! This becomes the basis of much of the sleep learning. You may have heard the phrase "Cry it Out" but that isn't what we are talking about, which is one of the reasons we don't use the phrase. This is a gentler, least crying approach.
Slump in sleep learning?
Sleep training may be going great but then there is a bump in the routine. The baby goes through a growth spurt or gets sick, and needs to eat more often for a time. Or around 6-7 weeks the sleepy baby becomes more aware of her surroundings and is awake more. What to do about this... continue reading
Benefits of Tummy Sleeping
First, lets talk about all the benefits a baby gets from being on his stomach. Even with the SIDS scare, parents are encouraged to give their children prolonged tummy time because the benefits are so great and it helps resolve the side effects of sleeping babies on their backs. A huge problem for parents is that newborns sleep a lot, so if they aren’t sleeping their baby on his tummy, it is impossible to give him prolonged tummy time. Or if the doctors and nurses have done their job, when he does fall asleep while in tummy time, most parents out of stark fear will turn the child over immediately. (And he usually wakes up soon after. Babies who sleep on their backs do not generally sleep three hours solidly like they do when they sleep on their stomachs... continue reading
What about SIDS?
It's strange how fear-based the sleeping positions have become, and the inconsistencies in popular suggestion-- the only "truly safe" way to sleep a baby (according to AAP) is on his back, with a sleep sack not a blanket, nothing in the crib, in a warm room... but then you get all the other suggestions from other "experts" like swaddling and sleep positioners, baby wearing, swings, carseats, etc... technically those shouldn't feel any "safer" than tummy sleeping, since they are all outside of the technical safe recommendation... but there's this fear-mongering about tummy sleeping. Read about the study that started the "Back to Sleep" campaign and why we think the benefits of tummy sleeping outweigh risks... continue reading