Part of helping your baby learn good sleep babits is teaching her to fall asleep on her own. But even the best sleepers sometimes need a little extra assistance — which is where sleep aids come in. These techniques and products run the gamut from a motorized bassinet to swaddling, but all share a common purpose: Helping your baby get to sleep. However, while sleep aids are often very useful, some come with a downside. You want your baby to learn to get to sleep by herself, not depend on the presence of a particular product or condition.
Look below to find a sleep aid that's right for you and your baby. For each item, we've included the age group it's best for — newborns (birth to 3 months) or older babies (3 to 12 months).
A word of caution: Never give your baby sleeping pills or other drugs that encourage sleep without consulting her doctor first — they may not be safe or effective. Most experts also frown upon giving herbs to babies, since no safe pediatric doses have been established and they could be toxic in high doses.
Tried and true
Choose one of these sleep aids and you can't go wrong — all will help your baby fall asleep without leading to any problems or bad sleep habits.
Swaddling
Works best for: Newborns
Infants under a month old (and some older babies) often appreciate being swaddled — snugly wrapped in a blanket for warmth and security. It can help calm a baby down and may keep her from being awakened by her own startle reflex at night.
Thumb sucking
Works best for: Newborns, babies
Thumb sucking is a perfectly acceptable way for your child to comfort herself, at bedtime or any other time — at least until the permanent teeth start coming in, around age 6. (After that it could lead to dental problems.) Babies are born with the need to suck, and most can't get enough just from the breast or bottle. And unlike a pacifier, your baby's thumb can't get lost in the middle of the night.
Bedtime ritual
Works best for: Babies
The experts all agree: One of the best ways to help your child make the transition to bedtime and sleep is to establish a calming, consistent bedtime ritual. You can start putting together a bedtime routine when your baby is as young as 6 or 8 weeks old, but it won't really kick into high gear until she's a little older. Your ritual can include any (or all) of the following: giving your baby a bath, cuddling, changing into pajamas, reading a bedtime story or two, singing a lullaby, and giving her a kiss goodnight. Whatever routine works for your family is fine, as long as you do it in the same order and at the same time every night. Setting and sticking to a consistent bedtime — on weekdays and weekends alike — is key to establishing good sleep habits.
Maybe, maybe not
While some parents swear by the following methods and products, the experts are divided on their usefulness. Pediatrician William Sears endorses doing anything that helps your baby fall asleep, but other sleep experts — such as Richard Ferber and Jodi Mindell — advise against any practice or gizmo that leads to your baby depending on its presence to nod off.
Dryer
Works best for: Newborns
Some parents swear by resting a newborn in a car seat on top of a running clothes dryer. The quiet thumping of tumbling clothing can be very comforting. Just be sure not to leave your baby unattended, for safety's sake.
Rocking
Works best for: Newborns, babies
Rocking your baby is a wonderful way to parent her to sleep, says Sears, author of Nighttime Parenting. Whether you do the rocking yourself or use a cradle, he advises you to stick to a rate of 60 beats per minute, the rhythm your baby got used to when you were pregnant and she could hear your heartbeat. Ferber and Mindell don't recommend rocking, arguing that you'll only be teaching your baby to depend on it to get to sleep. (Plus, shifting your baby from your arms to her crib without waking her is often a tricky matter.)
Breastfeeding
Works best for: Newborns, babies
Sears also encourages nursing your baby to sleep, especially when she's very young. Breastfeeding can comfort both you and your baby, he says, and a special protein in breast milk may actually help your baby fall asleep. Again, however, not everyone agrees with him. Many other experts believe this approach will prevent your baby from learning to fall asleep by herself. If you're nursing but are concerned about establishing a bad sleep habit, feed your baby earlier in your bedtime routine and end with a bedtime stor instead.
Motorized cradle / bassinet
Works best for: Newborns, babies
Some babies fall asleep faster if they're moving, whether it's in the car or your arms. If you want a little help from technology, invest in a self-rocking cradle or pick up a battery-powered clip-on attachment that simulates the feel of a moving car. Remember, though, that most experts discourage using this kind of contraption; they think they're a crutch and a poor substitute for teaching your baby to sleep on her own.
Pacifier
Works best for: Newborns, babies
While pacifiers help many babies comfort themselves back to sleep if they wake up during the night, some experts argue they're not the best sleep aid. Why not? If your baby learns to depend on one at bedtime and it falls out of her reach, she won't be able to go back to sleep until she finds it. You can try to avoid that problem by strategically placing several pacifiers in her crib.
Something else to consider: Studies have shown that babies who use pacifiers at bedtime and naptime have a reduced risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).
Ambient noise recording / machine
Works best for: Newborns, babies
You can buy or record regular household "music" (vacuuming, water running, or windshield wipers) or invest in a white noise machine. These products supply calming background sounds to help your baby fall asleep. If you'd rather not spend the money, try leaving the radio on quietly in the next room. All these remedies should be considered short-term solutions, though, if you want your baby to learn to fall asleep on her own rather than depend on special noises — or any of the other products discussed below.
Music
Works best for: Newborns, babies
In the same family as ambient noise CDs are recordings of lullabies, classical music, and other kids' favorites. Of course, singing a lullaby to your child yourself before she falls asleep is always a great option, since she responds best to your voice, but popping a tape in after you've belted out your favorite tune may help her drift into dreamland. A music box or musical lamp may also work.
source from http://www.babycenter.com
No comments:
Post a Comment