Sleep Aids For New Parents

Some weary new parents are shocked to find that instead of falling asleep the minute their head hits the pillow, they suddenly can't get to sleep at all. If you've eliminated all the usual sleep-spoiling suspects, such as caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine, and your normal bedtime routine still isn't working, you may need some extra help, whether it's a glass of warm milk, a cup of chamomile tea, or even — as a last resort — an over-the-counter sleep aid (but only if you're not pregnant or nursing).

Warm milk
A favorite of babies and parents alike, drinking warm milk before bedtime is a time-tested way to fall asleep. The amino acid l-Tryptophan (found in milk and other foods such as turkey) is thought to play a role in making you sleepy by upping the level of serotonin in the brain, although the benefits may be purely psychological. A drop of vanilla extract in the warmed milk can help make it more palatable.

Herbal remedies
Herbal remedies come in many forms, including the fresh or dried plant, pills, tinctures, and powders. Although herbs are considered natural alternatives to certain drugs and for the most part have a good safety record, they can be equally powerful, as well as toxic. That's why it's vital to consult a knowledgeable herbal expert and to let your primary caregiver know before taking any herbal remedy, either on its own or in combination with other herbs or medications, particularly if you're breastfeeding. Also, since the quality of herbs varies among manufacturers, ask an expert to recommend a brand name.

Chamomile
Your grandmother was probably a big believer in chamomile tea. Some studies have found chamomile to have a mild sedative effect. It's also used to calm the stomach in cases of indigestion, flatulence, gastrointestinal spasms, and inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The FDA says chamomile is safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Hops
Sleeping on a pillow stuffed with dried hops (a common ingredient in beer) is a traditional remedy for sleeplessness and nervous conditions. Hops can also be taken as a bitter tea or as a freeze-dried extract in capsule form.

Lavender
Aromatherapists love lavender. You can sprinkle lavender oil on your pillow or put it in a warm bath with some lemon balm for a soothing aroma that should make you feel sleepy. But not all lavender is tranquilizing: Watch out for Spanish lavender, which can be stimulating.

Lemon balm
Also known as melissa, lemon balm is a sedative and stomach-smoother often used in combination with other sedative herbs. Add 2 or 3 teaspoons of the dried herb to a cup of freshly boiled water and let steep for 5 to 15 minutes for a soothing, good-tasting tea.

Passionflower
Though it sounds like an aphrodisiac (it was named for Christ's passion because of the cross at the center of its flower), this plant is actually a mild sedative. It is usually taken as a tea — about 3 to 6 teaspoonfuls a day, combined with other sedative herbs — for various types of nervous conditions, including insomnia and related disorders. No side effects have been reported.

Valerian
Generally thought of as an effective and reliable sedative, valerian can help relieve anxiety, insomnia, and nervous irritability. It's not habit-forming and doesn't have any hangover-type side effects. Put 2 to 3 droppersful of tincture made from fresh valerian roots (or 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried valerian root) in hot water for a bedtime time. If the strong smell doesn't appeal to you, try it in capsule form.

Over-the-counter medications
Antihistamines
Antihistamines are the operative ingredient in most over-the-counter sleep medications. Benadryl (whose active ingredient is also found in Tylenol PM) and Chlor-Trimeton, two of the most common types of antihistamines available in drugstores, also have a sedative effect. They're not addictive, but dizziness, dry mouth, and next-day drowsiness are potential side effects. Over-the-counter sleep aids, such as Sominex and Unisom, contain antihistamines and can also leave you with a "hangover" effect the next day. Pregnant and nursing women should check with a doctor before taking any of these products. They're not recommended for chronic insomnia, so don't take them for more than two weeks at a time.

Melatonin
Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone often touted as a cure for jet lag and insomnia. It's available in most health food stores in synthetic and natural forms (usually from sheep), but little is known about its safety, side effects, interactions with drugs, and long-term effects. Women who are trying to conceive, are pregnant, or are nursing a baby should not take melatonin.

source from http://www.babycenter.com

Sleep "Intervention" Helps Babies And Their Tired Mons

Tue, Nov 13, 2007 (Reuters Health) - Teaching new mothers strategies to help their babies overcome sleep problems yields significant benefits for both of them, according to a study conducted in Australia.

Among 328 moms who reported that their 7-month-old was having sleep problems, those who were randomly assigned to participate in a brief behavioral intervention noticed an improvement in their child's sleep problem, and in their own sleep, and felt less depressed compared with those randomly assigned not to participate in the program.

Dr. Harriet Hiscock, of the Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, and associates report their study in this month's Archives of Disease in Childhood.

The sleep intervention entailed having a trained nurse determine the nature of the sleep problem, identify solutions, and write an individualized sleep management plan with the mother. Moms were also educated on normal sleep patterns for 6- to 12-month-olds.

The mothers in the intervention group had to pick one of two strategies: the "controlled crying" strategy, whereby parents respond to their infant's cry at increasing time intervals to allow "independent settling;" or the "camping out" strategy, whereby a parent sits with the baby until the child falls asleep and gradually leaves the room over 3 weeks.

After adjusting the data to account for factors that might influence the results, the odds of reporting a sleep problem in the intervention group were 42 percent lower at 10 months and 50 percent lower at 12 months compared with the 154 moms who did not participate in the intervention, the investigators report.

The sleep intervention also had "important" beneficial effects on mothers' mental health. Moms in the intervention group were less depressed at 10 and 12 months than moms in the control group, and they had better overall scores on a validated measure of mental health.

Sleep quantity and quality also improved in mothers in the intervention group. Better overall sleep may reduce problems associated with maternal sleep deprivation such as "maternal overload and dysfunction and later child behavior problems," Hiscock and colleagues contend.

Mothers who participated in the intervention were also less apt to seek paid professional help for infant sleep problems, suggesting the intervention may also save money.

Given the apparent benefits of such a program, "the change now is to translate this intervention to the wider population in a sustainable and feasible way," the team concludes.

source from http://www.babycenter.com

Our Favorite Picture Books (birth to 12 mo.)

There's nothing like a book full of bright, sharp pictures to captivate a newborn — or a toddler. To stock your baby's bookshelf with the best picture books, choose from our delightful dozen below.

Some of the best
Toby, Where Are You?, by William Steig, pictures by Teryl Euvremer
Toby, a kid who is probably a weasel, is hiding again. His good-natured parents, dressed in gay 1890s style, look for him everywhere, while your young reader — all-knowing and superior — can just barely make him out on each page.

A Friend for Minerva Louise, by Janet Morgan Stoeke
Minerva Louise is a wise fool chicken, whose misunderstandings make toddlers and elementary schoolers chortle. This time she's mistaken the baby for a bunny and the stroller for a wheelbarrow! You'll find much artistry in the simple charcoal and pastel illustrations — airy and sweet, like taking a good, deep breath.

Bunny Cakes, by Rosemary Wells
These chunky bunnies are heroes for the red-wagon-and-rompers set. Today, Max wants to make earthworm birthday cake for his grandmother, but his sister Ruby insists on angel surprise cake. Their expressive bunny eyes tell the whole saga of disappointment (broken eggs, can't write real English) and triumph (we're not giving away the happy ending). Wells's best yet.

Young Larry, by Daniel Pinkwater, illustrated by Jill Pinkwater
Larry is a typical polar bear (his father ate a whole whale one time). But then Larry learns from humans how to love blueberry muffins and eventually becomes a lifeguard at a hotel swimming pool... Lots of tomfoolery, the kind your favorite uncle would come up with, egged on by the sloppy, clever drawings. Once you're four or so, you can probably appreciate Larry.

To Market, To Market, by Anne Miranda, illustrated by Janet Stevens
So what would REALLY happen if a modern-day Aunt Mildred sort went to market, to market, to buy a fat pig, and so forth? "The pig's in the kitchen. The lamb's on the bed. The cow's on the couch. There's a duck on my head!" Think of a Lucy Ricardo routine, with very large, realistic renderings of animals in preposterous situations. Big bad belly laughs.

Little Oh, by Laura Krauss Melmed, illustrated by Jim Lamarche
Elegantly detailed paint-and-colored-pencil drawings sweep the reader into this first-time telling of the story of Little Oh, an origami girl who is separated from her mother. Along with the beauty (any page could be framed as art) and drama comes a message about strength in small places: "I may be a paper child ... but I sailed the raging river." Perfect for those who love dolls, good stories, and fine art.

Open Me...I'm a Dog!, by Art Spiegelman
This is the book with a leash that thinks it's a dog. It simply jumps off the shelf to explain about all the folks who got terribly temper-tantrum mad and eventually turned a lovable pup into a, well, don't say that word. The only book that can wag its tail, the only dog that won't mess a carpet...

Flashy Fantastic Rain Forest Frogs, by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
The rain forest frogs live up to their name in these sprawling, bright paintings. Some are poison, some can fly, some have horns. The explicit, straightforward text will satisfy the most curious nature lover.

I Met a Dinosaur, by Jan Wahl, illustrated by Chris Sheban
After a farm girl goes to the natural history museum, she is seeing dinosaurs where before there were only clouds, cows, and lakes. "Fine. Girl. Fine. Have a drink," says her mother, and gives her water from the sink. We say we can see the splendid, crafty, lovable extinct creatures, too, right in these gorgeous paintings. Dedicated to dinos or poetic thoughts? This is for you.

How It Was With Dooms: A True Story From Africa, by Xan Hopcroft and Carol Cawthra Hopcroft
Imagine having a pet cheetah. Xan Hopcroft did. When Dooms, the cheetah his family raised from a kitten, died, Xan was seven. This book, told in his own words and decorated with his and his mother's art, celebrates the cheetah's life — avoiding baths, getting on the roof, learning to hunt — and shares the sadness of his death. Sharp photos, with a story well done, not overly cutesie, no matter what the author's age.

My Life With the Wave, by Catherine Cowan, illustrated by Mark Buehner, based on the story by Octavio Paz
A boy brings a wave home. His father tries to send her back, "but the wave cried and begged and threatened until he agreed that she could come along." The story is sometimes funny, always understated, even philosophical, and the wave comes alive in each of her moods — the illustrations so serious you almost believe.

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, by Rudyard Kipling, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
Kipling's taut, touching classic brought to life: A mongoose wages war on a couple of cobras, defending his family's honor, "his" garden in India, and the English family who adopted him. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi nickers, pounces, and slinks right into your heart in Pinkney's beautifully realistic watercolors; while battle scenes that include cobras Nag and Nagina will make your heart thud. Perfect for reading aloud, even to teenagers.

source from http://www.babycenter.com

Your Likelihood Of Having Twins Or More

How common are twins and other multiple pregnancies?
Increasingly common, largely because more and more women are taking fertility drugs or turning to assisted reproductive technology (ART) to help them conceive. These treatments greatly increase a woman's chance of having twins or higher-order multiples. The famous McCaughey septuplets are one extreme example of the potential consequences of fertility treatments.

These days, about one in 32 births are twin births. This rate has gone up 65 percent since 1980, and it's more than double the rate among women who conceive without medical assistance — one in 89.

The rise in triplets and quadruplets is even more dramatic. Between 1980 and 1998, the rate of triplets and higher-order multiple births shot up by more than 400 percent, but it's crept back down over the past few years as fertility treatments have become more refined. In 2003, one in 535 births resulted in triplets, quadruplets, or more.

Meanwhile, the likelihood of having identical twins (when one fertilized egg divides in half) is about one in 250. This rate hasn't changed over the decades and is remarkably constant all over the world.

How likely am I to have more than one baby if I'm undergoing fertility treatment?
Fertility drugs stimulate your ovaries, increasing the odds that you'll release several eggs at the same time. On average, 20 percent of women taking gonadotropins will become pregnant with more than one baby. Women who get pregnant while taking the drug Clomid have a 5 to 12 percent chance of twins.

If you undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF), your chances of having more than one child are 20 to 40 percent, depending on how many embryos are placed in your womb. Other fertility techniques such as GIFT (gamete intrafallopian transfer) and ZIFT (zygote intrafallopian transfer) are also more likely to result in multiple pregnancies.

On its own, IUI (intrauterine insemination), in which sperm are injected into the uterus with a syringe, is the only fertility treatment that doesn't increase the chances of conceiving multiples. But most women who undergo IUI also take a fertility drug.

Fertility drugs and other treatments primarily increase your chance of having fraternal twins, where two eggs are fertilized by two different sperm. But there is now some evidence that women who undergo certain treatments also have somewhat higher rates of identical twins.

What other factors affect the chances that I'll have more than one baby?
While identical twins generally happen by sheer chance, there are several factors that influence your chances of having fraternal twins:

• Heredity: If you're a twin or if twins run in your family, you're slightly more likely to have a set yourself. Women who are fraternal twins have a one in 60 chance of bearing twins.

• Race: Twins are more common than average in African Americans and less common in Hispanics and Asians.

• Age: The older you are, the higher your chances of having fraternal twins or higher-order multiples. A 2006 study found that women over 35 produce more follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) than younger women. Ironically, increasing levels of this hormone are a sign of failing ovaries and declining fertility. But FSH is also the hormone that causes an egg to ripen in preparation for ovulation each month, and women with extra FSH may release more than one egg in a single cycle. So while older women are statistically less likely to get pregnant, if they do get pregnant, they're more likely to have twins.

• Number of pregnancies: The more pregnancies you've had, the greater your chances of having twins.

• History of twins: Once you have a set of fraternal twins, you're twice as likely to have another set in future pregnancies.

• Body type: Twins are more common in large and tall women than in small women.

source from http://www.babycenter.com

When And How To Find Out If You're Carrying Twins Or More

How and when will I learn whether I'm carrying twins or more?
Several decades ago, most women who were pregnant with multiples didn't find out until they were in labor. But such late-term surprises are rare today. Women typically discover they're having more than one baby during a routine ultrasound, often in the first trimester.

Your practitioner will likely recommend an ultrasound in your first trimester if you're unusually large for your gestation date. The most likely explanation is that you or your practitioner miscalculated your conception date. The ultrasound will help determine how far along you really are and whether your size is due to your carrying more than one baby.

If you're pregnant as a result of a fertility treatment such as Clomid, gonadotropins, or in vitro fertilization (IVF), you'll probably have an ultrasound within the first eight weeks to count the number of embryos that have implanted. Ultrasound is almost foolproof at revealing multiple pregnancies, particularly after six to eight weeks. However, the more babies you're carrying, the easier it is for one to get overlooked.

How do twins end up fraternal or identical?
Fraternal twins develop from two eggs that are released and fertilized at the same time. They're known as dizygotic (DZ). Identical twins develop from one egg that splits into two and are thus known as monozygotic (MZ).

By the way, since they come from the same egg, monozygotic twins do share the same DNA, but these so-called "identical" twins are never truly the same. Although they have the same genetic makeup, they may have distinguishing characteristics that allow their parents to tell them apart. This may be due to environmental influences, either inside or outside the womb. Also, certain genes may end up being expressed differently in each twin.

How and when can I find out whether my babies are DZ or MZ?
Prenatal tests such as chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and amniocentesis can tell you for sure — at least in theory. These tests can be tricky to perform in multiples, and you may not be able to get a sample of each baby's DNA.

If you can't or don't want to have these tests, an ultrasound can often tell you whether your babies are dizygotic or monozygotic, based on whether there are one or two placentas and whether the babies are the same gender.

An experienced technician performing a trans-vaginal ultrasound between 9 and 14 weeks can determine with nearly 100 percent certainty whether your babies share a single placenta. (The accuracy rate drops to about 90 percent in the second trimester as the womb becomes more crowded.)

If your babies share a placenta, they're monozygotic. If there are two placentas, your twins may be DZ or MZ. All dyzygotic twins and 20 to 30 percent of monozygotic twins have separate placentas.

By 18 to 20 weeks, a technician may be able to identify the babies' genders, assuming that both babies are positioned so that the technician can get a good look at their genitals. If an ultrasound clearly shows that you have a boy and a girl, you'll know that your babies are dizygotic. Monozygotic twins are nearly always the same sex.

If the ultrasound shows two placentas and only one gender — or if the results are unclear — you may have to wait until your babies are born for your answer. After the birth, your practitioner will determine whether the twins shared a placenta. Because separate placentas sometimes fuse together and appear as one, a laboratory test may be needed to tell how many there were.

If placental analysis doesn't solve the mystery, you can order an at-home DNA test for a little over $100, but you'll have to wait one or two weeks for the results. As mentioned above, monozygotic twins will have almost always have identical DNA, while dizygotic twins will share about 50 percent of their DNA.

As your babies grow up, it'll probably be easy to tell what type of twins they are just by looking at them. If they look so much alike that other people can't tell them apart, they're almost certainly monozygotic. Any obvious difference in their hair color, eye color, or facial features means that they're dizygotic.

Why is it important to know whether twins are dizygotic or monozygotic?
Finding out whether twins are DZ or MZ isn't simply a matter of satisfying idle curiosity. It can also be important to know for medical reasons.

For one thing, monozygotic twins who share a single placenta face a special health risk during pregnancy. Up to 15 percent of these twins will develop twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), a dangerous condition in which one twin "donates" fluids to the other. The twin on the receiving end tends to grow more rapidly than the donor twin.

Without treatment, the condition is usually fatal for both babies. If your twins are sharing a placenta, your caregiver will monitor their weight gain and watch for other signs of TTTS. If your caregiver suspects TTTS, prompt treatment may prevent complications and keep your babies healthy.

Even after your babies have grown up, it could be important to know whether they're dizygotic or monozygotic. For example, if one twin is found to have a genetic disease, an MZ sibling will have it, too. A DZ sibling, on the other hand, might be spared.

There's one more reason to find out whether your twins are fraternal or identical: Everyone will ask — from friends and relatives to strangers on the street. People are fascinated by twins, so be prepared to answer the question over and over again throughout your pregnancy and for years to come.

source from http://www.babycenter.com

Having Male Twin Sibling Reduces A Woman's Fertility

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Women who have a male twin are less likely to marry and have children, perhaps because of being exposed to their brother's testosterone for nine months in the womb, researchers reported on Monday.

A study of Finnish twins showed that women were 25 percent less likely to have children if their twin was a male. Those who did have children gave birth to an average of two fewer babies than women who had a twin sister.

Based on an analysis of 18th and 19th century data, researchers found women who had a male twin also were 15 percent less likely to get married, Virpi Lummaa of the University of Sheffield in Britain and Finland's University of Turku and colleagues reported.

"We show that daughters born with a male co-twin have reduced lifetime reproductive success compared to those born with a female co-twin," they wrote in their report, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "This reduction arises because such daughters have decreased probabilities of marrying as well as reduced fecundity."

Researchers have long known that fetuses are influenced by hormones in the womb. Because male and female fetuses have similar levels of the "female" hormone estrogen, girl twins are more likely to be affected by testosterone in the womb.

Studies of rodents show that hormones in the womb affect a baby's development, but researchers have lacked studies of actual populations to see if what is in theory possible biologically in fact happens in real life.

Lummaa's team used Finnish church records that dated from 1734 to 1888, looking at the births and marriages affecting 754 twins.

"The study used data from humans living in a pre-industrial era so as to obtain results that are not affected by advanced health care and contraception," Lummaa said in a statement.

"Our results show that females who had a male cotwin have reduced fitness compared to those who had a female cotwin, but the success of males is unaffected by the sex of their cotwin," the researcher wrote.

Perhaps the female twins had more masculine attitudes and behaviors that affected their decision to get married, the researchers speculated. Male features could have made the women less attractive to mates, they added.

Other studies have shown, for instance, that exposure to testosterone in the womb affects facial features and even finger lengths.

Also, exposure to elevated levels of testosterone during development can promote diseases that compromise fertility, such as reproductive cancers, the said.

By Maggie Fox

source from http://www.babycenter.com

Second-born Twin Has Higher Post-delivery Risk

Second-born twins are twice as likely as the firstborn to die at birth or shortly after due to complications during delivery, British researchers report.

The risk — which remains very small — appears to be lessened when both twins are delivered by caesarean section, the study found.

"Compared with the first twin, the second twin is more than twice as likely to die during delivery or in the first four weeks of life," said lead author Dr. Gordon Smith, the head of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Cambridge University. "This is observed among twins born at term — 36 weeks or later — but not in prematurely delivered twins," he added.

The absolute risk to the second twin is still very small, about one in every 250 twin births, Smith said.

His team published its findings in the March 2 online edition of the British Medical Journal.

In the study, Smith's group collected data on twin pregnancies in England, Northern Ireland, and Wales between 1994 and 2003. The researchers detected 1,377 cases of twin pregnancies where one twin died during delivery or shortly after.

The deaths were due to direct complications of birth, Smith said. These included prolapsed umbilical cord (delivery of the baby's umbilical cord occurs prior to the baby's birth), complications of breech birth, and separation of the second twin's placenta after delivery of the first twin.

"We found that the risk for the second twin tended to be less among those delivered by caesarean section," Smith said. "This is consistent with previous studies, which had also suggested that planned caesarean section was associated with lower risks of death and morbidity for the second twin," he said.

However, there is no information that shows directly that caesarean section is protective, and the risk to any one twin baby remains very small, Smith said.

"Among twins born prematurely, the high risk of death due to prematurity probably masks the small additional risk of death due to complications of delivery for the second twin," the researcher added.

Whether a woman chooses to have a caesarean delivery depends on the viewpoint of the individual woman, Smith said.

"This will involve her motivation to achieve a normal birth, her attitudes toward small risks of serious adverse events and her plans for future pregnancies. In particular, women planning many future births, and younger women, whose plans may be difficult to predict, may do better not to consider planned caesarean section due to the effects of this on future pregnancies," he said.

One expert believes that the risk of death of the second born twin is even smaller in the United States than in Britain.

"I would hate to see this study used as an excuse to have every mother with twins have a caesarean section," said Dr. F. Sessions Cole, the director of newborn medicine and head of the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Louis Children's Hospital.

Cole said that most twins delivered at full term are delivered vaginally. "Having all mothers with twins deliver by caesarean section would result in more risk to the mother than the small risks to the babies," he said.

Once the first twin is delivered, it is important to carefully monitor the second twin, Cole said. If there appears to be problems with the second twin, that baby may be delivered by caesarean section, he noted. "That's the standard of care today."

Cole believes that the data in the study applies only to Great Britain. "There would be fewer such deaths in the United States," he said. "There is much greater monitoring attention given to the second twin in the United States, given the malpractice risk that any obstetrician faces when he or she delivers twins," he said.


-- Steven Reinberg, HealthDay News

source from http://www.babycenter.com

Helping Twins Sleep At The Same Time

You've heard it a million times — twinsmean double the trouble and double the fun. (Parents of triplets and other multiples can change the numbers accordingly!) But it's hard to remember the fun part when you're struggling to get your crying twins to go to sleep and stay that way. We asked twins and multiples sleep experts Rebecca Moskwinski, M.D., of the National Organization of Mothers of Twins Club and Alexander Golbin, Ph.D., director of the Foundation for Children's Sleep Disorders, for their best strategies and tips. Here are their top suggestions:

Put your twins to sleep at the same time
Keeping your toddlers on the same sleep schedule is the key to developing a healthy sleep pattern and giving you some hope of time off. If your twins nap or go to bed at different times, one or both of them may be awake at any given time — leaving you feeling overwhelmed.

Establish a calming bedtime routine
A quiet, soothing bedtime routine such as a warm bath, a bedtime story, and a few minutes of cuddling, back rubbing, and quiet talk will help you prepare your twins for sleep. If you stick to a consistent bedtime routine, your toddlers will soon learn the signal that it's time to settle down.

Put your little ones to bed drowsy, but not asleep
Help them learn to fall asleep on their own by letting them drift off once they're in bed, rather than just before you put them down to sleep Moskwinski doesn't recommend rocking your twins to sleep, since they may come to depend on that cue to fall asleep. Moskwinski suggests using Richard Ferber’s gradual method to teach them to get to sleep by themselves.

Tend to your calm toddler first
If one is a screamer and the other is calmer, you may be tempted to tend to your wailing toddler first. Golbin strongly advises against this. The danger, he explains, is that your quiet one will miss out on the attention he needs. Before you focus on the screamer, make sure your quiet one is happy and settled. Don't worry about one twin waking up the other: Most twins and multiples don't seem bothered by their sibling's crying, even when they're in the same room.

Discourage nighttime waking
You can do this by keeping your twins as calm and quiet at night as possible. Keep their room dimly lit, and don't play or talk to them during the night more than necessary. You can encourage self-soothing by giving them a special soft toy or blanket to sleep with. These "transitional objects" are comforting and can help them go back to sleep.

Try separate rooms
Now that your twins are getting older, they're more likely to spend bedtime and naptimes talking and playing rather than getting their needed shut-eye. Some parents find that giving each twin his or her own room stops the nighttime antics and gives everyone some much-needed rest.

source from http://www.babycenter.com

Kids' Sleep Problems Can Hurt Parents' Health

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children's bedtime problems may not only make parents lose sleep, but could also take a toll on their physical and emotional well-being, researchers reported Monday.

In a study of more than 10,000 families with infants or preschoolers, Australian researchers found that parents who said their children had sleep problems tended to report poorer physical health and more emotional distress.

Mothers appeared to be particularly affected, the study found. Whereas only infant sleep problems were linked to poorer health among fathers, sleep difficulties at any age seemed to affect mothers' physical and psychological well-being.

This may be because mothers are usually the ones who deal with their children's sleep issues, according to the study authors.

They report the findings in the current issue of the journal Pediatrics.

The bottom line for parents is that they shouldn't simply live with sleep problems that are draining them physically and emotionally, said study co-author Dr. Harriet Hiscock, of the Royal Children's Hospital and the University of Melbourne.

"They don't need to 'put up with it' if their child's sleep is a problem for them," she told Reuters Health.

She suggested parents talk to their pediatrician about behavioral techniques for helping their children fall asleep and stay asleep.

A popular technique for helping babies learn to sleep through the night is "controlled crying," where parents gradually let their child's crying go on for increasingly long stretches before checking on them. When they do check in, it's a low-key visit, with no lights or playing.

Consistent bedtime routines can also help when preschoolers are resistant to the idea of turning in, Hiscock noted.

She and her colleagues based their findings on a national survey of 5,107 families with infants and 4,983 with preschool-aged children. Based on parents' responses, 17 percent of infants and 14 percent of preschoolers had a moderate or severe sleep problem.

Overall, mothers of these infants had poorer scores on standard measures of general health and psychological distress, while fathers had lower scores for general health. Similarly, mothers who preschoolers had sleep problems tended to show poorer general health.

There are no hard definitions of child sleep problems, Hiscock said. "In reality, if parents think that their child's sleep is a problem, then something needs to be done about it," she explained.

Typically, infant sleep problems include frequent wakings not related to feedings, and difficulty going to sleep in the first place, according to Hiscock. With preschoolers, bedtime resistance tends to be parents' top complaint.

By Amy Norton, Reuters

source from http://www.babycenter.com

Parents Center: Reducing The Risk Of SIDS (birth to 12 mo.)

What is SIDS?
SIDS stands for sudden infant death syndrome — and it's the leading cause of death in the United States for babies between 1 month and 1 year old.

SIDS isn't any one illness or disease. Rather, it's the diagnosis that's given when a child under a year old dies suddenly and an exact cause can't be found after a complete medical and legal investigation, including an autopsy. That it can happen without warning makes SIDS particularly devastating for families.

Approximately 2,500 infants die suddenly and without explanation in the United States each year. SIDS most commonly affects babies between the ages of 2 and 4 months, with 90 percent of cases in infants under 6 months. It occurs most frequently during cold-weather months.

SIDS is also known as crib death because it happens most often during sleep, usually between the hours of 10 p.m. and 10 a.m.

Night isn't the only time that SIDS strikes, however. If your infant is in daycare, it's important to know that 20 percent of SIDS deaths happen in childcare settings, according to a study published in the journal Pediatrics in 2000.

This is a surprisingly high number when you consider that babies spend much less time sleeping at daycare than they do at home. This statistic points out how crucial it is to make sure your daycare providers follow safe sleeping guidelines (see "How can I lower my baby's risk of SIDS?").

What causes SIDS?
Researchers have learned a great deal about SIDS in the past three decades, but they still have no definitive answer to that question.

Some experts believe that SIDS happens when a baby with an underlying abnormality (for example, a brain defect that affects breathing) sleeps tummy-down or is faced with an environmental challenge such as secondhand smoke during a critical period of growth. Others have published studies that contradict this hypothesis.

One study published in 2007 cites a connection between hearing ability and SIDS. Pediatric anesthesiologist Daniel D. Rubens at Seattle Children's Hospital studied the results of newborn hearing tests and found that babies who died of SIDS had consistently tested lower on the inner ear function of the right ear than babies who didn't die of SIDS. (Healthy infants typically test stronger in the right ear than the left; these results flipped those scores.) This study suggests new areas of research and points to the possibility of identifying babies who are at higher risk for SIDS.

Experts are continuing to study the brain, the autonomic nervous system, infant care and sleep environments, infection and immunity, and genetics in search of answers.

Which babies are most at risk?
Although the exact cause of SIDS is unknown, some risk factors have been identified. They include:

Tummy sleeping
A baby's risk of SIDS has been found to be 1.7 to 12.9 percent higher (depending on the study) if he sleeps on his tummy instead of his back. According to Betty McEntire, the executive director of the American SIDS Institute, when a baby sleeps tummy-down he's more likely to overheat, have pauses in breathing, and re-breathe the air he has just exhaled, which can raise his level of carbon dioxide.

In addition, several studies have shown that if a baby is used to sleeping on his back and is placed to sleep on his tummy, his risk of SIDS rises markedly. (This may account for the unexpectedly high rate of SIDS in daycare settings.)

Having a parent or caregiver who smokes
Studies show that a baby's risk of SIDS rises with each additional smoker in the household, with the number of cigarettes smoked around him each day, and with the length of his exposure to cigarette smoke.

Being born prematurely or at a very low birth weight
The earlier a baby is born, the higher his risk of SIDS. Likewise, the lower his birth weight, the higher the risk.

Overheating while sleeping
There's strong evidence that becoming overheated can substantially raise a baby's risk of SIDS. "Overheating can result from being in an overheated room, wrapping or covering a baby in too many blankets, or putting a blanket over a baby's head, particularly when the baby has a fever or respiratory infection," says Warren Guntheroth, a SIDS expert and a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Sleeping on a soft surface
Several studies link soft sleeping surfaces to a higher risk of SIDS. Quilts, comforters, sofas, waterbeds, beanbags, and other soft surfaces are all unsafe for a baby to sleep on. Like tummy-down sleep positions, soft surfaces increase the chance that your baby will encounter problems with breathing or overheating.

Being born to a mother who smoked or abused drugs during pregnancy
Almost every study of risk factors for SIDS has identified smoking during pregnancy as a risk factor. Of course, both smoking and drug use can compromise a baby's healthy development during pregnancy.

Being born to a mother under the age of 20
The risk of SIDS increases with each baby born to a teen mother. Also, the shorter the time between a woman's pregnancies, the higher her baby's risk of SIDS.

Suffering an apparent life-threatening event (ALTE)
Babies who have suffered what's called an apparent life-threatening event (stopped breathing and turned pale, blue, and limp and required resuscitation) have a higher risk of SIDS.

Having certain ethnic backgrounds
African American infants are two and a half times more likely to die of SIDS than are Caucasian infants, and Native American babies have three times the risk.

Some researchers hypothesize that a cultural preference for putting babies to sleep on their stomach puts certain groups at higher risk. Asian families, who have a cultural preference for placing infants on their back, have had a lower than average risk for SIDS. When they emigrated to North America and began placing babies on their tummy, their SIDS rates rose.

Being a boy
Boys of all ethnicities are at slightly higher risk than girls by a ratio of 1.5 to 1.

How can I lower my baby's risk of SIDS?
There's no guaranteed way to prevent SIDS, but you can do a number of things to greatly reduce your baby's risk:

Put your baby to sleep on his back.
This is the single most important thing you can do to help protect your baby.

The rate of deaths from SIDS has dropped more than 50 percent since 1994, when the Back to Sleep campaign was launched by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the U.S. Public Health Service, the SIDS Alliance, and the Association of SIDS and Infant Mortality Programs. Make sure that anyone who cares for your baby — relatives and babysitters, for example — knows not to place your baby on his tummy to sleep.

Most people don't know that side sleeping isn't safe, either. In fact, if your baby sleeps on his side rather than on his back, his risk of SIDS is doubled. That's because babies placed on their side can easily end up on their tummy.

Of course, by the time your baby is 5 or 6 months old, he may be able to roll over in both directions, making it a challenge to keep him on his back at night. At this age his risk for SIDS starts to drop, though, so just do your best to get him settled on his back, and then don't worry if he rolls over.

Keep in mind that putting your baby on his back all the time can cause him to develop a flat spot on the back or side of his head, called plagiocephaly or flat head syndrome.

You can help prevent this condition by learning how to position your baby when you lay him down. (If you have any questions about your baby's sleep position, talk to your doctor or nurse.)

Take care of yourself and your unborn baby while you're pregnant.
To protect your baby's health and reduce the risk of a premature birth or low birth weight (both of which are risk factors for SIDS), get proper prenatal care and nutrition. Don't smoke cigarettes or use illegal drugs during your pregnancy.

Don't allow smoking around your baby.
Keep the air around your baby — at home, in the car, and in all other environments — free of smoke. If others insist on smoking, make sure they go outside the house to do it. If you need help quitting, read our article and talk to your doctor.

Choose bedding carefully.
Put your baby to sleep on a firm, flat mattress with no pillow and nothing but a fitted sheet under him. Don't put stuffed toys or other soft materials in your baby's crib, either.

Some SIDS prevention groups recommend that you not use any blanket at all. The AAP suggests that if you can't resist covering your baby, you should use a thin blanket. Tuck it around the mattress, under your baby's arms and only as far up as his chest.

If you think your baby is chilly, dress him in warmer clothing such as footed pajamas or in a cotton one-piece under a "wearable blanket" — a sleeveless garment that's closed along the bottom like a bag. (Get more ideas for keeping your baby warm at night without blankets.)

Crib bumpers are not necessary, and SIDS prevention groups recommend that you not use them. If you choose to use bumpers, the AAP advises selecting ones that are thin and firm (not pillow-like) and attaching them securely to the crib. Make sure no strings are dangling inside the crib.

Avoid overheating your baby.
To keep your baby from getting too warm while he sleeps, don't overdress him. The room he sleeps in shouldn't be too toasty, either. The room should be comfortable for a lightly clothed adult.

Signs that your baby may be overheated include sweating, damp hair, heat rash, rapid breathing, restlessness, and fever.

Try to limit exposure to infection.
SIDS sometimes occurs together with respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. Feel free to ask people to wash their hands before holding your baby. And avoid exposing your baby to sick people whenever possible.

Does breastfeeding prevent SIDS?
There's no conclusive evidence that breastfeeding itself will lower your baby's risk of SIDS. However, breastfeeding will help reduce your baby's likelihood of getting of respiratory and gastrointestinal infections, which often occur along with SIDS.

Will sharing a bed with my baby raise the risk of SIDS?
Not everyone agrees on this one.

Some experts believe there are compelling reasons not to take your baby to bed with you during your baby's first months. For one thing, your bed surely has pillows and blankets and other soft bedding, all of which are risk factors for SIDS. It's also easier for your baby to become overheated (another risk factor for SIDS) while sharing your bed.

"The vast majority of studies conducted on this subject have shown that bed-sharing increases the risk of SIDS," says John Kattwinkel, chairman of the AAP Task Force on Infant Sleep Position and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

On the other hand, some experts believe that bed-sharing (also called co-sleeping) might allow a mother to respond more quickly to changes in her baby's breathing and movements, and that when risk factors like maternal smoking and tummy sleeping are removed, bed-sharing could lower the risk of SIDS. And many parents are comfortable with and committed to bed-sharing.

If you do decide to co-sleep with your baby, James McKenna, head of the Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame, advises making sure that your mattress is firm and flat and that it fits tightly against the headboard with no space around it where your baby's head could get stuck. Never co-sleep on a softer surface, such as a couch. Keep heavy, fluffy bedding away from your child, and even in your bed, put him to sleep on his back.


The AAP may discourage bed-sharing, but the organization actually recommends having your baby room in with you. British researchers found that when a baby is in his own bed in his parent's room his risk of SIDS is lower. So as an alternative to having your baby in bed with you, keep him in a crib or bassinet in your room.

Is it okay for me to swaddle my infant?
Some researchers suggest that swaddling — the practice of wrapping a baby securely in a blanket or cloth — may help prevent SIDS because it can help a baby sleep more comfortably on his back. If your baby startles while he's sleeping, his own body movements can wake him up. Swaddling can limit those movements and help a young baby feel more secure.

Other SIDS experts caution that swaddling could contribute to overheating. So if you do swaddle your baby, use a thin blanket and make sure the room isn't too warm. And, of course, never put your baby on his tummy when he's swaddled.

Does using a pacifier affect my baby's risk of SIDS?
Studies show a lower incidence of SIDS among infants who use pacifiers, although experts don't know whether there's a direct cause and effect. Because of the correlation, the AAP suggests that you give your baby a pacifier when putting him down for naps and at bedtime for the first year of life.

It's not necessary to reinsert the pacifier if your baby drops it once he falls asleep, and you certainly shouldn't try to force your baby to use one. The AAP also cautions that if you're nursing, you shouldn't begin using a pacifier until breastfeeding is well established. It's up to you to weigh the pros and cons of using a pacifier.

Does my baby need a sleep monitor?
There are two types of sleep monitors. Your baby's doctor may have prescribed a cardio-respiratory monitor if your baby has had a life-threatening breathing incident or severe respiratory problems. If such a monitor was prescribed for your baby, of course you should use it diligently.

You may also see home sleep monitoring systems sold by baby product retailers. These systems detect a baby's movements and alert you if movement (and presumably breathing) stops for a certain amount of time.

There's no harm in using one of these for your healthy baby if it helps you rest easily at night. Just keep in mind that there's no evidence these systems will help prevent SIDS. You'll still want to take every precaution you can to protect your baby.

What other products can help reduce my baby's risk of SIDS?
Some companies offer mattresses with a built-in ventilation system that supposedly prevents the buildup of carbon dioxide. These mattresses may keep more fresh air circulating around your baby, but there's no evidence that they lower the risk of SIDS — so don't let them give you a false sense of security. If you decide to buy one, you should still follow the SIDS prevention guidelines above.

If you don't like the idea of leaving your baby uncovered, you may want to try a wearable blanket — a sleeveless garment that's closed along the bottom like a bag. A wearable blanket keeps your baby warm while eliminating the possibility that the covers will slip over his head.

Where can I get more information?

• The American SIDS Institute conducts research and offers education and round-the-clock support to pediatricians and families. Call (800) 232-7437 or (770) 426-8746.

• The Back to Sleep Hotline, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, offers information, support, and referrals. Call (800) 505-2742.

• The CJ Foundation for SIDS is the largest nongovernmental funder of SIDS-related programs in the United States. Visit the foundation's website for news about SIDS, a look at ongoing research, and updates on fundraisers and events around the country.

• The National SIDS/Infant Death Resource Center provides information sheets, annotated bibliographies, and referral services to parents, caregivers, and researchers.

• First Candle (formerly SIDS Alliance) provides education and research as well as support for families who have lost a baby to SIDS.

source from http://www.babycenter.com

Swaddling Your Baby

What does it mean to swaddle a baby?
Swaddling is the art of snugly wrapping your baby in a blanket for warmth and security. It can keep him from being disturbed by his own startle reflex, and it may even help him stay warm and toasty for the first few days of life until his internal thermostat kicks in. Most important, it can help to calm your baby.

Nowadays, you probably won't leave the hospital without a little lesson in this technique. Try it, after you've made sure your baby isn't hungry, wet, or tired. It can be used to help settle your baby down when he's overstimulated or when he just needs to feel something close to the tightness and security of the womb.

Once your baby is about a month old you might want to stop swaddling him while he's awake, as it may interfere with mobility and development in older babies. It's fine to keep swaddling your baby for naps and nighttime if he seems to sleep better that way. He'll let you know by crying or kicking when he no longer wants to be bundled up.

How do I perform this cozy art?

• Lay a blanket on a flat surface and fold down the top-right corner about 6 inches.

• Place your baby on his back with his head on the fold.

• Pull the corner near your baby's left hand across his body, and tuck the leading edge under his back on the right side under the arm.

• Pull the bottom corner up under your baby's chin.

• Bring the loose corner over your baby's right arm and tuck it under the back on his left side. If your baby prefers to have his arms free, you can swaddle him under the arms. This gives him access to his hands and fingers.

source from http://www.babycenter.com

How You Can Get Some Sleep

You have a baby and you've never been more tired in your life. Sure, you've heard the advice: Nap when the baby naps. Leave the dirty dishes, and don't worry about the laundry — you'll get to it eventually. But the reality is that most days you need this time to take care of chores and other business. So what advice can you really use to get some sleep?

We invited BabyCenter parents to share their survival tips. One tried and true strategy is to share the nighttime feedings with your partner so you'll both be guaranteed at least five hours of solid sleep. Some families find that bringing their baby to bed with them is the key to staving off fatigue. Read on for more ideas.

Pump and sleep
"We started giving our daughter bottles when she was 2 weeks old. I would pump at 9 p.m. and then go to bed. My husband would wake her at 10:30 p.m. and give her the pumped breast milk. I got to sleep from 9 p.m. until 2 a.m., when she woke up again."
—Jodi Mindell, author of Sleeping Through the Night: How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night's Sleep, and mom of Caelie, 23 months

Rock-a-bye, baby
"We had a cradle that rocked, and I tied a rope to it so I could rock it while I lay in bed when my son was a newborn. (I made sure the rope was out of his reach at all times.)"
—Mollie, mom of Nicky, 8 years

Midnight power-snacking
"The best way I've found to cope with disrupted sleep (the twins are on different schedules) is to have 'power snacks' when I'm up with the babies. Peanut butter and crackers, a glass of skim milk, yogurt, etc. The food helps me feel much better in the morning after those nights when it seems like nobody sleeps."
—April, mom of 8-year-old Jeffrey, 6-year-old Erin, and twins Caitlyn and Ethan, 22 weeks

One night on, one night off
"My wife and I took turns getting up with our son every other night like clockwork for the first nine months. It was not pleasant, but was a decent survival tactic."
—Steve, dad of Daniel, 3 years

Separate rooms
"On the nights that I really want undisturbed slumber, my husband and son sleep in a separate room so I don't hear them get up for feeding and changing. We also take turns sleeping in on the weekend."
—Shari, mom of Kevin, 2 1/2, and Brian, 7 weeks

Shift work
"We've found that the best way to protect our sleep and make sure we're functional for work is to take our daughter in shifts. My wife usually handles the first shift (10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.), while anything after that falls into my territory (2:30 a.m. to 6 a.m.)."
—Dan, dad of Mary Elise, 11 months

"With our first daughter, my husband and I rotated nights. For instance, he had Monday night and I had Tuesday night, and so on. It worked out great! When I knew it was his night, I would help out more with getting everything ready for the night and he would do the same for me. We plan on doing the same for our next child." —Keysha

Early to bed
"Go to bed when the children do. This is hard for me because there's so much that needs to be done, or I'd like to have that time to relax in peace and quiet — but do it!"
—Diane, mom of Bridget, 4, and Kelly, 8 months

Sleep-sharing
"The best strategy I used to get sleep when my daughter was a newborn was to have her sleep with me. At first, she was in her bassinet and would wake for periods of four to five hours, and so we'd walk around and nurse until she fell back to sleep. Finally, my doctor suggested we take her to bed with us. She slept great and woke up only briefly to nurse."
—Trista, mom of Sydney, 8 months

source from http://www.babycenter.com

Establishing Healthy Sleep Habits: 24 to 36 Months

Typical sleep at this age
Between their second and third birthdays, toddlers need about 11 to 12 hours of sleep a night and a single hour-and-a-half to two-hour nap each afternoon. Most children this age go to bed sometime between 7 and 9 p.m. and get up between 6:30 and 8 a.m. It may seem that your child's sleep patterns finally resemble yours, but he'll spend more time than you do in REM sleep and the deeper stages of non-REM sleep. The result? Because he'll be making more transitions from one sleep phase to the other, he'll wake up more often than you do. That's why it's so important that he learn how to soothe himself back to sleep.

How you can establish healthy sleep habits
Now that your child is getting older, you can try a few new techniques to help him get a good night's sleep, including:

Moving him into a big bed and praising him when he stays in it.
This is the age when your toddler is likely to make the transition from crib to bed, probably because he'll have outgrown his babyhood digs. The arrival of a new sibling can also prompt the decision. If you're pregnant, move your toddler at least two to three months before you're due, advises sleep expert Jodi Mindell. "You want your older child well settled in his new bed before he sees the baby taking over his crib," says Mindell. But if the switch doesn't go well, it's okay to put it off until the new baby is 3 or 4 months old. Your newborn may spend those months sleeping in a bassinet anyway, and your older child will have time to get used to having a sibling, making the crib-to-bed transition easier. Other reasons to consider making the move include frequent jumping out of the crib and toilet training — your child may need to get up at night to go to the bathroom.

Once he's using his new bed, be sure to praise your child when he stays in it at bedtime and overnight. After the confinement of his crib, your child may get out of his big-kid bed over and over just because he can. If your toddler gets up, temper your reaction. Simply take him back to bed, firmly tell him that it's time to go to sleep, and leave.

Anticipating all his requests and including them in your bedtime routine.
Your toddler may start trying to put off bedtime by wheedling for "just one more" — story, song, glass of water. Try to anticipate all of your child's usual (and reasonable) requests and make them part of your bedtime routine. Then, suggests Jodi Mindell, allow your child one extra request — but make it clear that one is the limit. He'll feel like he's getting his way, but you'll know you're really getting yours.

Giving him an extra goodnight kiss or tuck-in.
It's okay to promise your child an extra goodnight kiss after you've tucked him in the first time. Tell him you'll be back to check on him in a few minutes. Chances are he'll be fast asleep by the time you return.

Potential pitfalls
If your toddler starts getting up more often once he graduates to a big bed, tuck him back in and bid him a firm goodnight. Other than that, how to handle the situation is a personal decision. Experts' opinions vary. Some say: don't coddle him or bring him into your bed. Some say that as long as your child is falling asleep on his own, it's fine to go in and soothe him, and others recommend going to your child immediately, finding the source of the problem and comforting him.

Another widespread sleep problem at this age: resistance to bedtime. Ease or avoid the problem by anticipating and managing your child's before-bed requests. Few toddlers will run happily to bed every night, so be prepared for a few struggles.

You'll probably notice that your child has some new nighttime worries these days. Being afraid of the dark, monsters under the bed, or separation from you is common in toddlers, so don't be too concerned. Fears are part of your child's normal development. If he starts having nightmares, go to him right away and talk to him about his bad dream while you calm him down. If bad dreams persist, look for sources of anxiety in his daily life. Most of the experts agree that if your child is truly terrified, it's all right to let him into your bed every once in a while, too.

source from http://parentcenter.babycenter.com

What I Wish I'd Know About Getting More Sleep

"In the morning, stay in your PJs and keep going back to bed until you get enough sleep - even if that means you don't get up until noon!"

"My husband and I slept in shifts. After feeding the baby around 10 p.m., I went to sleep and my husband stayed up and put him to bed. Since I was breastfeeding, I was the one who needed to get up at 2 or 4 a.m. to feed him, so my husband slept through that. I felt better with that extra two hours I got early in the night."

"Sleep when the baby sleeps except for one nap. Use that time to do dishes and laundry."

"Buy a baby swing. They are wonderful for those late nights when your baby is either crying or won't sleep. Strap her in and you know she's safe — then you can catch some zz's on the couch next to her."

"Once I made up my mind that I wasn't going to get any sleep that night, it made it easier to cope. It was when I obsessed about getting sleep that I had problems dealing with the lack of sleep."

"If your partner's habits (restlessness, snoring) keep you from sleeping, ask him to sleep somewhere else for awhile."

"Don't wait until nighttime to catch up on sleep, because that's when your baby wants to be up. I slept at least once during the day when my baby napped, and that made all the difference between being a nice mommy and a mean mommy."

"The first four nights were the hardest, getting up every two hours to go into another room to feed the baby, hoping she wouldn't wake when I laid her down. The fifth night, I took her to bed with me, and we both slept like a dream. Now I enjoy eight hours of sleep a night."

"Have a lot of pillows for comfort — even if you don't get a lot of sleep, it feels good."

"Don't worry about getting the dishes done or cooking dinner. I lost out on so much sleep because I was trying to keep my house together, and by the time I was ready to lie down, guess who was awake."

"Get someone else to watch the baby while you nap, even if you have to pay a babysitter."

"I've learned after three children not to worry too much if my baby doesn't want to eat every three hours. If her last feeding was at 11 p.m. and she sleeps until 4 a.m., then the best thing to do is enjoy the sleep while you can."

"When all else fails, put a blanket (not a comforter, but a flat blanket) on the floor and lie down with your baby. You will get some sleep — maybe not the most comfortable sleep, but sleep nonetheless."

"My husband gets up with the baby first, changing her and comforting her, which gives me time to prepare for breastfeeding (waking up a little, using the restroom, and getting a glass of water). He has been a great help!"

"Catnapping works wonders for new moms. Set an alarm for 15 or 20 minutes. You'll be surprised how much it helps to close your eyes for even a short period of time."

"At night, put the baby down in a separate room and turn the monitor low enough so you can hear a cry but not grunts and whines."

"My nurse advised me to take six-hour shifts with my husband. That way, each of us got some solid sleep. Once we started doing that, we both felt better."

"You know how they always tell you "Sleep when your baby sleeps"? Well, I tried, but I was so overtired and anxious about being a new mother that I couldn't sleep! My doctor prescribed a sleeping pill, and it really helped me get the rest I needed."

source from http://www.babycenter.com

Establishing Healthy Sleep Habits: 18 to 24 Months

Typical sleep at this age
By now your toddler should be sleeping about 11 to 12 hours at night and taking a one-and-a-half- to three-hour afternoon nap every day. Some children will hold onto two shorter daily naps until their second birthday. If yours is one of them, don't fight it.

How you can establish healthy sleep habits
At this age, these are the best things you can do to make sure your child's sleep habits are on the right track:

Help him break bad sleep habits so he can fall asleep on his own.
Your child should now be drifting off on his own at night without being rocked, nursed, or otherwise lulled to sleep. If he learns to depend on any of these external cues, he won't be able to fall back to sleep during the night when he wakes up and they're not there. Think of it this way, say sleep experts Jodi Mindell and Richard Ferber: You fall asleep with your head on a pillow, only to wake up in the middle of the night and find the pillow gone. You'd probably be concerned about the pillow's absence and look for it, rousing from your sleepy state. Similarly, if your child falls asleep every night listening to a particular CD, he'll wonder what happened when he wakes at night and doesn't hear the music, and he may not be able to drop off again easily. To help prevent this, try to get him into bed when he's sleepy but still awake, so he can fall asleep by himself.

Offer him acceptable choices at bedtime.
These days your toddler is beginning to test the limits of his newfound independence, wanting to assert control over the world around him. To curtail bedtime power struggles, let your child make choices whenever possible during his nighttime routine — from which bedtime story he wants to hear to which pair of pajamas he'd like to wear. The trick is to offer only two or three alternatives and to make sure you're happy with every choice. For example, don't ask, "Do you want to go to bed now?" He could very well say no, which isn't acceptable. Instead, try, "Do you want to go to bed now or in five minutes?" He still gets to make the choice, but you win no matter which option he picks.

Potential pitfalls
Two of the most common sleep problems for toddlers of all ages are difficulty falling asleep and frequent night wakings.

This age group has its own particular challenge, too: Sometime between 18 and 24 months, some children start climbing out of their crib, potentially putting themselves in danger (falling out of a crib can be pretty painful). Unfortunately, just because your toddler can get out of his crib doesn't mean he's ready for a big bed. Try to keep him safe and stationary with these tips from Sleeping Through the Night, by sleep expert Jodi Mindell:

Lower the mattress: If you move the crib mattress to its lowest position, you may be able to physically prevent your child from getting out. This probably won't work when he gets bigger, though.

Empty the crib: Your child may be using crib toys or bumpers as stepstools to help him get out. If you remove them, he may stay put a little longer.

Don't make jumping out worth his while: If your child jumps out of his crib and you react by giving him lots of attention or letting him get in bed with you, he'll keep doing it. Instead, stay calm and neutral, firmly tell him not to climb out, and put him right back in his crib. He'll get the idea pretty quickly.

Consider a crib tent: Crib tents are widely available. They attach to crib rails with Velcro and keep your toddler safe inside.

Keep watch: Nip his escapades in the bud by standing where you can see him in his crib — but he can't see you. If he tries to get out, immediately tell him not to. After you've done this a few times, he'll probably learn to stay put.

Set up a safe environment: If you can't keep your child from jumping out, you can at least make sure he stays safe. Place pillows and other padding on the floor around his crib and on nearby toy chests, dressers, and other objects that could cause a hard knock. If he absolutely won't stop climbing, you can always lower the crib rail and leave a step stool nearby. At least then you won't have to worry about him falling and hurting himself. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

source from http://www.babycenter.com

Establishing Healthy Sleep Habits: 12 to 18 months

Typical sleep at this age

Now your baby is officially a toddler — but he still needs as much sleep as he did when he was younger. Until his second birthday, your child should get about 14 hours of sleep a day, 11 of those hours at night. The rest will come in nap form. He'll still need two naps at 12 months, but by the time he's 18 months old, he may be ready for a single hour-and-a-half to three-hour nap in the afternoon — a pattern he may follow until he's four or five. The transition from two naps to one can be difficult. Sleep expert Jodi Mindell suggests alternating one-nap and two-nap days, depending on how much sleep your toddler got the night before. You can also try putting your child to bed a little earlier on one-nap days.

How you can establish healthy sleep habits
There's not much new you can do to help your child become a good sleeper at this age — look for fresh issues such as bedtime resistance to show up sometime between 18 months and your toddler's third birthday. Your best bet now: Continue practicing the strategies you've been developing since your child was 6 months old, including:

Following a nightly bedtime ritual.
A regular bedtime routine will help your child wind down at the end of the day and get ready for sleep. If he needs to work off some excess energy, it's okay to let him run around for a little while before moving on to something more calming, such as a quiet game, bath, or bedtime story. Follow the same pattern every night — even when you're away from home. Toddlers love consistency; being able to predict when and how something's going to happen helps them feel in control.

Stick to a consistent daily schedule, as well as bed- and naptimes.
As always, it's also a good idea to set and stick to consistent bed- and naptimes as part of your daily schedule. If your child naps, eats, plays, and gets ready for bed at about the same time every day, he'll be much more likely to fall asleep without a struggle.

Make sure your child is able to fall asleep on his own.
Don't forget how important it is for your toddler to fall asleep by himself every night. He shouldn't depend on rocking, nursing, or being sung to to fall asleep. If he does, he'll never learn to settle himself back down when he wakes up at night. That situation is less than ideal for you, too — if he does wake up, he'll probably cry for you.

Potential pitfalls
At this age your child may have difficulty falling asleep or wake up frequently at night. The reason behind both problems is probably the new developmental milestones he's reaching, especially walking. Your toddler is so excited by his new skills that he wants to keep practicing, even if you say it's bedtime.

If he resists going to sleep, most experts advise leaving him in his crib for a few minutes to see whether he'll calm down. If not, you may want to consider using some version of the "cry it out" approach. You'll also have to decide what to do if he wakes up at night, can't soothe himself back to sleep, and ends up crying for you. It's fine to go in and check on or comfort him. But if he wants you to stay and play with him, gently remind him that nighttime is for sleep.

source from http://www.babycenter.com

Establishing Good Sleep Habits In Your New Born

Typical newborn sleep patterns
Newborns sleep a lot — about 17 to 18 hours a day for the first few weeks and 15 hours a day by the third month. But, at least for the first couple of months, they're almost never asleep for more than three to four hours at a time, day or night. Translation: You won't be getting much uninterrupted sleep, either. At night you'll need to get up to feed and change your baby; during the day, you'll play with him, too. And while some infants sleep through the night as early as age 8 weeks, many babies don't reach that milestone until they're 5 or 6 months old. You can help your baby get there sooner by teaching him good sleep habits from the start.

How you can establish healthy sleep habits
Learn the signs that mean he's tired.
For the first six to eight weeks, your baby won't be able to stay up longer than about two hours at a time. If you wait much longer than that to put him down, he'll be overtired and may have trouble falling asleep.

Swaddling your newborn — an age-old technique for wrapping him snugly in a blanket — may help him feel warm and secure and fall asleep more easily during the first month..

Watch your baby for signs that he's sleepy. Is he rubbing his eyes, pulling on his ear, or developing faint dark circles under his eyes? If you spot these or any other signs of sleepiness, head straight for the crib. You'll soon develop a sixth sense about your baby's daily rhythms and patterns, and you'll know instinctively when he's ready for a nap.

Begin to teach him the difference between day and night.
Some infants are night owls (something you may have gotten a hint of during pregnancy) and will be wide awake just when you want to hit the hay. For the first few days you won't be able to do much about this. But once your baby is about 2 weeks old, you can start teaching him to distinguish night from day.

When he's alert and awake during the day, play with him as much as you can, keep the house and his room light and bright, and don't worry about minimizing regular daytime noises like the phone, radio, or dishwasher. If he tends to sleep through feedings, wake him up. At night, don't play with him at feeding time. Keep the lights and noise level low, and don't spend too much time talking to him. Before long he should begin to figure out that nighttime is for sleeping.

Give him a chance to fall asleep on his own.
When your baby is 6 to 8 weeks old, start giving him a chance to fall asleep on his own. How? Put him down when he's sleepy but still awake, suggests Jodi Mindell, director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at MCP-Hahnmann School of Medicine in Philadelphia and author of Sleeping Through the Night: How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night's Sleep. Mindell advises against rocking or nursing your baby to sleep, even at this young age. "Parents think that what they do this early doesn't have an effect," she says, "but it does. Babies are learning their sleep habits. If you rock your child to sleep every night for the first eight weeks, why would he expect anything different later on?"

How to keep your sleeping newborn safe
The best way to protect your new baby from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and other sleeping hazards is to learn the rules of safe sleeping. Then make sure your bassinet, crib, or any other place you plan to put your baby for napping and at night is properly set up .

Create a safe sleeping spot
Resist the urge to set up a bassinet or crib with pillows and fluffy comforters. As cozy as that may look, it's not the safest sleeping environment — your baby needs a surface that is firm and flat. Any blankets and bumpers should be thin, flat, and fastened securely to minimize the risk of covering the baby's head or face. Keep stuffed animals and toys out of the sleeping area, too.

If your crib is new and you bought it in the United States, it was made to meet strict safety regulations. If it's borrowed, though, be extra careful: Make sure crib slats are no more than 2 3/8 inches apart (a canned soda shouldn't fit between the slats) to prevent your baby's head from slipping between the bars. Also check that the mattress fits snugly — you should be able to fit no more than two fingers between the matress and the side of the crib.

For more details, see our articles on cribs and childproofing your nursery.

Put your infant to sleep on his back
Putting your baby to sleep on his back reduces the risk of SIDS. Experts estimate that up to 2,000 lives have been saved since the "Back to Sleep" public awareness campaign began in 1994.

source from http://www.babycenter.com