“Transitioning From Bassinet To Crib”
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If your baby has been sleeping in your room in a bassinet, you may have some concerns about moving her to her own room and her crib. But, don't worry; you will probably both sleep better once the transition is complete. Most babies are ready to move to the crib at around six to eight weeks of age, or whenever he is sleeping for longer periods during the night.
Be prepared that the crib might feel a bit large to the baby who has been accustomed to a bassinet, but the transition will be much easier when the baby is older than it would have been with a newborn. If your baby seems bothered by the size of the crib, try putting a pillow at his feet to give the illusion of a smaller space.
However, if your baby is turning over on his own, or scooting about the crib, leave the pillow out, as it can be dangerous. To make the transition easier, have the baby take naps in the crib for a few weeks before you move him in there for the whole night. Ideally, have baby take naps in his crib from the very beginning, so that when you move him there permanently, the surroundings will be familiar.
If you're worried that you won't hear the baby with him in another room, use a monitor to alleviate your worries. But, what you'll likely find is that you hear him when he really needs you, but you don't wake up at every little gurgle, which means better rest for both of you. Many first time moms are very fearful of sleeping through their child's cries, but it is rarely a real concern. In spite of the fact that you are likely very sleep deprived, you will hear your baby.
Finally, it is common to worry about your child feeling isolated. But, studies show that children are much more likely to be comfortable sleeping alone in their room if they begin this routine early in life. The two year old who has always slept in Mom and Dad's room would definitely feel isolated when put into his own room, the two month old will not. It is probably a bigger adjustment for you than the baby.
Your baby is getting more independent, and that might be making you a bit sad, which is perfectly normal. But, there are many more days of this ahead, and each step toward independence is a sign that you're giving your child the skills he needs to develop.
About The Author: Sarah is a 41 year old wife and mother of two boys and one girl. She spent many years as a manager in the corporate world, and gave it up to be a stay at home mom. Go to http://www.infantresources.com now and get her incredible baby minicourse - absolutely free.
Infants daily sleep requirements:
2-12 months: 14-15 hours
A 3- or 4-month-old is taking three to four naps a day, and a 12-month-old is typically taking two naps a day.
One of the problems answering that question is the definition of “sleeping through the night.”
The original definition in 1957 was a baby who sleeps from midnight to 5 a.m. is sleeping through the night.
Gradually, over the first few months, your baby will begin to develop a more predictable pattern. Between 2 and 4 months, you will notice a regular rhythm of sleepiness and alertness throughout the day.
Between 3 and 6 months most babies begin to sleep for longer stretches at night. In the first year, babies naturally cut down their daily naps from 3 or 4 a day to 1 or 2 a day.
Note that developmental milestones, such as rolling over and pulling up to stand, can temporarily upset sleep
So if you're looking for 12 hours straight, they will be at least 6 months of age until they can sleep for that long without a nighttime feeding.
By six months of age, nighttime feedings are usually not necessary and many infants sleep through the night; 70-80 percent will do so by nine months of age.
Infants typically sleep 9-12 hours during the night and take 30 minute to two-hour naps, one to four times a day – fewer as they reach age one.
When infants are put to bed drowsy but not asleep, they are more likely to become “self-soothers” which enables them to fall asleep independently at bedtime and put themselves back to sleep during the night.
Those who have become accustomed to parental assistance at bedtime often become “signalers” and cry for their parents to help them return to sleep during the night.
Social and developmental issues can also affect sleep. Secure infants who are attached to their caregiver may have less sleep problems, but some may also be reluctant to give up this engagement for sleep.
During the second half of the year, infants may also experience separation anxiety. Illness and increased motor development may also disrupt sleep.
For all children, adolescents and adults, you want a bedroom that's cool, quiet, dark and comfortable.
All babies should sleep on a firm surface. There should be very little bedding in their crib, so that there's no concern about suffocation.
And, of course, all babies should be put down on their backs to sleep to decrease the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.
A consistent sleep schedule with set nap times and a set bedtime is going to set their internal clock and make it so they fall asleep quickly and stay asleep. A typical baby bedtime is between 7:30 and 8:30 at night.
One of the key things in getting a baby to have good sleep habits is a bedtime routine.
You want that bedtime routine to be 20 to 30 minutes long and include about two to three activities, which are exactly the same every single night.
A typical bedtime routine may include taking a bath, massaging the baby, reading, singing lullabies.
You want activities that are soft and soothing. Now, if your baby hates taking a bath or can't sit still for books, you want to do that at a different part of the day.
One of the most important things that you want to do as a parent is figure out the sign your baby gives when he or she is sleepy.
Does she rub her eyes? Does she pull her ears? Does she twirl her hair? One baby I knew used to stare off into space.
The mom thought the baby was bored so she would sort of do antics, but, really, that was a sign for the baby that he wanted to go to sleep.
The moment your baby gives you that sign, that's your window of opportunity.
You want to go right away and put them down for their nap or for bedtime.
All babies naturally awaken between three and six times throughout the night.
As they change from one sleep stage to another, they're going to have a normal arousal. The question is whether or not a baby can fall back to sleep on their own.
A baby who can fall asleep on their own at bedtime is a baby who's going to fall right back to sleep when they waken during the night.
The National Sleep Foundation data from the Sleep in America poll found that 46 percent of children are being put down awake in their cribs rather than asleep.
So the majority of children are being put down asleep. But children who are put down awake fall asleep faster and sleep, on average, one hour more at night.
A baby who's rocked to sleep, nursed to sleep, driven in the car to sleep, pushed in a stroller to fall asleep at bedtime is going to need that exact same thing to fall back asleep at 1:00, 3:00 and 5:00 every time they naturally awaken.
If a parent has a baby who's having a difficult time falling asleep or staying asleep, they may choose to do what we often refer to as sleep training. So you do your bedtime routine, you put your baby down awake in their crib and then leave the room.
At that point, you want to check on your child. How often you check is going to depend upon your tolerance as a parent and your baby's temperament.
For some babies, it makes them more upset to check on them than not to check on them.
Every time you go in to check on your child, you want to go in for just a minute or two, be really calm, let them know everything is OK and leave.
It's best not to pick them up, but, if you need to, that's OK, as long as you put them back down.
The first night, they will often fuss (that's our nice way of saying they may be upset) for 30 to 45 minutes.
The second night is going to get worse, because it's sort of "last night was a fluke, tonight I really mean it."
By third night, you're going to see dramatic improvement and, if you stick with it for a week, what you're going to find is a baby who falls asleep very quickly at bedtime and will start sleeping through the night.
The most important thing parents should do when they start sleep training is consistency. If they're consistent, they are going to see a major improvement.
When there are two parents in the household, sleep training always takes some negotiation. You both need to come up with a plan that you're going to stick to.
If there is one parent who can't tolerate any crying by their child, you may want to send them out to the store or to a friend's house, so you can help the baby get over the hump.
The other thing that's important for parents to realize is that they're doing this for the benefit of their baby.
Some parents feel as if they're being selfish. You have to realize that a baby waking three times a night is going to feel as awful the next day as a parent waking three times per night. Also, having a parent who's well rested is going to have huge benefits for babies.
Create a bedtime routine that works for both you and your Infant.
From 6 weeks to 3 months, start creating a familiar sequence of calming events that unfolds night after night and clearly says, “It’s time to settle down and go to sleep.”
Now that your baby’s sleep patterns are becoming more organized, it’s time for a bedtime routine that will fit in with your family’s needs as well as your baby’s needs.
Keep the sequence of events basically consistent even with caregivers or when away from home. It can also be helpful to have parents take turns putting their baby to bed.
Learn your infant’s signs of being sleepy. Many babies become fussy or cry when they get tired, but others will rub their eyes, pull on their ears, or even stare off into space. Put your baby down for bedtime or a nap when your baby first lets you know he or she is tired.
Start developing a bedtime routine. Make sure your routine is not too long or too impractical to stick to. Rock your baby to sleep at 6 months, and you may end up doing the same when the baby wakes in the night—as all babies do for short periods—or even when your little one turns two.
Set a regular sleep schedule for your baby. Settle on regular naptimes and a bedtime that allow your baby to get all the sleep he or she needs. Contrary to what you may think, cutting down on naps won’t help at night. It can be a recipe for overtiredness and a worse night’s sleep. But you’ll also want to avoid naps too close to bedtime.
Give your infant soothing surroundings. Keep the bedroom dark, cool and quiet. And make sure lights and environment, are the same at bedtime as they will be throughout the night.
Wind down your routine where you want your baby to sleep. The last part of the routine should happen in the room where your baby sleeps.
Put your infant to bed drowsy but awake. This may teach your baby to soothe himself or herself to sleep, as well as to go back to sleep in the night on his or her own, with little if any intervention from you.
Make sleep a family priority. Remember, you need sleep, too. If friends and family have offered help, take them up on the offer. Resist as much as you can treating your baby’s naptime as your chore time. Take a nap when your baby does.
Avoid making bedtime feedings a permanent fixture. They rarely help either how long or how well your baby sleeps. And after 6 months nighttime feedings are rarely necessary. Move a bottle or nursing time earlier in the evening, to avoid the association between eating and sleeping.
Create a consistent bedtime routine you and your infant enjoy, this could include:
• Develop regular daytime and bedtime schedules
• Create a consistent and enjoyable bedtime routine.
• Establish a regular “sleep friendly” environment.
• Encourage baby to fall asleep independently and to become a “self-soother.”
• Develop Taking a bath routine
• Getting a massage routine
• Changing into pajamas routine
• Hearing a story routine
• Sharing a song routine
Or whatever works best for you and your infant
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