Sleep Routine

 Just as with adults, babies' and children's sleep patterns vary. 

From 0 - 3 months, most newborn babies are asleep more than they are awake.  Their total sleep for a 24 hour period varies, but can be from 8 - 18 hours (including daytime naps).  Babies wake during the night for feeds, but being too hot or cold can also disrupt their sleep.

From 3 - 6 months, babies need fewer night feeds and are able to slppe for longer periods during the night.  SOme babies will sleep for 8 or more hours at night.  Typically they do the majority of their sleeping now at night, but will still require daytime naps.

From 6 - 12 months, babies sleep for 12 - 15 hours in total over a 24 hour period.

From 2 years, toddlers will sleep for 11 - 12 hours per night, with 1 - 2 naps during the day.

From 3 - 4 years of age, they need about 12 hours sleep, with some children still napping during the day.

 When your baby is a few weeks old, they will be more alert and awake during the day than when they first arrived into the world.  This is a perfect opportunity to help them to begin to understand the difference between night and day.

During the day, don't modify your surroundings to compensate for your babies sleep too much.  For example, keep curtains open, don't worry too much about everyday noise.  At night keep everything dim and quiet - close curtains, keep lights low, speak quietly and don't engage in play.

 Once your baby reaches around 3 months old, you may feel ready to start thinking about bedtime routines.  There are a few key points to establishing routines:

• Consistency - do the same thing each night, babies feel more secure when they know what is going to happen next.
• Calm - begin to tail off any play about 1 hour before baby's bedtime, this can be a good time to cuddle up with a bedtime feed in a fresh nappy and bedtime clothes.
• A bath can be a good way to wind things down.  A good splash can be a good way to spend any remaining pent up energy ready for bed. 
• A bedtime story, lullaby or soft music can help relax and reassure your baby.
• Dim the lights where possible to help reinforce night-time.
• Leave the room while your baby is relaxed and awake.  If baby can get used to drifting off to sleep by themselves, then they are much more likely to settle themselves if they wake during the night.

 Babies and toddlers who consistently wake for a 'dream feed', often wake out of habit rather than necessity.  Don't look to eliminate night feeds in babies under 6 months of age, but instead try to give a 'top up feed' before bed, and for babies / toddlers who are getting sufficient milk throughout the day, perhaps try offering water instead of milk at night and keep conversation / interaction to a minimum as too much interaction during the night can inadvertantly reward your child for waking.

Controlled Crying

This method involves checking on your child at set intervals and increasing the time between each check until the child has fallen asleep. The aim is to reassure you and your baby that all is well, not for you to actively get your child to sleep.

This technique involves increasing the interval between visits by 5 minutes each time - up to a maximum of 15 minutes. Continue checking (from a distance - don't go up to the cot) until your child falls asleep. Apply this technique at bedtime and repeat everytime your child wakes.

Gradual Retreat

This technique involves you gradually removing yourself from your child's bedside over the course of a few evenings. Sit at your child's bedside (as normal), then the next night move to a chair further away, then over the next few nights position the chair further and further away until you are out of the bedroom. This technique is based on reassuring your child of your presence, but not interacting too much - as again this can inadvertently reward your child and the technique will be unsuccessful.

Personally, I followed a combination of the two techniques.  My baby slept in a Moses Basket for 2 months at my bedside and I stayed at his side until he fell asleep without interaction.  He then moved to a travel cot by my bedside,and again I stayed at his side until he fell asleep without interaction.  At 4 months he moved to his own bedroom - which he was already familiar with as we did his nappy changes and play in the room so it would be familiar territory.  He slept in his cot and I stepped outside of the room.  I waited outside the room until he fell asleep.  He couldn't see me, but I could see him, so was always reassured he was safe.  He has always slept very well and the crying only lasted a couple of days until he became comfortable with the new routine.  I didn;t follow the gradual retreat method fully as my baby appeared to cry more if he was aware of your presence - it seemed to exacerbate things, but if I could see him and he wasn't aware of my presence, he settled quickly and I was reassured.

• Be flexible - all new babies change their sleep patterns.
• Be consistent - react to your child's cries in the same manner / technique each night.
• Don't rush in if your baby / toddler murmurs - wait a few minutes and see if they settle by themselves.
• Be prepared to change routines as your baby / toddler grows - for example daytime naps may become less frequent.
• Remember growth spurts, teething and illness can all affect how your baby / toddler sleeps.

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