Just as you're putting your head down on your Avocado Mattress, your child monitor sends you a message of the screams and cries of your small child. It's a difficult part of parenthood that anyone with a baby or small child knows well. If you're hoping to catch a little more sleep, these tips and tricks can help train your child into falling and staying asleep. Practice patience, and they will eventually pick up the pattern.
When to sleep train a baby?
The best time to sleep train a child is when they have given up their night feeding, usually around 4 or 6 months. It's estimated that by four months, small babies are getting accustomed to sleeping cycles. and as a parent you may be able to tell roughly what time your child will sleep and what time they'll wake. Sleep training encourages the child to sleep for extended hours without waking, and in the long run, as parents you'll enjoy a healthy mental state where you won't be so sleep deprived.
How to prepare for sleep training?
Babies can get hooked to routines easily if you introduce them early enough. A four-month-old child is a perfect example, as they can easily get so used to warm evening baths that they become irritable if they are not bathed on occasion. You can also introduce a book and a lullaby before putting the child to bed and you will notice that when you stop singing and they haven’t slept yet then they start crying or just become irritable. Be consistent- remember that we are trying to establish the perfect routine for your child to get accustomed to and if you can ensure that by 7 pm your baby has been bathed and fed then they will automatically go into sleep. However, a baby that has not been well fed will give you problems at night, once they become hungry, therefore require feeding. Consistency proceeds to the time that you will be waking up your child, and just like you have established a bathing and sleep time; you will also have to establish a consistent wake-up time. Feeding and nap times need to be adhered to strictly. However, there are times that the child might not be feeling well and this might interfere with the routine, so don’t impose the strict routines on the child, as they are normally very irritable and clingy.
Be consistent
Remember that you are trying to establish the perfect routine so that your child will get accustomed with it. If you can ensure that by 7 pm, your baby has been bathed and fed, then they will automatically go into sleep. However, a baby that has not been well fed will give you problems at night once they become hungry. Thus, you will have to feed them to make them calm and fulfill their hunger. To keep consistency in every pattern, you will have to create a specific waking time for your child just like you have established a consistent feeding and bathing time. You need to adhere to the feeding and nap times strictly. However, there are times that the child might not be feeling well and this might interfere with the routine, so don’t impose the strict routines on the child, as they usually are very irritable and clingy.
Keep an eye on your baby's health
Young children are sensitive, which makes them prone to contracting diseases easily. So if you try to enforce a sleep training routine, you might find that your child is resistant and therefore, not picking up the pace. If this is the case, it's worth checking to ensure that they don’t have an underlying medical condition, it could be anything from a stomach infection to an earache. Don’t force them to accept the pattern while they're unwell. Instead, withdraw and wait a few weeks for it to pass before you try it again.
Have a good evening snack
Eating the right foods before sleep can prevent your child from waking up in the night hungry and therefore allow them to sleep for longer. Here are some suitable foods that you can feed your child in the evening before bed. This is based on the fact that the nutrients tryptophan, magnesium, and serotonin help in relaxing muscles and the body in general and can promote good sleep.
Spinach
With spinach, your baby will be benefiting from tryptophan, meaning they will also be able to produce the body’s sleep hormone melatonin. You can easily hide spinach in with other foods such as smoothies and pasta dishes meaning they wont even realise they're eating it.
Bananas
They are not only tasty but are also known to contain large amounts of magnesium which helps the muscles to relax naturally. This means that your child will feel sleepier faster. Bananas also contain melatonin and serotonin which can aid sleep.
Dairy
A warm glass of milk in the evening is comforting at any age. Many dairy products are rich in tryptophan. You could mash bananas with milk or give them a mug of milk to help wash down another kind of snack. Either way, it could promote better sleep.
