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Sleep Disorders: 8 Steps to a sleeping toddler
March 4th, 2010 | 
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As parents we are aware that quality sleep is an essential part of a child’s growth and well being. Most baby sleep disorders are a learned behavior. These can be overcome by changing the child’s environment before bedtime and gently teaching them to sleep independently.
Addressed here are 8 ways to help Mom, Dad and Baby have a good night sleep for days to come.
1. A bedtime Routine.
Babies and infants are creatures of habit. They enjoy the predictability of a sleep ritual so a regular bedtime routine will help settle your baby more quickly and also increase the chances of him or her sleeping through the night. Routine helps to establish baby’s sleep pattern and once it is established your baby will be happier, more content, and more likely to sleep through the night. This needs to be incorporated right away during the newborn/infant stage. However, its not late to get this routine functioning. It will become harder and take longer as your child gets older.
An example of a good routine is; Put your child in PJ’s, set the mood by dimming the lights and establishing a quiet relaxed atmosphere, cuddle time with mom/dad. This is followed by baby in the cot with a story or lullabye. You could give a bath before bedtime as well, or a baby massage which babies love and parents love to do! Be consistent with the above routine. It must be done on a nightly basis until it becomes a habit for your child.
2. Do not feed your baby to sleep.
Feeding a baby to sleep can create a problem with their sleep patterns. The baby will soon begin to recognize that you feed him or her at bedtime. This will become something they depend on and expect. This is the same issue with waking up at night as well. There are several ways to deal with making this change.
• Firstly, change the time or the amount of time you feed your baby when nearing his or her bedtime. Doing so will gradually remove the association of bedtime with feeding.
• Another option is to feed your child earlier in the evening instead of as a bedtime routine. When you do these things your baby will not associate feeding with bedtime. This will help your baby to learn to fall asleep on his or her own accord.
3. Bottle and breast feeding.
Childcare professionals believe that combining formula bottle feedings and breast feedings can lead to sleep problems. With breast feeding the milk supply is replenished naturally by the breast with each feeding that takes place. When formula milk via a bottle is given instead of breast milk, the breast milk supply can lesson. So with the next breast feeding, there may not be much milk supply as previously. With this, your baby will require more frequent feedings and this is why he will wake up during the night, possible several times for a feeding. Of course, infants need to be woken up and fed every few hours but once this stage passes, your baby is able to go through the night without having to be fed, provided his appetite is satisfied in his last feeding before bed.
4. Be aware of when your child is getting tired.
You can recognize this when they pull their ears and rub their eyes.
5. Teach your baby how to self-sooth to sleep.
You can achieve this by associating soothing objects with bedtime (child safety proof of course!) Give your baby or let him choose a toy or favorite blanket to take to bed. This way when your baby wakes up during the night he could reach for it and go back to sleep.
6. Feed your baby enough during the day.
If your baby wants to play all day and not eat enough, he will want to eat during the night instead of sleep. Ensure that while he is playing and having fun he eats a nutritious diet.
7. Create a daily nap time routine.
The sooner you start this the better. A nap helps your child sleep firmer at night. The nap should be timed appropriately to his bedtime so your child has time to play, do other things and have dinner well before bedtime.
8. Childcare provider training.
If you have a childcare provider also responsible for putting your child to bed ensure they are following the same routine and rules you are. If there is inconsistency in the routine the procedure will take longer to take effect and your child will not be consistent with his bedtime behavior.
Parents all over the world struggle with learned baby sleep disorders. You are not alone, as many of us have walked before you. Much patience is required. Consistency is a must. It takes time so do not expect miracles overnight but throughout your journey you and your baby can look forward to a few more nights of sleep by utilizing the eight tips above, until it becomes a regular process.
Michel Jayne
http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/sleep-disorders-8-steps-to-a-sleeping-toddler-745459.html
Posted in Better Sleep
How do you stop an obsessive controlling mother who is interfering with your life and you child's life?
How do you stop a obsessive controlling mother from interfering with you and your child life?
At 50 years of age I am stilling having problems with my mother. I have had problems with her every since my child has come into this world. When my son was born the Doctor risked if I was going to nurse. She told him no that I wasn’t. Here is a list of things I have endured over the years with her.MM child has a scar on his head when she left him unattended and told me this when I came back into town. She did not take him to the emergency room to get it sewn up. When the child has spent time with her and my step dad has gone through his suitcase and called me up arguing with me why did I not tell her that I put $20.00 dollars in the suitcase.She has cut up his clothes and bleached them because she felt that they were to small or that the child needed some new ones. She tried to get me to buy a car for the child when the child was at toddler age. I told her if she wanted the child to have she should buy it. She has filed CPS on me. I had a good job then. She has taken my child out of state without me knowing about it, but when I wanted to take my child on vacation with me she turned into another person with me. Little did I know that I would interfering with her plans to take him out of state. She has tried to burn my house down.She has tried to keep my broke with doctor bills and wanted me to leave my credit card with her so she could pay for the visits.She has gotten fired from a job. She is trying to ruin me financially right now. I have moved away several years ago but that doesn’t help she has commissioned her friends and people she knows to attack me verbal about her.She has accused me taking money out of her account. She has commissioned her family to get involved with our relationship. I have had the door slammed in my faced by her because she would not let me see my child. I’ve had to visit my child in a hotel room and not at her house. When he was younger I had to call repeatedly to speak to him he was always busy or sleep.I am stilling counting the infractions that she keeps us involved in. But she’ll tell you to find the positive and it was done all in the name of love. She will be quick to quote you a bible verse. How can you trust someone like this? It almost reminds me of Borderline Personality Disorder . It’s like one way or another she is going to make sure I can not forget about her. It’s like brainwashing sort of speak. I am tried of the mentally, verbally, and emotional abuse from her. She wants me to not have any contact with my step dad.This child is almost grown and I am still having problems out of my own mother. I don’t talk to her any more I am experiencing the same type of behavior from her when I was a child and she was married to my father. The arguments and the most traumatic thing that a child can witness by her own eyes. Like then she had everyone believing her but no one ask the hard question what did you do? They rush to take her side and attack you. But they don’t know the whole story behind everything. So in the meantime she keeps attacking you to break you down so that it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. She always denies that she had anything to do with it. It’s always the other person fault for why she is doing what she is doing. She sees your wrong but not hers. All the secrets and lies.
It sounds like all you can do is put her out of your life. Don’t accept her calls, do not read her mail. Just Tell her upfront that you are not putting up with her anymore, and that you don’t want to speak to her again. Than leave, don’t spend anytime listening to what she has to say after that, because she will just try to make you feel bad. It is a tough thing to do, but it is for your mental health, and it sounds like your baby’s mental and physical health.
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I managed to read through the entire paragraph.You really need to take a stand on this and move far away from her with your kid.Get some external help from your friends if needed to stop this whole scenario.Letting her abuse you in this manner is very bad.
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She sort of sounds like a sociopath. I’m not joking. Look up the symptoms in the DSMV IV. You really don’t need to be around that.
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Have you ever checked her on the psychopathy scale? You should. I have no doubt she will score high on it. I am strongly encouraging you learn more about psychopathy and their behavior. This will open your eyes on many things. Hare’s psychopathy checklist http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathy Check how she scores on it. Good article about psychopathy http://www.cassiopaea.com/cassiopaea/psychopath.htm
You can also join the "I Hate My Mother" group. http://www.cafemom.com/group/22770 You are not alone in this situation. There are others that are going through the same thing you do and they will support you 100%. That woman did an incredible damage to 50 years of your life. Don’t allow her to destroy another 50.
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