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Being a parent is the most important job you will ever have and sometimes you are expected to know everything without being taught. Unfortunately you cannot fit your baby into a perfect mould as he is a little person, with his own specific needs.
Many parents struggle with interrupted sleep when they have babies. Take comfort however in knowing that you are not alone – there are many parents out there experiencing the same thing you are going through.
The number one mistake most parents make is to compare their baby to their friends’ baby, and assume that their baby has a sleep problem because their friend’s baby sleeps throughout the night.
Benefits of uninterrupted sleep
There are several benefits to a baby who experiences uninterrupted sleep. 93% of pediatricians believe that uninterrupted sleep helps babies develop healthier than babies whose sleep is interrupted.
The top eight factors leading to frequent sleep interruption among babies are:
- hunger – waking up for feeds
- cloth nappy wetting and uncomfortable clothing
- illness such as colic
- reflux
- teething
- temperature extremes (either too hot / too cold)
- noise such as traffic
- thirst
A comfortable nappy is essential as it assists in keeping your baby content and dry at night.
Sleep boosts immune system
“Babies between six months to two years must have 11-13 hours of sleep,” says Andy Peterson, GM of Pampers.
“Sleep strengthens your baby’s immune system, allows the brain to produce growth hormones, de-stresses your baby, recovers energy loss, and improves motor skills development. Frequent interruptions while your baby sleeps are known to adversely impact your baby’s health and result in delays in motor skill development, they may also make your baby irritated and result in low energy levels the next day.”
Parents often find it somewhat difficult to build a sleep routine. Pampers would like to offer a few sleep tips to help your baby sleep better throughout the night.
Step 1
Make sure your baby is wearing a comfortable nappy. That is why Pampers have introduced Pampers Active Baby with Stretch. The “Caterpillar Stretch” on the sides stretches with babies busy tummy making for a better fitting, more comfortable nappy. It stretches back into shape to help protect against gaps and leaks for up to 12 hours.
Step 2
Babies and toddlers love to have a rhythm and schedule to their lives as they know what to expect next. Like adults, babies also get into a “comfort zone” and patterns give them a sense of security. So start off when your child wakes up and give him breakfast – this helps establish a good habit for the future.
Step 3
Allow your baby to be active after eating. Not only does this assist with digestion but helps establish a common pattern. Activity makes them tired which makes it easier to put him down to sleep.
Step 4
When your child shows signs of tiredness, take him to the bedroom to put him to bed. Leave your baby to comfortably fall asleep by himself. This helps create a good sleep pattern as he learns how to fall asleep on his own, so when he wakes up at night, or in a middle of an afternoon nap, he’s able to fall asleep without your intervention.
Step 5
Lastly, this pattern will take about five days to establish for an infant and up to two weeks for an older child. The benefits of using the pattern include assistance with better digestive health, common activity patterns for child and parent/s, better baby development and good sleep habits in the long term.
(Magna Carta on behalf of Proctor and Gamble, May 2009)
References:
India Baby and Sleep Development Survey (Pampers Material)
http://www.ehow.com/how_4610804_help-baby-sleep-better.html
