Baby Sleep Miracle - From Stress To Sleep In No Time

Out of all the baby sleep programs I’ve reviewed, this one is definitely my favorite. The program is created by child psychologist Mary-Ann Schuler, mother of two, and in it she offers easy-to-follow guidelines for successful sleep training of your baby.

What I really love about this guide is that she covers a wide variety of topics. As a matter of fact, there isn’t a topic she doesn’t cover. She talks about the importance of sleep in a baby’s development and the dangers of sleep for both children and adults alike, highlighting many problems that may arise during the process. Furthermore, she underlines the importance of consistency and routine.

The guide contains 4 chapters and 16 sub-chapters that focus from start to finish on how to put your baby to sleep, the signs you need to look for when your baby is tired, as well as the issue of tantrums and separation anxiety. Moreover, it includes valuable advice on how to overcome these hurdles by using loveys and following a consistent sleeping, eating, and playing schedule.

The best part of this program is the “Good Sleep At Every Age” chapter, in which the author describes in minute detail every developmental phase of a child from birth up to five years of age, providing custom indications on how to adjust the sleeping strategy to any child’s personality.

I also love the fact that she writes in a way that everyone can understand, without using technical terms or specific psychology jargon.

The Baby Sleep Miracle goes way beyond a “sleep training book”, and Mary-Ann Schuler literally helps you turn your days – and nights – from stressful to restful.

The price is a real bargain and the program is available immediately, so you don’t have to wait anymore. Push the button for a good night’s sleep.

Baby Sleep Tips - Making Your Baby Comfortable

Often, it seems fairly random whether or not babies sleep well. New parents will often discuss how they were simply "lucky" with one child as opposed to another. While it is true that in many cases how your child sleeps is largely out of your control, there remains many baby sleep tips you can employ to encourage better sleeping habits. One of the most important is to ensure that your baby is comfortable when he goes to sleep.

Bedtime is a transitional period for your child, and your efforts to make him sleep better should revolve around getting him to learn to sleep on his own. One of the most important elements of achieving this is to create an environment where your baby is as comfortable as possible. For this reason, the before-bed routine should always consist of changing and feedings - the worst thing for a baby, in terms of sleeping well, is to be in want of something when he is put to bed.

You should also be trying to make your baby as physically comfortable as possible when putting him to sleep. One of the most commonly overlooked aspects of this is allowing your baby to breathe easily through the nose. Most people, but especially babies, depend on clear nasal passages for a good night's sleep. It's important to remove all airborne allergens in the baby's nursery: everything should be well dusted, and you should keep dust collecting items - like fuzzy blankets and stuffed animals - to a minimum. When your baby is very young it takes time for him to learn to breathe through his mouth, so you must carefully pay attention to his nasal breathing when putting him to sleep. If you notice the problem is persistent, you may benefit from installing an air filter in the room that is designed to remove dust particles and allergens - this also has the added bonus of creating a soothing hum that will help many babies sleep better.

You should also pay particular attention to your baby's clothing. All babies are different in terms of their preferences, and you have to watch them closely. In many cases, things that look comfortable to you - very snug outfits, for example - may not be comfortable for your particular baby. Try both tight and loose fitting clothes and see which ones your baby seems to prefer.

Finally, consider how well your baby sleeps with wet diapers. Most babies will sleep well through the night with a wet diaper, but some will not. If this is the case, you can often solve your baby's sleeping difficulties by giving him a change in the night.

The main thing to keep in mind in terms of your babies comfort is to pay close attention, and to trust your instincts. Although it is tempting to follow guides and stick to hard and fast rules, remember that the adage "mother knows best" is generally true. So if your baby seems uncomfortable in his clothes, don't hesitate to change him into something that doesn't "look" as comfortable. If you trust your own judgments over those of guides in terms of your baby's comfort, it's likely that he will sleep much better.

Sleep Struggles – Why Do Children Cry As They Learn How To Sleep

Seeing your baby cry is perhaps the most heartbreaking moment of all. You don’t want him to cry. You want him happy. And of course, you want him healthy. But for all that to happen, he needs to sleep properly.

It would be nice if your child could learn how to sleep without any crying or frustration whatsoever. Every parent would sign up for that. Unfortunately, the truth is that all children, regardless of the method you use to help them sleep, inevitably do shed some tears in the process. Let’s see why.
First and foremost, children cry when learning to sleep because they are protesting – they don’t like change. In fact, they hate change. Just think about it.

Do you remember what your favorite book was as a kid? Do you remember wanting to read that book over and over again, even though you knew every word of it?

We all resist change, children and adults alike. It’s normal to do so, and it’s normal for your child to express his resistance by crying. After all, crying comes before words – not the other way around.
Second, as children begin to learn how to sleep but haven’t yet figured out how to do so, they are understandably frustrated. They no longer have Mom and Dad on their side to help them get to sleep, and they don’t yet know what to do differently. They will eventually.

What’s really interesting about falling asleep is that although each of us is born with the inherent ability to do so, it is considered a learned behavior. And yet you can’t teach anyone else how to do it – you can’t simply say to your child to close his eyes and sleep. Instead, each of us has to learn for ourselves what to do to settle into sleep.

Of course, there are children who seem to learn how to sleep almost magically, with very little effort on the parent’s part. However, children are different. Everyone is unique.

Your child, along with many others, hasn’t learned this essential skill yet, which is why he needs you to take a step back, so he has the opportunity to achieve that on his own.

How will he do it?  He might kick his legs around a bit, he might gently rock his head from side to side, or he might grab his lovey. Or maybe he’ll suck on his thumb. If he’s a bit older, maybe he’ll play with his hair.

The truth is, each of us has different things we do to soothe ourselves into sleep, and your child will surely find a way that’s perfect for him. But he won’t discover those things nearly as easily with you standing right next to him or picking him up – he won’t have the motivation to do so.
Simply put, if you “help” him, he will cry even harder because the touching feels like a tease that serves to reinforce the crying.

Recognizing A Baby’s Sleep Patterns

It’s true, the number one milestone most parents seek look forward to is the day (or night) their newborn starts sleeping through the night.

You don’t have to suffer endless night after night without sleep however, even with a newborn.

Baby’s actually follow certain sleep patterns, and if you get to know what these patterns are you’ll start sleeping more soundly and better the times you do have a chance to get some sleep!

Baby’s don’t actually sleep at the same intervals adults do. They actually sleep very unsoundly. Their sleep is full of interruptions because their sleep cycle is not yet fully developed, thus they wake more often during the night.

Generally grown adults spend about six hours every night in deep sleep. This is the really restful phase of sleep you require to feel fresh and new in the morning. Usually time permitting another 2 hours are spent in light sleep.

Baby’s generally have twice as many light sleep cycles as adults though, and their deep sleep cycles are much shorter than adults.

Baby’s also have to LEARN how to fall back asleep, it is not a skill that comes naturally. Whereas adults might zonk out the moment their head hits the pillow, a baby will actually lie there looking for something to soothe them back to sleep.

Newborn’s actually sleep a lot, approximately 16 to 18 hours every day, but they don’t enjoy this sleep all at the same time.

Most baby’s will sleep in increments of only two to three hour intervals. Sometimes their internal sleep clocks are also confused from being in the womb, and they mistakenly believe that night is day and day is night. This means that they’ll spend more of their time sleeping during the day than at night!

Here’s the good news, your baby’s sleep patterns will eventually changes, usually by about the time they are 12 weeks old. They will start sleeping about 14-16 hours per day, and many of those hours will be spent sleeping at night.

What can you do in the meantime to feel more refreshed?

- Sleep when your baby sleeps. No matter what time of day, take a nap whenever your baby does catch some zzz’s.

- Open the blinds and keep things bright during the day. This will help change your baby’s clock around so they spend more of their time sleeping at night and not during the day.

- Sleep near your baby at night. This will help comfort them and allow them to sleep more easily. There are many co-sleeper products available that allow you to sleep with your baby safely at night. Consider trying one until your baby is about 12 weeks old, when they are old enough to start sleeping on their own.

- You can teach your baby to be a good sleeper with a little time and a little patience, armed with a little bit of knowledge about their sleep patterns!