Kiddipedia Sleep Support
Sleep glorious sleep; never will these words hit home more than when you have a newborn baby and you long for uninterrupted sleep.
For babies, sleep is vital for growth and development, which is why they sleep so much, but in spurts for a few hours at night and napping during the day. In the first year of their life, babies enjoy slumbering for around 9-12 hours in a 24-hour period.
Since humans are programmed to sleep at night and be awake during the day, this internal body clock, referred to as the circadian rhythm, needs to be developed over time. Once this natural process starts, helping your baby to perfect this, is commonly known as sleep training.
Sleep training 101
A sign that your child is ready to start sleep training is when they begin to fall asleep at night of their own accord, even if they wake up again later. Sleep training is designed to teach a baby to self-soothe, rather than having you do it for them. One way to start is to put your baby down when you notice them getting drowsy. As this becomes the norm, when they wake up at night, they are more likely to put themselves back to sleep because it’s becoming a practised skill.
Handy hints:
- There is no single or ‘right’ way to approach sleep training as every baby is unique – some will learn within a few days; others might take weeks or even months
- Consistency is key: Pick a time for your child to go to bed and stick to it. Babies thrive on routine
- Sleep training shouldn’t begin too early; before a baby is 4-6 months old, the circadian rhythms haven’t begun to develop
- Provide your baby with their own sleep area: This doesn’t necessarily need to be a separate bedroom, just a location that’s separated from you
- Be prepared for a rough ride: For many parents, sleep training their baby can be tough but it’s worth it in the end.
Many childcare or early learning schools such as Nido Early School offer dedicated nursery rooms which are designed to be a calm space, where your baby will be placed to sleep at certain times of the day. Staff will continue to follow sleep patterns or any training that you have started at home and provide tips and tricks if you are struggling to start.
Early School staff such Nido Early School Educators offer expertise in looking after babies and supporting you in your journey. Once you reach that happy state of blissful uninterrupted nights of sleep, you can pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Unless, of course, there’s another on the way and, it’ll soon be time to do it all over again…!
