By Jayne Garrod

One of the most challenging aspects of life with a new baby is the matter of sleep: how to get baby to sleep, to stay asleep, and the ability of the new parents to get a good night’s sleep themselves. Parents are often given conflicting advice on how to settle their new and older babies, and how to get their toddlers and older children to go to bed and to sleep through the night. You may be advised by well intentioned older relatives, or health professionals to leave your baby to cry, and such advice is often accompanied by statements such as “it won’t hurt them” or “crying is good exercise for their lungs!” This advice is outdated, and most often counterproductive. To understand how babies sleep best, there a few factors to consider.

Newborn Baby Sleep cycles
Babies sleep patterns are quite different to those of adults or older children. Adults spend about six hours in deep sleep and two hours in light (REM) sleep, going from light to deep sleep, and then back to light sleep. Adult sleep cycles last an average of 90 minutes. When we're in a light sleep cycle, we may wake up momentarily, but unlike babies, we know how to go back to sleep. Babies have twice as many light sleep cycles as adults, more light sleep than deep sleep, and their overall sleep cycles are shorter.(around 50-60 minutes) An adult enters a state of deep sleep immediately, while babies
in the early months enter sleep through an initial period of light sleep. After twenty minutes or more they gradually enter deep sleep, from which they are not so easily aroused.1Nightime Parenting-William Sears MD A baby who is put down to bed before they have entered into the deep sleep stage is much more likely to wake up.

Sleeping “through the night”
Babies shorter sleep cycles, and frequent night waking serves a very important purpose-it is a survival mechanism. Tiny babies have tiny tummies, and milk is very quickly digested. They need to wake frequently to feed in the early months in order to receive adequate nourishment. Also, babies need to be able to arouse easily, if they have for example a blocked nose, or are cold. Light sleep also has significant developmental benefits. Researchers have theorised that light sleep actually helps the baby’s brain develop, due to more blood being distributed to the brain during REM (light) sleep. In the words of US pediatrician and baby sleep expert Dr William Sears “Encouraging a baby to sleep too deeply, too soon, may not be in the best survival or developmental interest of the baby. New parents, vulnerable to sleep trainers' claims of getting their baby to sleep through the night, should not feel pressured to get their baby to sleep too long, too deeply, too soon.”

Older babies/toddlers and sleep
When babies mature into more adult-like adult-like sleep patterns varies among babies. Some babies’ sleep cycles will lengthen during the last half of the first year; other will take a little longer to develop. Babies are all individuals! However, even older babies and toddlers can be frequently wakeful. This can be due to many reasons-developmental milestones such as teething, crawling, and walking being among the most common. Then between one and two years of age, other causes of night waking occur, such as separation anxiety and nightmares. It’s important therefore for us as parents to be aware it is normal and natural for babies to wake often during their first two years of life-nature designed it so.

Gentle Sleep Methods
So, I hear you say, this may be all very well, but how then do I get my baby to sleep? Adequate sleep is crucial for babies to grow and develop, and just as important for parents to maintain their sanity! There is no “one size fits all” prescriptive method for getting your baby to sleep-what works for one family, may not work for another. Outlined below are a few methods that we have found to be gentle and effective ways to help your baby to sleep.

Co sleeping- or sleep sharing has been the norm in most cultures for thousands of years., in fact Prior to the late 1700s co sleeping was the norm in all societies. It is only in the last 200 years that western society has decreed a baby should sleep alone. However co sleeping has many benefits to both mother and baby. Babies feel more secure, and are more likely to settle quickly back to sleep after a feed. Mothers who co sleep and breastfeed do not have to even get out of bed to a wakeful baby, and in fact the whole family is likely to get better nights sleep as babies whose needs are immediately met, are less likely to cry and disturb the entire household. Some critics of co-sleeping have expressed concerns that the practise is unsafe, however this is not the case-so long as safe co sleeping guidelines are followed. Co sleeping should not be practised by parents who have a waterbed, are extremely obese, are smokers, or who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. If co sleeping is performed safely, it may actually help to reduce the risk of SIDS, as it has been shown that babies who co sleep arouse themselves more easily, and the mother’s breathing may stimulate that of the baby. 2Dr James McKenna
http://www.nd.edu/~jmckenn1/lab/ #
3Dr William Sears http://www.askdrsears.com/html/7/T071000.asp

A Gentle routine. Many babies respond positively to a calm, gentle flexible bedtime routine. Knowing that bedtime follows a bath, a massage, a story, and a feed can really comfort some babies who prefer more predictability

Feed to sleep:. The hormones in breast milk (known as CCK) induce sleepiness in both babies and mothers, therefore it is natural and appropriate to feed your baby to sleep-nature designed it this way! Bottle fed babies can also be fed to sleep, as cow’s milk also contains sleep inducing properties. The act of having a feed, either breast or bottle close to mum or another trusted caregiver gives babies the feeling of love and security they need to drift into a peaceful slumber
Rock your baby to sleep, in your arms, or in a sling. Babies love being held, and wearing your baby in a sling is particularly great for babies suffering from colic or reflux. Once baby has been asleep for 20 mins (to allow transition into deep sleep cycle) place him/her gentle down in a cot or bed.

Baby Massage-can is a helpful soothing tool. Improves quality of sleep - by soothing the nervous system, Reduces muscle tension, and strengthens parent-child bonding 4 Infant Massage Australia http://www.infantmassage.org.au/

Snuggle Up with your baby in bed-lying next to you will sooth and reassure your baby and many babies find this the nicest way to go to sleep. You can get up again afterwards (though many parents find they too fall asleep this way, often just what they also need!)

Pat or rock your baby to sleep in a basinet or cradle, or baby hammock. Playing soothing music such as a “Music For Dreaming” CD, something soft and mellow, new age or some classical music playing in the background, burning calming aromatherapy oils such as chamomile and lavender  and dim lighting can also aid sleep in the manner. Once your baby is asleep, or calm and not crying, you can leave the room.

Natural Therapies-such as chiropractic, Osteopathy, homeopathy etc can be helpful to some babies suffering from sleep disturbances. Sometimes a baby’s back may be misaligned, due to a difficult birth or other factors, and the crying unsettled baby is actually in pain. A treatment can relieve and cure this. Naturopaths or homeopaths can make up gentle remedies to assist bubs to sleep, oryou can buy pre-mixed homeopathic remedies from health food stores and chemists.

Have Realistic Expectations-the happiest parents are generally those who do not place unrealistic expectation upon either themselves or their babies. Infants are not biologically designed to “sleep through the night, to expect them to do so, most often only leads to unnecessary stress for both parents and babies. At the same time, remember to nurture yourself as well-if sleep deprivation is getting the better of you, enlist the help of your partner, a friend or relative to help settle your baby and take a well earned break-a nap, a bath or a massage can work wonders for the psyche! Remember your baby is only little for such a short time-enjoy it and remember the mantra-:This too will pass” J

Recommended reading:

Night time Parenting-Dr William Sears MD
100 Ways to calm The Crying-Pinky McKay
The No Cry Sleep Solution-Elizabeth Pantley
Three In A Bed-Deborah Jackson

Jayne Garrod is a mother of 2, and the owner of Hip Bubby Baby Slings and Alternative Baby website.