Custom Search
|
|
Toddler Sleep Problems
It doesn't help knowing that your toddler's bad habits have not only been created by you, but compounded by your own inability to change them due to your own fatigue. Often, this bone deep tiredness perpetuates illness, such as coughs, colds and flu, further exacerbating the fatigue cycle. And so it goes on! When tiredness has taken over your life, this is the time to ask for help. It's surprising how friends and family will come to the fore with their loving energy if they are asked. Toddler Sleep Habits Recently I stayed with my daughter and son in law and spent some time encouraging my grandson, Jamie, into a consistent sleeping routine. At 20 months, his sleep cycle had changed through illness and then an extended routine change due to holiday time. As I talked to Jamie about our expectations for his toddler sleeping habits, I was taken back to the time when a wonderful, caring girlfriend took one of my babies to her home for 4 nights to sleep train her. What a gift that was for me. Now each time I repeat this pattern for others, I feel I am paying back what was done for me, with love! Jamie's Toddler Sleep Training Jamie, now weaned, has mostly been breastfed to sleep, so his sleep habits are tied into his feeding patterns. Because Jamie needed to learn how to go off to sleep while lying in his cot, he needed to understand what was expected of him with this new routine. His bedtime routine is soundly in place. First a bath, then into pyjamas and his sleep sack with his cuddly. Then his Daddy reads to him, gives him a cup of milk, then off to bed in his bedroom. To train him I would say, "It's dark now and all the children are sleeping. Time to lie down in your cot, hold your cuddly and have a big sleep, all night." At first, he had no concept for being put into his cot awake. We had chosen NOT to let him cry it out, so after a few minutes, I would go in to his room, pick him up and repeat the exact sentence in a calm, clear, firm tone, followed by a warm hug and kiss, then place him back down, shutting the door. Being consistent meant staying with it, so it wasn't surprising that this routine was repeated over several hours! Jamie became quite angry with me at first. The consistent approach means sticking with it, remaining calm and loving, and looking after myself and my feelings, while being very aware of his distress. This can be very difficult for parents who have given in through tiredness, their inability to remain calm, or not being able to remain consistent. My daughter pointed out that being consistent is the key. She knows that she caves in due to her own tiredness. Within 3 nights of this consistent, firm but loving routine, Jamie quickly got the picture, learning how to settle himself into sleep, and re-settle if he woke. He was never left longer than 5 minutes to cry, and adjusted easily and well. His parents report that from fitful, broken nights, Jamie now sleeps all night and for several hours each day. Meanwhile they too are catching up on the many hours of sleep they had lost through Jamie's wakeful night times. Every one is sleeping! When sleep training your toddler, sometimes fathers can be the firmer parent and be able to maintain the clear, firm and consistent approach that is required when putting a sleeping plan in place. It may be a friend or relative who is able to stay and relieve the tired mother by helping with the toddler sleep problem. It certainly is a wonderful gift to give to exhausted parents. At all times, when working with a sleep training method, awareness of the toddler and his emotional needs is paramount. Some parents say that using the cry it out method has worked well for them. When this is the case, the toddler usually responds quite quickly and there is not as much distress as the name of the method implies. There are also many other parents who are strong advocates of gentle methods and feel that firmness is completely against the grain for them and their toddlers.Many parents feel criticised and judged for taking a firm approach, while others quietly get on with it. There is a virtual library of books written on sleep training for toddlers. I encourage you to become clear about what feels right for you and your family. Some toddlers have other problems that make sleeping difficult for them and if this is your case, I encourage you to seek professional help for your toddler. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com |
|