10
Malia Jacobson
BABY SLEEP STRATEGIES
to help slumber-starved parents
The one piece of sleep advice that
serves parents best is this: Give your child the sleep support he needs, and no more. Respond to his needs compassionately, and learn when to step back, because he’s got this. Really. This “line” is tricky to find, and it shifts. Your child may need you more at certain times, less at others. But once you figure out this essential balance, you’ll become your own sleep expert, supporting your child’s needs with compassion and wisdom for the rest of your parenting journey. Here are 10 tips to help prepare children for healthy rest and increase their natural drive for sleep. Support your child’s circadian rhythm. Forget the old “never wake a sleeping child” adage — embrace your role as your child’s guide to a regular sleep cycle. It’s perfectly appropriate to wake a child when he is sleeping at an inappropriate time (past normal wakeup time in the morning or napping too long/late in the afternoon) to protect his healthy sleep routine. Keep a sleep log. Tracking your child’s sleep is the best way to detect patterns that will help identify root causes of any sleep troubles.
14 • SanDiegofamily.com • Baby Guide 2019
Rise and shine. Preparation for a good bedtime begins first thing in the morning: At least 15 minutes of strong light exposure combined with a morning meal tells a child’s brain that it’s time to wake up, and also helps him feel sleepy come bedtime. Maximize melatonin. Darkness is a powerful cue regulating the body’s biorhythms and a potent sleep aid for children, as it triggers the brain’s natural production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep–wake cycles. Dim the lights an hour before the time you’d like your child to be in bed. Black out the bedroom. Nighttime light exposure interferes with the body’s production of melatonin. Every sleep doctor I’ve interviewed says the same thing: Bedrooms should be completely dark — the darker, the better. So, douse the cute nightlights — they are not necessary for babies and can be harmful to sleep quality. Create a quiet sleeping space. Add a pure, high-quality white noise to create a constant screen of background sound that makes sudden noises less detectable, and therefore less likely to rouse your little sleeper.
Monitor room temperature. Temperature is an important physiological cue that promotes sleep. When your child or the bedroom is too warm, this natural process is interrupted. Doctors say the ideal bedroom temperature is 60–68 degrees. Fuzzy-wuzzy is no more. It’s a myth that babies sleep best on soft, fuzzy surfaces. Fleece sheets, flannel sheets and sheepskins trap heat, which can lead to an uncomfortably warm sleep environment. Opt instead for simple cotton sheets to keep things cool.
