Sleep Tips
FOR CHILDREN AND PARENTS
Sleeping...
Many young parents will recognise it: you are totally in love with your little one and enjoy it to the fullest, but those broken nights are so tough. Getting out of bed multiple times every night... Not just your little one gets tired, you do too.
Am I doing it right? Why aren’t they sleeping? It can leave you quite insecure. Remember this: there is no one right way. Every child is different, and every parent is different. Above all, take courage: these sleeping issues are a phase that will pass as your child gets older.
Still, there are some things that could help you and your little one to sleep better. With this eBook, we hope to give you some tips that will really make a difference.
Sleep tips for new-borns
Your baby has been in your tummy for 9 months, nice and warm and comfortable. After the birth, everything is different. Just like the parents, the baby needs to get used to a new environment. This takes some time, and it is normal that it doesn’t happen immediately.
Here are some tips to help your new-born settle into a new routine as quickly as possible:
WHAT IS WHITE NOISE?
A monotone, consistent sound that is similar to the sounds in the womb. It is familiar and has a relaxing effect. It masks sounds from the surroundings, which stops your little one from reacting to those, thereby helping them to sleep.
New-born
babies are not used to silence. For 9 months, they have heard sounds of blood circulation, a heartbeat and more. Playing these sounds in the bedroom will help your little one to feel at ease and fall asleep more easily.
you know...
The ssssshh….ssshhhhhh sound of the Harvey Karp method is also used for new-borns in hospitals regularly. The sound emulates the blood circulation of a mother. New-born babies have shown to relax as a result of this.
did
did you know...
Skin contact causes oxytocin to be released. This is the happiness hormone. An extra reason to cuddle your new-born a lot!
WAKING THEMSELVES UP
New-borns tend to wake themselves up because of the Moro reflex, a reflex that suddenly stretches the arms or legs. You can avoid this by swaddling your baby.
ESSENTIAL FOR THE DAY-NIGHT RHYTHM
To introduce a day-night rhythm early on, you can put your baby to sleep in a dark room. Dark means sleeping, light means awake. This stimulates your baby’s natural biorhythm to adapt from being in the womb to having a day-night rhythm.
FALLING ASLEEP IN BED INDEPENDENTLY
Don’t let your baby fall asleep in your arms, but give your child time to learn to fall asleep in bed on their own. Of course, you can sit next to them to bring comfort with your voice and touch.
COMFORTING
Preferably do not get your baby out of bed when crying. Sit next to the crib and reassure your baby by touching them with your hand and letting them know you are there.
did you know...
Melatonin is a sleep hormone...
This is produced in your body and increases throughout the day and evening. When less light enters through the eyes, this important hormone has a chance to increase.
Byhaving a fixed bedtime routine, your child learns that it is bedtime and develops a logical association with sleep when you perform the routine. For example, start with a bath, then put on pyjamas, cuddle for a bit, darken the room and then put your baby to bed.
A DARK ROOM AND SSST
Try not to talk during a night feed and keep the room dark. It’s bedtime. If you turn on the light and start talking to your little one, he or she may think the day has begun.
SUCKING REFLEX
Babies naturally have a sucking reflex for breastfeeding. Even when they don’t need to be fed, this reflex is there. A pacifier can help meet this need and soothe your baby.
Sleeping tips toddler
The night feeds have disappeared, and your baby is probably sleeping in their own room. This is not yet a guarantee for a good night’s sleep, because you can still be busy at night with toddlers and pre-schoolers.
Here are a few tips that can help with going to bed and staying in bed.
Preferably no wild games before sleeping
BEDTIME RITUAL
Start by creating a bedtime ritual: a set sequence of things like having a bath, brushing your teeth, reading a book, and then going to bed. Your child learns to recognise when bedtime is approaching, and he or she can already get used to the idea of having to go to sleep. Keep the same order every day.
REST
Don’t play energetic games and don’t have any screens (television, tablet, etc.) before bed. Keep it calm. If your little one is still energetic and doesn’t want to go to sleep, then stay calm yourself, keep the lights dimmed, and speak quietly. Your little one will soon calm down too.
STUFFED ANIMAL
Put a loved stuffed animal or blanket in the bed. These can help give your child the safe feeling they need.
DARK ROOM
Another important tip is to darken the bedroom. This indicates that it is time to sleep, especially in the summer months when it is still light at bedtime. If your child is afraid of the dark, leave a small night light on or keep the door ajar.
Fin the sheep
SCARED ALONE
If your child is afraid of being alone, keep rummaging outside the room for a while.
This lets your child know that they are not alone, even if you are not physically in the room with them.
Time to sleep
SLEEP TRAINERS
ENTERING
Sometimes it can be necessary to go inside for a while, for example if your child is really upset. Of course, you will want to calm your little one. Stroke their hair and back, whilst speaking in a soft, calming voice. If possible, try to keep your child in bed so that these visits are as short and quiet as possible. Keep the room dark to indicate that it is night-time. This shows that you’ll be there when they need you, but it is still time to sleep.
Just a little longer OK to get up
Some children wake up very early in the morning and think that the day has already started. Young children do not yet have
a sense of time. A sleep trainer clock can help with this: they simply and effectively show children who can’t tell the time when it is and is not time to get out of bed.
Sleep tips for parents
Parenting is a big deal. Your whole world is turned upside down: you are suddenly responsible for a little one and sleeping is not what it once was.
DIVIDE THE TASKS
You have a lot to do after the birth of your baby. Do not try to do everything yourself, but make a clear division with your partner if possible. Give yourself some time to refuel every now and then.
NAPS
It is not at all strange to take a nap in the afternoon when the baby is asleep too. You miss a lot of hours in the night, which you need to make up for some other time.
SLEEP APART
If you have trouble sleeping with your baby nearby, try sleeping separately every now and then so you can get a good night’s sleep.
EAT HEALTHILY
Eating well is very important: you work long days, are up a lot at night and especially if you are also breastfeeding, you have to eat very well. This makes a huge difference in how fit you feel during the day.
ENOUGH EXCERCISE DURING THE DAY
Even though you may feel very tired and think that exercising will only make you more tired, exercising also gives you energy. It also ensures that you can release some of the tensions of having a newborn.
ASK FOR HELP
If the lack of sleep catches up with you, ask for help from your partner, friends, or family.
SKIP THE NIGHTCAP
As attractive as it may seem, alcohol makes you sleep less deeply, and you can’t always afford that now.
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY: DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS
Not every baby is the same and not every parent is the same. So listen to your body. If you are tired, take a nap whenever possible. It shouldn’t matter to you that your friend doesn’t need that. You are tired.
HOLD ON
A child’s development goes with ups and downs. Sometimes you suddenly take two steps forward, but sometimes you also take a step back and your little one sud denly no longer sleeps through the night. It then seems as if you are not making progress, even though in reality you are, and your child is learning more every day.
NO SCREENTIME BEFORE BED
Avoid using television, tablets and smartphones just before going to sleep, as these devices will make it harder for you to fall asleep.
ZAZU Family
Having kids is very special. It is lovely to watch your own child, to get more and more contact, and to see them grow into a funny and cute toddler with a mind of their own! Often it’s the same things that make parenting quite difficult, because as much fun as they are, if you have to get out of bed in the middle of the night, parenting feels completely different.
Founders Nynke Bakker and Sven van der Veen, both parents of 3 children who have extensive experience with sleepless nights, founded the company in 2013.
ZAZU is a Dutch company. We develop products for children to help them sleep better. A little more sleep is a lot more fun, also for the parents!
For more information, visit zazu-kids.com/family
Better sleep for kids and parents too!
Sleep tight everyone...
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