I am certainly no expert when it comes to sleep. What I have learnt over the last five years however is that I certainly value my sleep, as does every other mum!
The thing is, every baby and child is very different. A sleeping method or strategy which worked well with one child may not necessarily with your next.
When my first son was born, my husband and I were extremely strict with his sleeping habits. We never missed an afternoon nap and kept the nighttime routine the same. With this child (and only this child) we used the method of controlled crying. Even though this method proved to be effective, we found it very unnatural and distressing to hear him scream for a lengthy period of time without being able to comfort him.
By being inflexible with his afternoon nap, we often never went out to friends’ houses or play dates in fear of disrupting his routine.
Our daughter was born when our older son was 17 months. She slept through the night from 8 weeks old and gave no trouble. Around one and a half year however, she became fearful sleeping in her own room and did not want to be left on her own.
We brought a porta cot into our room and let her sleep there. This worked well. She slept through the night and didn’t give any trouble. When she turned two, she was happy to sleep in her own room again.
When baby number three came along, we feared how we would manage dealing with three littlies through the night. Would we get any sleep? There was always something going on, teething, a wet bed, a scary dream…
Here is what we found.
Having young children meant that we always had our hands full and because of this, we often needed to let bub cry or whinge himself to sleep from a young age. He was hardly ever rocked or patted to sleep and as a result turned out to self soothe and put himself to sleep. From then on he has been a great sleeper. Having young children around the house also meant that bub learnt to sleep through noise and wasn’t awoken with the slightest sound. Another bonus!
What has worked for us over the years is to be flexible with our children, and not to be too afraid to change a routine. Children often adjust a lot better than you think. Usually by the time they hit the age of 3 years old, most children can be reasoned with and can sleep well through the night.
So even now, when bub cries or suddenly begins waking three times a night for apparently no reason, I know it is only temporary or just a phase and I am not too fussed. I deal with the issue at hand and do what I need to do given family circumstances.
From Cot To A Big Bed
You may be wondering when a good time is to transition your toddler to a big bed. For every child it will be different. Some children are talking by one and a half and you can explain to them that they are ready to be in a ‘big boy/ girl bed’. Adding stickers or fairy lights can help make the transition exciting for them.
We used a rail by the side of the bed to give the child security and prevent them from falling out. We also applied the same rules as when they were in a cot. EG: No climbing out of bed until we allow them to or go into their room to wake them up.
Being firm with the ’no getting out of bed rule’ will work well only if you are consistent from the start.
Co-Sleeping and Sharing Rooms
By sharing a room with your child, he or she will generally sleep better due to having the security of their parents with them. The downside is that it may take them a while to transition back to their own room.
Co-Sleeping can either be disruptive or pleasant for parents. I have heard some parents love cuddling their child during the night and they find giving them a quick pat or feed back to sleep to be effective and effecient.
Other parents however feel that their sleep is quite disrupted and the bed definitely isn’t big enough for three!
No matter which method of sleep you choose for your child, just ensure they are safe and also remember that many of their sleep issues are usually temporary.
At some point, they will all sleep well and sleep through the night, so hang in there!
Originally posted 2016-02-29 03:08:36.