4 Important Night Time Baby Sleeping Decisions

Being the mother of 2 children and also having discussed with friends, I have evolved 4 important night time sleeping decisions that applies to infants and toddlers of all times.

The 4 important night time baby sleeping decisions are:

• There is no right or wrong place for babies to sleep; some babies sleep best in their own crib in their own room, while others may prefer to sleep in their own crib in their parent’s bedroom and others sleep best snuggled next to the mother in the parent’s bedroom. It takes 2 years for parents to figure out the right sleeping arrangement for the baby; it is however significant that there could be changes in the sleeping place of your baby based on the baby’s developmental needs and your changing family situations.

• Parents need to beware of sleep trainers; these varieties of sleep inducing gadgets like oscillating cradles, crib vibrators mimicking a car ride, and breathing teddy bears promise good sleep to babies and seem to be ideal for tired parents. Though they promise to put the baby to sleep all night, they are just a variation of the old cry-it-out methods. Sleep trainers are contra-indicated especially in the first 6 months of the baby’s life; using these gadgets could mean that you lose out on understanding and trust of your baby, prevents parents on working at a style of nighttime parenting and prevents the doctor from diagnosing any other hidden causes for night waking.

• Parents need to develop a realistic attitude towards nighttime parenting;no parent can force a baby to sleep, but can only create a secure atmosphere that induces sleep in the child. A realistic long term goal should be to help the baby to cultivate a healthy attitude towards sleep; sleep is a pleasant and secure state to enter and be in and it is not something fearful to remain in. Nighttime parenting is as important an investment as daytime parenting and cultivating a healthy attitude towards sleep in the infant stage pays rich dividends in the form of restful sleep.

• Neither a single approach regarding nighttime parenting works best for all babies all the time nor does one work for a single baby all the time; nighttime parenting requires flexibility. Each baby has a different temperament and each family has varied needs; it is best to work on a style that suits both. Try out the method of nighttime parenting and if it does not work be open to make changes; different methods may be required in different stages of the infant. You and your baby will eventually work out the right nighttime parenting style for your family.

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