Health professionals always recommend sleeping when the baby does, even if it's daytime. Aside this sensible suggestion and making night feeds as quiet as possible not to stimulate a baby and make him/her too alert, a mother (usually the main carer) can minimise sleep loss by following some tried and tested methods.
Tried And Tested Ways To Minimise Sleep Deprivation
Many parents find that cat napping during the day is not enough. Other things a parent can try include:
- placing the cot, Moses basket or crib as close as possible to her side of the bed. For babies in their own room (usually from six months), a parent can place a mattress on the floor so they can get some rest if the child wakes often during the night
- co-sleeping – The UNICEF has issued guidelines for breastfeeding mothers in cooperation with the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths. The leaflet, Sharing a Bed With Your Baby, advises parents to: make sure a baby doesn’t get trapped by covers or pillows; ensure a baby cannot get stuck between the mattress and the wall; keep pets away from the bed; avoid sleeping with a baby if a parent has drunk alcohol, is on medication, overtired or is a smoker. This handy leaflet also warns never to sleep with a baby on a sofa or armchair (the baby can become trapped down the sides or in the cushions) and to avoid co-sleeping if a baby is small for his/her age or was born premature
- breastfeeding – aside the fact that it has been proven that parents of breastfed children sleep more (see the companion article "Good Sleeping Habits For Babies"), another study revealed that the composition of breast milk changes during the night, when chemicals that aid sleep peak in the milk (study by Cristina Sánchez at the University of Extremadura in Spain)
- sending daddy in: if a baby has had a good feed and wakes up sooner than expected, a mother can ask her partner to comfort the baby – a baby will stop waking up unnecessarily if not genuinely hungry or thirsty.
Controlled Crying Versus the No-Cry Approach
Some experts, including Dr Richard Ferber, believe that controlled crying should only be attempted with babies who are at least six month old.
This is how it works: if a baby starts crying when a parent places him/her in the cot, the parent should leave the room and come back after five minutes. The parent should reassure the baby by saying, "Mummy/Daddy is here, now go to sleep" and leave the room. If the baby starts crying after 10 minutes, the parent should go back and repeat the procedure. This should be repeated every 15 minutes till the baby falls asleep. Consistence is important. As the child gets used to it, the intervals of "checking and reassuring" can be extended.
There is a limit, a baby should not cry for more than an hour. The first three nights will be very hard as no parents can bear hearing their child cry. If a parent is not made of stern stuff, it’s best not to attempt this technique. This system is also not foolproof and won’t work for some babies.
Many parents recommend The No-Cry Sleep Solution (McGraw-Hill, 2002) by Elizabeth Pantley. The gentler method explained in this bestseller is all about how to develop a bedtime routine and creating positive sleep associations. It also offers a gradual withdrawal method to get a baby off the breast or bottle.
Further Reading:
Read the companion article Good Sleeping Habits for Babies.
