Easy Sleep Solutions
by courtkneeNaptime can be fraught with problems, from misreading your baby’s sleep cues to misinformation about “making up” for lost naps. There are several common naptime problems and solutions.
If you are having naptime battles, one culprit might be waiting to long to put your baby down, which leaves you with a cranky and over stimulated child. Get to know your little one’s sleep prompts – like eye rubbing and getting frustrated with toys. Then respond accordingly.
Don’t presume that if a baby misses her nap that she’ll “sleep better” at night. This misconception is a total myth. If a baby misses her nap, she’ll more likely be cranky and irritable which makes it harder to get her sleep at night.
Many parents start rocking or feeding their baby to sleep as a way to soothe their infant. However, they are soon stuck doing the same actions every night. But stopping these practices is easier said than done. Fortunately, you don’t have to stop cold turkey. You can still nurse or rock your baby to sleep at naptime or bedtime. Just make sure to put him down when he is drowsy but awake. If you find this hard, do it only at night initially when your baby is sleepiest. Then try the same technique at naptime.
Another common mistake is counting car seat sleep as an official naptime. No one sleeps as deeply sitting up as they do lying down. Car seat naps are rarely as long or as peaceful as a snooze at home. Try to maneuver your schedule so you’re home at naptime.
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