Sleeping problems?- here’s a cure

Children can be grumpy sometimes. As a new mother, this can easily drive you insane and sink you into depression because unlike an adult, your baby is not able to explain to you what is irritating them. This brings to mind Amanda Nyarongi, an adopted mother to baby James. When she took James from a Nairobi based children’s home in Nairobi for the initial six month bonding period as adoption laws require, it was such a joy for family and friends. James was about five months old then. She had not cared for any baby before. Clearly, everything was new but she graciously and happily took all in her stride.

However, one thing that was a challenge to Amanda was putting James to sleep. It remained uncertain and a real struggle for the baby and the mother. Most times when James begun his cranky behaviour, Amanda would suspect hunger, change his nappy, loosen his clothing, but not occurred it could be sleep that was the problem. But with time and practice, Amanda got James to get accustomed to a particular routine that comfortably factored in rest and bedtime. Now, the baby puts himself to sleep around the same time of day and night every single day without any irritable behaviour or even soothing. James is a happier, energetic and a very alert baby today.

Babies need around 10 -12 hours of sleep at night and around two hours in the middle of the day. These rests play a role in their brain and body development. There are certain strategies that you can use to encourage rest in our children. Here is a sample of them.

Routine
The best way to encourage healthy sleeping habits is to create a bedtime routine for your children.
This helps them understand what is expected of them and also predict what the outcome is going to be. Such a routine may comprise shutting off the TV several hours prior to bedtime, giving them a light snack and bathing them. Dress your baby into his or her pajamas and off to bed. You could read him or her a story and once the story is over switch off the lights and let sleep take over naturally. However, for this to work effectively and enable your children to adapt to it, you need to be consistent with the set routine and going-to-bed timeframe. This will also help your baby develop a habit of waking up on time the next day.

For day-time sleep, establish a routine that would allow your child to rest for at least an hour. It is advisable to put your child in his or her bed at around the same time every single day regardless of whether or not your baby sleeps.
The most important thing is that your child remains in his or her cot, resting. After a while, your child will realize that such times are rest times and will begin to put himself or herself to sleep. It is not wise to let your child sleep for more than two hours during the day, unless he or she is ill. Therefore, after one hour elapses, pick up your baby.

Prepare the sleep room
In case your baby has a good sleep routine but still seems irritable and cranky, you may need to check the baby room and make some alterations to the comfort of your baby. Sometimes, the temperature may be too warm of even cold. Your baby may be scared of the dark or the light may be too bright. Just try and play with all possible options to find out what would be good for your baby. Also, make sure the room is quiet and peaceful; lie on the bed to feel its comfort and whether it is good enough to provide your child the requisite level of rest. If your child is an early riser, you may need to invest in thicker curtains to shield light from getting into the room. Discourage the use of pillows especially if your child is below two years old.

Show affection, reassurance and attention
Your children may find it difficult to sleep or rest when they are over stimulated or stressed about something. If you get the feeling that your child is struggling with something, encourage him or her to talk to you about it. If the child is not able to talk to you, you can help create a relaxed atmosphere by hugging, kissing and saying positive things to the child. Evaluate your home life to see if anything may be contributing to the child’s stress levels and explain to him or her in an appropriate language how you can help.

Limit entertainment devices
Television, video games, computers and any other entertainment devices may contribute to your child’s inability to sleep. You therefore need to try and limit your child’s exposure to these devices.

Do not place them in their rooms because your child may end up watching TV all night or playing endlessly on the computer. It could help if you establish specific rules about entertainment devices and specific cut-off times. You can be a nice mother and warn your children about 10 minutes prior to shut off time so they can finish up a game or a show they are watching. Steer clear of playing stimulating games before sleep.

Seek medical advice
If you have tried all the above and more and your baby still gets problems sleeping, you may need to seek the advice of a medical professional. Children can suffer from insomnia, asthma, bed wetting, nightmares and other sleep disorders.

‘After a while, your baby will realize that such times are sleep times and will begin to put himself or herself to sleep.’

END: BL37/22-23