Key Points as discussed on Sheyne's June 2003 appearance on Sunrise.
Managing sleep should not be dealt with strictly at sleep-time
Establish appropriate routines
Sleep
Meals
Physical Activity
Learning
Establish open lines of communication
Yes Lines
No Lines
Negotiations
Develop verbal cues
Settling
Re-settling
Waking
Encourage independence
Play
Meal Times
Going to sleep (without parent intervention)
We recognise that all children have individual daily sleep requirements
Establish appropriate routines
Normal to high daily sleep requirements
Low daily sleep requirement
Based on that information
Establish a routine that suits
The following are typical examples of negative sleep cycles, which lead to common sleep disruptions
A child with a low daily sleep requirement gets placed in a high daily sleep requirement routine.
Parent attempts to manage their child's wakefulness with control crying and/or forms of intervention that creates associations with settling.
The parent also has failed attempts at settling, resulting in the child crying for longer periods and the parent usually giving up and getting the child up.
As a result the communication patterns taught are:
The child thinks it's normal to cry for an extended period before they get up, or
The child develops a poor association with their bedroom, cot, or anything that indicates they may be going to sleep, or
A child that becomes dependant on specific conditions to actually fall asleep even when they are tired. This creates an overtired child due to the effort they have to put into achieving the end result of getting up or getting their parent or carer to put them back to sleep.
Impacts of the above points
A child with a low daily sleep requirement gets placed in a high daily sleep requirement routine.
Parent attempts to manage their child's wakefulness with control crying and/or forms of intervention that creates associations with settling.
The parent also has failed attempts at settling, resulting in the child crying for longer periods and the parent usually giving up and getting the child up.
This is how many unfortunate parents can get into a situation where their child will wake as often as every forty to sixty minutes.
Some Key Problem Areas
Sudden partial wakings
Associations
Poor cycles of crying and communications
What do we need to do?
Create appropriate cycles around sleep times that are suited to your child's needs and stick to them.
Develop cues (as above).
Management of crying that is gentle and consistent.
Give them an opportunity, with your support, to develop strategies to go back to sleep independently.
Never compensate for poor sleep in the right time with good sleep at poor times. Then we can try and eliminate poor sleep cycles from becoming sustainable.
Environmental factors that contribute to disturbed settling and resettling periods.
Warmth
(Always check with your G.P and the S.I.D.S Organisation for up to date advice and information about what is or isn't appropriate to dress and wrap your child in and about positioning techniques in the cot.)
Visual stimulation in the bedroom
Light let into rooms and lights on in the room
Sound
(When your child is tired they are easily disturbed, minimise noise if you know they are sensitive to it.)
Wrap babies firmly, particularly if you are likely to hold your child firmly to settle or console them. This will actually, despite initial protest act as a comforting device for little ones.
Tuck them in (following safe cot practices set out by S.I.D.S) so they always feel secure and comfortable.
What are the routines?
I wish it were that simple.
There are standard routine suggestions out there that cater to the average baby (please refer to the book suggestions I have included below). However, these don't work for some babies, typically a child with a low daily sleep requirement.
That's where I come in. I am not able to give you any routines until I have assessed your child's specific need and as you can appreciate, that can take some time.
Please email me if you are interested in the packages available which cater to families that fall into the category of:
"The routines I have don't work for my baby",
"I don't have a routine", or
"My baby needs intervention to go to sleep or back to sleep after wakings".
In order for me to develop a routine that is suited to an individual child's need, it's essential to speak with the parents personally. To arrange an individual assessment please email me the subject 'packages'.
*Please see your local early childhood clinic sisters for typical age appropriate routines.
Age appropriate mealtime plans are available from a variety of sources: books, clinic sisters, doctors and pediatricians.
I highly recommend the following books as a great source of information dealing with sleep, routines and meal plans.
'Australian Baby and Toddler Meal Plan', by Robin Barker
