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Lack of structure in 8 month old day sleeps and cannot self settle
Hi, I have an 8 1/2 month old daughter who is used to being breastfed to sleep during the day. At the moment she is out of routine - I am trying to set a new one for her. She has a sleeping bag on and the same music playing for every sleep. I have just fed her and put her into her cot awake but after 45 minutes of crying and checking in on her we have given up and walked her in the pram. How can I set a more stable day routine and help her sleep on her own?
Jane ...
Answer:
It’s important to remember that as parents, we can only persuade our baby’s to go to sleep, we cannot control if they go to sleep or how long they sleep for. It is only our reactions and responses to their sleep and settling which we can control.
If she’s reached a new developmental stage recently, been unwell or there’s been another type of change then this may be reflected in her sleeping behaviour. Aim to place her into her cot clean, dry, comfortable and when she’s showing tired signs. Missing the “sleep window” of time when she’s tired and ready for sleep will make it more difficult to get her to settle.
At 8.5 months an up for a couple of hours and then a sleep routine is ideal. Four to five milk feeds and three solid meals is also ideal. Do check the Huggies site for more comprehensive information regarding sleep strategies. Another tip is to check with your child health nurse to ensure your baby is growing as she needs to. Graphing her weight, head circumference and length will give you a good insight into whether her feeding is meeting her kilojoule needs for growth.
Cheers
Jane
If she’s reached a new developmental stage recently, been unwell or there’s been another type of change then this may be reflected in her sleeping behaviour. Aim to place her into her cot clean, dry, comfortable and when she’s showing tired signs. Missing the “sleep window” of time when she’s tired and ready for sleep will make it more difficult to get her to settle.
At 8.5 months an up for a couple of hours and then a sleep routine is ideal. Four to five milk feeds and three solid meals is also ideal. Do check the Huggies site for more comprehensive information regarding sleep strategies. Another tip is to check with your child health nurse to ensure your baby is growing as she needs to. Graphing her weight, head circumference and length will give you a good insight into whether her feeding is meeting her kilojoule needs for growth.
Cheers
Jane
Answered:
26 Feb 2012