Sleep Ponderings from Me: Newborn Sleep-On-The-Go

A great part of newborn sleep is that they can sleep anywhere for the first few months. First time moms appreciate this as they transition from "no kid" life to "kid life". And moms with other children appreciate this, since they can easily continue with their other childrens' activities or out of the house play.

Take advantage of this 'skill' that will disappear quickly. So, how does this "Sleep-on-the-Go" work?

When: Newborns need to sleep again after being awake for 1-2 hours; I always tend to lean more towards the one hour window- look for your baby's sleep signs (yawning, rubbing eyes, mild fussiness, not wanting to be put down...)

Where: Carseat, Bassinet stroller attachment, sling or front-pack carrier, your arms, a pack-n-play at someone's house, etc.

Why: Because newborns can sleep out and about. Take advantage of the short lived freedom that allows you.

How: If your baby falls asleep in an infant carseat- just take them with you in the carseat. If your baby needs to take a nap- swaddle them and put them in the stroller bassinet or pack-n-play, or Kiddopotamus swaddling blankets have holes in the back where carseat buckels can go through and you can buckle your swaddled baby into your carseat. Or put your newborn who needs a nap in a sling or other newborn carrying device.

Other tips: you can put a sound spa wherever they are sleeping... and really try to mimic their sleep environment when you are out. Check out this past post for an example of how one mom extended her sleeping-on-the-go to 7 months: sleep environment to go.

Question for You

Do you or did you put your newborn/infant to sleep awake or asleep?

Sunday Sleep Dilemma

Q: What is up with evening fussiness? I feel like my baby gets good naps all day and then is tired but won't go to sleep in the evening?

A: This is a part of how the newborn stage goes for many babies. Continue with making sure they get naps after only being awake every 1-2 hours (Note: If you think they are tired after 30 minutes or 45 minutes by all means put them down- YOU WANT TO AVOID HAVING THE BABY GET OVERTIRED). And continue making sure they eat often enough (I have always done every 3 hours) and get a full feeding, so they are always well fed. Fussiness usually peaks around 6 weeks of age and then begins to decrease.

Ideas for dealing with the fussiness:

• Have them take a nap in a sling, swing, or such
  
• Use a paci (and the sling)
• Go on a walk or go out and run errands- sleep-on-the-go idea- if they aren't going to sleep at home go out
• Swaddle!
• Have an evening routine- bath, cuddles, feeding...
• Set a time for their last feeding (I always did 10pm) and then put them down for the night

*Marc Weisbluth, author of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child states that night sleep begins to develop around six weeks of age because of the following (make sure you are allowing this to happen): darkness serves as a time cue, slowing down activities and becoming quieter at night, we behave as if we expect the baby to sleep.

Question for You

What is/was your biggest newborn sleep struggle?

Question for You

Did you make any sleep resolutions for 2009? (for your children or yourself) Please share!!

Product Review: Products for Newborns

It is hard to decipher what you need for your baby, many times you don't actually figure it out until after the baby is born.

Here are some products that can help you create the desired sleep environment:

Swaddling Blanket:

• Kiddopotamus Swaddle Me
  
• Petunia Pickle Bottom Swaddling Blankets
  

Sleep Positioner:

• Munchkin Cool Flow Back Sleeper
  

A fan:

• Fan
  

*Any fan (ceiling, portable...) works- new SIDS prevention tip.

Pacifier:

• Born-Free Paci Pack

Sound Spa/White Noise:

• Homedics Sound Spa
  

Black-out shades/dark room

Sunday Sleep Dilemma

Q: Can I just let my infant sleep for a five hour stretch during the day without feeding her?

A: I would not do this. I did this with my first baby, and it was great to have that long break, but she was not a good sleeper at night or during the day. I had to work pretty hard to get her to become a good sleeper. I really think there is something to feeding on a schedule (use the word loosely). If you wait five hours- it is like you are pretty much skipping a feeding.

With my next two babies, I would feed them every three hours- if they were not awake I would feed them in their sleep. Both of them were much better sleepers day and night. I have known many other moms who have fed on a schedule and everyone of them has found success in sleep and always had a well-fed baby.

Note: This isn't to say there weren't times that I fed extra or for comfort. You know your baby and their needs best.

Saturday Sleep Tip

Newborns NEED and want sleep- sleep- sleep!! Keeping them up longer or later does not increase their length of sleep, it may actually decrease it and lead to them becoming overtired. They will probably only be awake for 1-2 hours at a time (I tend to lean more towards the one hour than the two hour length). for the first 3-5 months.

Sleep Ponderings from Me: Nighttime Sleep for Infants

Gosh, I appreciate sleep, and although I miss so much about the newborn stage, I don't miss sleep deprivation. Thank goodness it is short lived EVEN if it doesn't seem like it when you are in it.

Nighttime sleep is dictated by an infants hunger (for the most part).
What I did: I would breastfeed every three hours during the day. My last feeding would be at 10pm and then I would feed whenever the baby woke during the night (I would not wake them- please listen to a doctor if there is a reason to wake them). This is what I did- and it worked great! I know there are other ways to do this and do what works best- but just make sure everyone is getting as much sleep as possible.

Other tips to increase nighttime sleep:

• Start with a simple bedtime routine- bath and feeding... (don't forget to change the diaper before and put PJs on- there is a chance you may have to change the diaper again- have the necessary things ready and those sleeper gowns are great for quick diaper changes at night).
  
• Swaddle- get a good swaddling blanket and swaddle that sweet little thing as tight as it needs to be for them to not squirm out of it. Note: let your child dictate how long they need to be swaddled- don't move them out too soon. Swaddling helps them not wake themselves when those cute little newborn reflexes go off.
• Turn on a fan in the room- (SIDS prevention tip) and possible a sound spa to drown out other sounds.
  
• Feed your hungry baby- make sure you get them a full feeding to maximize your next stretch of sleep.
• Chill for a minute when you hear them making noise- babies and kids (and adults) make noise in their sleep- don't be overzealous to go get them- they may surprise you and go back to sleep.
  

And when will you be sleeping through the night? Hopefully soon! According to Marc Weissbluth, the author of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, "many infants between six weeks and four months will naturally go to sleep late around 9:00 to 11:00 p.m., and sleep several hours without the need to be fed... After four months, infants tend to go to sleep earlier; around 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., and some now need to be fed once or twice before they wake up to start the day..." So, the answer is it will vary with your baby and what you are comfortable doing.

My first baby was sleeping through the night at five months (only after some specific sleep training to break her from the habit of waking every 2 hours to feed). My next two babies were sleeping through the night by eight to ten weeks.

One last thought, some days are funky; some nights are funky. Sometimes there is no clear explanation for why an infant has a bad night of sleep or whatever it may be that is 'off'. Begin again tomorrow

Did the New Year Already Begin?

Sorry, oh faithful blog readers! I have been out of the loop for the past couple weeks due to sick children. We have experienced the flu x3, pneumonia in my nine-month old, a ruptured ear drum in my 2 1/2 year old... missed nights of sleep, coughing, fevers, doctors appointments, antibiotics, and lots of mama holding!

I am still trying to catch up on missed sleep, and I am just feeling like I am re-entering the normal world today. So, things should hopefully begin again...

Hope that you avoid sickness in your families! And if you get sick, I hope you find the rest you need to meet all the needs and stay sane.

Courtney