2020-04-01_Mother_&_Baby

SLEEP

I’m finding establishing

a bedtime routine for my

five-month-old exhausting.

How can I make it easier?

VeronicaWaldren,Ely

Whenmy

five-week-

oldis in herbaby

swingsheoften

falls asleep.Is it

safe toleaveher

sl eepingthere?

ClaireHolburn,

Howarth

Manybabiesenjoy being
rockedto sleep. It’s
believedthatthisis
becauseourancestors
were more likelyto
survive if theirmothers
were standingupand
onthemove.However,
evidence suggeststhatit
is saferforbabiesto sleep
ona flatsurface,soit is
bestnot to leaveyour
daughterto sleepin
herswing.To helpher
transitionto thecot,
st artby reducingthe
movementof theswing.
Youcanalsoencourage
yourbaby to spendtime
awakein theswingwhen
shefirst wakesup, as
opposedto whensheis
sleepy. Putyourbaby in
thecotwhensheshows
signsof beingtired.Look
outforglazedeyesand
lessmovement.MN

You’ve taken steps to help your

baby become a confident sleeper,

which is great and, with a few

tweaks, you can improve the

routine so it fits you both. Create a

relaxing pre-sleep ritual that you

will both enjoy. For example, story

(always the same); lullaby; say

‘sleepy time’ to a few things in the

room; and put your baby in the cot.

You don’t need to spend a long time

on the routine for it to be effective.

As a mother of three sleep-resistant

children, one of my go-to strategies

for making the routine for bedtime

more manageable is to take a

closed cup of tea or coffee to the

bedroom with me! MN

Q

Q

How can I discourage my two-and-a-half-year old from

sneaking into my bed at night?

Gemma Seale, Wrexham

Start by trying to understand why your son

might be waking up and coming to your bed.

Knowing the reason will help you encourage

him to stay in his bed. Firstly, consider

whether he could be cold, being awoken

by noises such as the heating coming on, or

scared? If you feel he might be scared, avoid

any stimulating activities or TV after dinner,

and encourage a calm bedtime routine.

Secondly, he might feel the need to

connect, particularly if he is in childcare

during the day. If this is the case, try to

spend quality time with him before bedtime.

A few minutes of eye contact and cuddles

can make all the difference. It’s important to

create a bedtime routine that you both enjoy.

And, finally, does he fall asleep

independently for naps and bedtime? If

not, supporting him to become a confident,

independent sleeper will mean that he will

still wake up but will be able to get himself

back to sleep. Once your child is confident

falling asleep independently, he will benefit

from clear sleep boundaries. MN

Gota questionyou’d like

ourexpertsto answer?

Emailyourquery to

ask@motherand

baby.co.uk

GET IN

TOUCH

78 | April 2020 | motherandbaby.co.uk

Here to help