2020-06-01_Mother_&_Baby

SLEEP

PROMOTION

MOTHER& BABY

WHATARETHE

BENEFITS OF

USINGA BABY

MONITOR?

A baby monitorprovides

parentswithadditional

peaceof mindwhiletheir

babyis asleepin his

nursery.Wisenet

BabyViewEcoFlex

SEW-3048is a Gold

award-winningbaby

monitorthatboastsa

va rietyof features.

You canwatchover

yourbabyattheperfect

anglethanksto the

wrap-aroundleggripthat

canbe attachedto various

surfacesin yourbaby’s

ro om.Andyoucan

communicatewithyour

li ttleonewiththetwo-way

talkbackfunction.

Pl us,sevenintegrated

soundsandlullabies

ca n helpyourchild

gentlydrift off

tosleep.

My two-year-old keeps waking up

and saying there is a dog in his

room. How can I reassure him

and help him to get an undisturbed

night’s sleep?

Gill Purdom, Liverpool

At this age and stage your toddler’s

imagination really starts to get in gear,

and it’s very natural for little ones to have

vivid dreams. Like most things sleep and

toddler-related, it usually settles by itself.

In the meantime, consistency and

reassurance are usually the key. If he

wakes up, I’d suggest avoiding asking

questions or getting drawn into the

dog conversation. Give him reassurance

if he needs it, but try to keep it as simple

and brief as possible. It’s also a good

idea to be mindful of what he is watching

and reading in the run-up to bedtime.

Even the tamest of books can play on

the mind of a toddler! KS

How do I help my

newborn tell the

difference between night

and day?

Kate McLaughlin, Trowbridge

Your brand-new baby is born naturally
nocturnal. This is because, while he was
in the womb, your movement and motion
would soothe him off to sleep. Then, when
it was calm and quiet, he would wake and
nourish from the placenta.
By around eight to ten weeks, babies
have usually sussed night and day all by
themselves, but you can gently give your
little one a nudge by:
● Saying ‘Good morning’ and opening the
curtains as soon as he wakes up
● Getting as much natural light into your
home as possible

●Makingdaytimefeedschattyand

sociableforhim

● Getting outside each day to enjoy

some fresh air

● Keeping up your natural ‘life noise’

throughout the day

● Meeting his needs at night, if needed,

but keeping your tones hushed

● Changing a nappy at night, only if it

obviously needs changing. KS

Q

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

OLIVERS BABY CARE

motherandbaby.co.uk | June 2020 | 67

Here to help