momentary“wake”rightbackintosleep.But
whenbabies first startto experiencesleep
cycles, they’renotused tothis.So, whatoften
happensis that yourbaby goes througha sleep
cycle, wakes, andthen can’t get backto sleep.’
●GETTINGOVERTIREDYourbaby is
becomingmoreawareofhimself andthe
worldaroundhim.Thedownsideis thathe’s
alsobecomingaware that hedoesn’t likebeing
ov ertired!Theresult?Babiesget grouchierwhen
theymisstheirkip muchlikeus!
●ROLLINGFact:rollingbabies are cute.
Secondfact:rollingcandisruptsleep!When
babiesfirst roll they have the strengthto flip
themselvesfromtheirbackontotheirtummy,
butit takesa whilebeforetheycangothe
otherway, fromtheirtummyontotheirback.
Thismeansthey canrollintoanuncomfortable
positionintheirsleep andthen get stuck...so
theywakeupandcry outforyou.
●MOVINGINTOACOTSomebabies will
already havetransitionedoutoftheir Moses
basketorcribandintothecot, butothers only
makethat moveat aroundfourmonths. ‘And
becausethey’remore awareofwhat’sgoing
on,thatmovecanunsettlethem,’saysLucy.
‘They need timetoget used tothenew feeling
ofspacebeforethey’llsettleandsleep.’WHATYOUCANDO
Thegoodnewsis that thereare thingsyou
candotomakesleep a biteasierinthese
months(foryouandforyouryoungster!).
Here’show...●TommeeTippee
Three-in-one
AdvancedBottleand
PouchWarmer,£49.99,
tommeetippee.com.
Thiswarmertakes
justfourminutesto
warmbaby milkto the
perfecttemperature,
ev enif it wasfrozen.
In themiddleof the
night,that’s a
godsend!‘Something that
helpedmyboyst settle at
bedtimewaslistening t Sophie
Barker’sLullabies:The Rainbow
Collections(£4.98, amazon.co.uk).
They’re traditionallullabies sung
in a calm,beautiful way.’
AilsaAdams,31, from
Lincolnshire,is mum t
Wilfred,two, and
George,five●Fisher-Price
SootheandSnuggle
Otter, £47.91,
amazon.co.uk.
Thissuper-cuteotter
soundsandmovesas
thoughit’s breathing.
It canhelpa tired
baby
tunein
tothe
soothi
breath
patter
and
relax.60 | June 2020 |motherandbaby.co.ukUNDERSTANDING YOUR BABY’S SLEEP
● KEEP THINGS THE SAME
‘Your baby is more likely
to rouse at the end of a
sleep cycle if the room
feels different to the
way it did when he
nodded off,’ says
Lucy. ‘For example,
if he was listening
to white noise when
he went to sleep
and that white noise
stops, he’ll notice at
the “wake” point and
the change will disturb
him. That can mean he
wakes up properly.’ So,
attempt to keep conditions
in your baby’s sleep area as
consistent as possible. Continue
trying to put your baby into his
cot when he’s still awake, so he
doesn’t wake up expecting to be in
your arms. If you are playing white noise,
use a device that triggers to resume playing
when your baby stirs. And make sure the
room is dark before your baby goes to sleep.
‘Keeping things the same is really important
in terms of sleep cycles, but it’s also really
important in a more general way,’ says Lucy.
‘As your baby is more aware of what’s around
him, when things are familiar he’ll feel settled,
and that means it will be easier for him to
sleep. So, as much as you can, just stick to
what he knows. Keep using the same washing
powder, so his sheets and sleepwear smell the
same. And stick to your regular routine during
the day. If you’ve been breastfeeding and you
can keep going, do that, rather than
switching to a bottle.’
● REDUCE OVER
TIREDNESS Your baby
is now producing
melatonin, the
sleep hormone,
so he’ll be
biologically
primed for bed
sometime
between 6pm
and 8pm
(every baby
has their
own ideal
sleep
window).
‘You may be
able to see when
your baby is ready for
bed,’ says Lucy. ‘If you● Sophie La
Girafe Teether, £15,
jojomamanbebe.co.uk.
A first tooth usually
appears at six months
old, and sore gums
can cause problems
getting to sleep. A
good ol’
chow
down on
Sophie
can help
to ease
the ouch
before cot
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