Article: Getting Baby to Sleep

For Getting Baby to Sleep, Sticking to a Plan Is What Counts


Interesting article from the New York Times about baby sleep...


Summary:

Consistency, Consistency, Consistency

Prevent the problem by teaching them to fall asleep alone (ie, put them to bed tired, but not asleep in your arms)


Quotes:

"longterm studies have shown that children who never learn how to fall asleep independently are at increased risk of continuing sleep problems as they grow up,"


"Such (succesful) programs typically encourage parents to have a peaceful, consistent evening routine in which children are placed in bed “drowsy but awake” to help them develop independent sleep skills. Three well-designed randomized trials have found that the babies of parents who had such training slept significantly better than those whose parents did not."


"While teaching a child to sleep independently can be emotionally wrenching for all those involved, Dr. Mindell said, “Parents need to understand that they’re not doing it for selfish reasons. Their children benefit greatly.”"


Below is the NY Times article based on the Sleep Research journal article:

http://www.journalsleep.org/ViewAbstract.aspx?citationid=3034


For Getting Baby to Sleep, Sticking to a Plan Is What Counts http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/12/health/12sleep.html?ref=health



By DAN HURLEY

Published: December 12, 2006

After years of colicky debate over which method is best for getting babies to fall asleep by themselves, experts have a soothing new message: just about all the techniques work, so pick one you are comfortable with and stick with it.


Despite their apparent differences, most of the behavioral approaches reviewed in the October issue of the journal SLEEP were supported by evidence that they resulted in infants and toddlers learning to fall asleep independently at bedtime and when they woke during the night. Of the 52 studies examined in the review, 49 showed positive results, with 82 percent of the infants and young children in the studies benefiting significantly.


“The key to this whole thing is parents being consistent,” said the senior author of the review, Dr. Jodi A. Mindell, a psychology professor at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and chairwoman of the task force organized by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine to assess the techniques.


She added, “They need to pick a plan they can absolutely follow through on.”


More at the NYT link....

very good thread, thank you crj...

I always taught my babies to sleep by themselves. And it pays off cause it means they are confident and not scared if a baby sitter or someone else has to be the one to tuck them into bed and they are not associating sleep as the thing that seperates you from them so they don't fight it......as much haha.

I agree that the hardest thing is to pick which plan you're going to go with to get baby to sleep! Seems like they all are right in different ways it can be so confusing.