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Your baby’s sleeping patterns can be super hard to decipher. Unfortunately there’s no magic baby manual that gives you the exact lowdown on how long they should sleep for, how to get them to sleep and how to know what’s keeping them up…
We understand how frustrating it can be when you don’t have the answers! That’s why we asked you all to send in your baby’s sleep dilemmas, and now we’ve got the answers to those very problems! The fabulous Dr Alex Bartle from the Johnson's® baby sleep expert team has come to the rescue with some top tips on easing your bub to bed, whether it's food troubles or a tot who won't sleep on her own! All the letters featured on this article has also scored themselves a fabulous baby pamper pack, filled with Johnson's® baby bedtime goodies, including the bedtime lotion, baby powder and a 500ml and 200ml bottle each of bedtime bath, and a $50 Daisy Baby voucher!
 How much is too much sleep? Can a baby get too much sleep? My little boy (he’s 10 months) is a great sleeper. He has always had two good day sleeps of two hours or more each. He was sick for a couple of weeks and now he seems to sleep longer in the morning (he used to be awake at 6am and ready to get up by 8, now he's going back to sleep and not waking until 9.30am). This throws his sleeping pattern out and he sleeps a couple of hours over lunch and maybe an hour late afternoon. He’s also become really grumpy – could it be that extra sleep in the morning that’s causing this? Cheers, Sasha
Dear Sasha,
Babies, especially at 10-months-old will usually regulate their own sleep if they are given the opportunity to do so. I am very keen that naps should be retained as long as possible, and on average the reduction of two to one nap will occur at between 15-18 months. So there is no rush to reduce napping at this stage. It is quite likely that the illness two weeks ago has disrupted his sleep patterns, but I would encourage you to retain a morning and afternoon nap as long as you can. A tired child is usually grumpy, and may also have difficulty falling asleep. Babies are different in their need for sleep, and ensuring that your baby is getting the sleep he needs is so important.  Is his food stopping him from sleeping?I have an 8-and-a-half-month-old baby boy. He is eating solids well and has just started sleeping through the night. Most nights he is sleeping right through but then the odd night he is up for a few hours screaming. Is it perhaps something in the dinners that does not digest well? Thanks for the help, Ingrid Dear Ingrid, Thanks for your email. Whilst it is common for babies to wake and call out in the night, it sounds as if your son is really distressed, and that this is not his normal habit. Intolerance to food is not common, but it might be worthwhile recording what he has had to eat in the evenings when he wakes screaming. A more likely explanation is that he is suffering from some degree of reflux. This can be reduced by elevating the head of the cot with a block or brick. If this does not help, I suggest that your doctor might be able to help with reflux medication. How should my baby sleep?Is it safe for my baby to sleep on her knees? She sleeps kneeling with her head on the mattress at an odd angle - will that cause any long term spinal damage or leg damage? Jeanette
Dear Jeanette
With babies up to the age of one year, it is advised to put them to bed on their back to avoid the possibility of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). However, by about six months baby can roll over, and may prefer to start sleeping on her side which is quite safe. Having said that, there is no other medical reason why an older infant should not sleep in any position they feel most comfortable. If your infant is about the age of two years, sleeping in that position and snores, or makes heavy breathing sounds, then you might consider the possibility that they might suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA). Up to 2% of children aged from two-six years, suffer from OSA, and it is very treatable.
 How do I get her to sleep in her own bed? I have a two-year-old that is sleeping in my bed every night and has been doing so for seven months. I am about to move her into her own bed and room, and was wondering if you could give me some steps to help with this transition? I currently have to sit with her until she falls asleep and she usually wakes up screaming after two hours when she sees I’m not in the room. I can’t leave the house at night because she is so attached. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Regards, Serena
Dear Serena,
It is always difficult to change a behavior like this once it has become established. However with firm, consistent management it is certainly possible. First you need to sit down with her and explain that things are going to be different from now on. She will not understand all that you say, but will certainly understand that something is about to change! Then introduce a soft toy/animal/doll, as a ‘transition object’. She may already have many soft toys, and if she has a favourite, then use that. Make her bedroom a special place for her (if it is not already so), and explain to all the family that she is going to be able to sleep in her own room, and look after her special soft toy for the whole night. Any strategy that you use to get your daughter to sleep initially will usually have to be repeated during the night if she wakes. Therefore the less you need to do to get her to sleep the better. This may now mean changing your bed time routine so that, after the pre-bed routine of bath, massage, toilet and teeth, you take her into her bedroom with her soft toy, and read a story (or two, but not six!), until she is nice and drowsy. Then a goodnight kiss, and switch out the light. A very dim light may be left on so that she can see where she is, but be unable to play. Then say that you will come back in to see her in the next couple of minutes, and leave.  She then may remain quiet while she cuddles with her new soft toy, and you can go in after a minute to praise her quietly, and repeat the process, leaving her for increasingly long periods, until she sleeps. What is more likely is that she will immediately protest at your leaving, and get up to follow you! You must then pick her up, return her to her bed, and leave again. This will need to be repeated until she get tired enough to fall asleep. Since this is quite a new routine for her, the process may take a long time, even hours. However if you persevere, it will only occur for a few nights before she gets the new message that she is safe in her bed, and does not need mummy to be there in order to fall asleep. This ‘separation anxiety’ is very common from about 9 months onwards, peaks at 18-24months, and can be prolonged by responding in a way that may reinforce her anxiety. Waking up in the morning safe, and in her own bed is the most powerful way of showing her that her bedroom is safe, and mummy has not deserted her. Too hot or too cold? How do I know if my baby is too hot or too cold? I worry that I have too many blankets on at night or too few! Thanks, Andrew
Dear Andrew As a general rule it is advised to keep your baby in a warm environment, but lightly clad. However, if the room is any warmer than about 24degrees, baby will find it more difficult to sleep. Baby should be allowed to cool down at night, but if the room is kept at about 20-22degrees, they will not get too cold, even if they wriggle out of the bed clothes. Some sweating at night is quite common, and is the way in which the baby (or adult) cools down. If you've got another question or problem that you'd like the Johnson's® baby sleep experts to answer, or would simply like more information, click here to visit BabyCenter. |
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