Most parents just hope that their new baby will go to sleep easily and sleep for longer than just a couple of hours at a time.??? You can have one child who quite literally ??sleeps like a baby?? and another who frets and cries their way through the night whilst you, the parent, drag yourself around in a ghost-like state of sleep deprivation for endless weeks and months.??? There seems to be neither??? rhyme nor reason as to why one child is different from another in their sleep patterns;??? and the parent is subjected to the luck of the draw??.But is this really the case???? We know that children have their own individual emotional type, but even so, surely there is SOMETHING that you can do to at least make it more probable that your new baby will sleep well????
???And the answer to this question is definitely YES; there is something that you can do which will ensure the best chance to get your baby sleeping well. Not only is there something that you can do, it??s something that is easy, doesn??t cost much money, and doesn??t take any time out of your day AND it is completely natural.??? Does that sound too good to be true???? As a new mum, or dad, you not only need a good night??s sleep, you deserve it too!
???Think for a moment about how a baby learns anything; they learn through watching, listening, feeling, miming and copying.??? I was interested to see some friends recently, who had taught their one year old son to indicate to them if he wanted to eat, or to get down from the table, or to have a cuddle; He used sign language which he had been taught by his mum and dad.??? Now, you don??t need to know ??proper?? sign language to do this, you can create your own signs, and by using them consistently when doing particular things, your child learns to associate that sign with that action and will use those signs to communicate what he or she needs or wants.??? That??s pretty useful to the parent and gives the child greater feelings of comfort and control.
???The human mind learns patterns of ??stuff?? which fit together; it learns associations.??? And research has shown that this ability to make associations is evident even BEFORE your child is born.??? For example, studies show that babies can distinguish between their mothers voice and another voice from well before birth, and also babies will at birth show greater recognition to particular words and phrases which were used as early as 26 weeks from conception.
???The question is what can you do to take advantage of this natural instinct and encourage your baby to be a good sleeper???? Whilst pregnant your baby lives vicariously through you.??? The more relaxed you are, the more relaxed your baby is too.??? As you listen to a particular piece of music, so too does your baby.??? As you respond in a particular way to that music, so too does your baby.??? Certain types of music are designed to create a state of relaxation, and this can be shown scientifically by tracking your brain wave patterns.??? As you drift off to sleep your brain waves alter from the beta waves of normal waking consciousness to the alpha, theta and delta waves of deeper relaxation, dreaming (the REM state) and sleep.??? A simple step which you can take in order to create an instantaneous relaxation/get to sleep response in yourself, and therefore in the baby you are carrying, is to play this type of music each night as you go to bed and sleep.??? That??s pretty simple, don??t you think???? And you get to learn to relax at will aswell as your baby!
???This technique, however, hasn??t been shown to work for everyone.??? (Even so, it??s worth a try; what have you got to lose?) You can, however, do something else which practically doubles your chances of success (getting you much closer to 100% chance of success) and that is to combine speech with music in a particular way ?? using hypnosis.
???Hypnosis is natural and normal and therefore perfectly safe.??? As you??????relax in hypnosis your brain waves once again make that shift to an alpha-theta pattern, paving a pathway to normal and natural sleep.??? As you practice self hypnosis you drift into this state more and more quickly and easily as a strong association is built within your psyche??and your baby is learning this association vicariously through you.??? And so by playing a self-hypnosis recording each night as you go to sleep you are training your baby to respond to that music and voice in exactly the same way.??? When your baby is born you can pop the recording on whenever you want your baby to sleep.??? Job done!
???Oh, and if your baby has already been born so you haven??t the opportunity for such pre-birth training, you can still???train your baby to sleep well using hypnosis, just as you can train your baby to associate signs with hunger, getting down from the table, cuddles and so on.??? It works in the same way as you learn anything else.
Roseanna Leaton
, self hypnosis mp3 downloads and hypnosis recordings for complementary health.
Posted May 20th, 2010 by admin No Comments »
Sleepwalking and sleep talking are members of a group of sleep disorders called parasomnias. Though it??s not known just exactly why children walk and talk in their sleep neither are considered to be serious disorders, and are not result of any physical or psychological problem.??? Both occur during a child??s deep sleep, approximately one to three hours after falling asleep.
Sleep talking occurs more often than sleep walking in children, though they often do occur together. Parasomnias tend to run in families, and children may experience one, two, or all three types.
Of course, the main concern parents have for their sleepwalking child is their safety. A sleepwalking child does not have the judgment capabilities he normally does during waking hours, which makes the likelihood of injury when sleepwalking great. It may be difficult for parents to protect their sleep-walking children, since they don’t make much noise, which makes it difficult for parents to tell when their children are sleepwalking.???
The best way to protect their children is to be prepared. Parents should completely evaluate their child??s room for any potential hazards. Bunk beds or any bed that??s high off the floor is probably not a good idea for a sleepwalker.??? Toys, shoes, and any other objects on the floor should be picked up and put away prior to bedtime. Bedroom doors should be shut and windows should be locked, which will help ensure the child stays in his room and does not wander around the house. Alarm systems for doors, windows and even the sleepwalker??s bed might also be considered by parents. Sleepwalking usually stops by the child??s adolescence, and as long as safety precautions are taken, should not be a great cause of concern.
Sleep talking is much more common parasomnia.??? Children who talk in their sleep may speak very clearly and be easily understood, while others may mumble, make noises or be incoherent. If children are speaking loudly and seem upset, it might be a good idea for parents to go to their children and comfort them without waking them.??? If they’re simply talking, it’s best just to leave them alone. The episode will probably end within a short period of time.
Do your children awaken you multiple times in the night? Do you lie with your children in bed until they finally fall asleep? Does your child slip into your bed in the middle of the night? Have your children’s sleeping habits driven you to the point of madness? Have no fear! The Sleep Fairy is here!
One night after struggling to put my two and four-year-old to bed, I dragged myself sleepily down the hallway for a moment to be with my husband who was watching the History Channel. I fell to the couch exhausted but waiting for my children to call me from their bedrooms anticipating the up and down of our nightly routine.
As I waited, I focused on the war story in front of me. It was about the prisoners- of-war in Hanoi during the Vietnam War. Some of the pilots who were shot down over North Vietnam were imprisoned for up to seven years. As they spoke of sleep deprivation, I found myself relating to their symptoms. They felt detached and confused, forgetful and out-of-touch much like I did after four years of sleepless nights. I felt breathless as I realized the prisoner-like state I was in as a parent.
One day, as I made my children??s beds, I came up with a magical idea that blended good psychology (reward systems) and parenting (loving encouragement). That night I sat my children down on the couch in the living room and said, “I’ve just received notice that the Sleep Fairy is coming our way.” My 4-year-old daughter said, “Sleep Fairy? Who’s that mommy?” I said, “The Sleep Fairy helps little kids sleep all through the night. And when the little kids sleep through the night, they receive a little treat under their pillows.”
Both of my children beamed at the idea that they might wake up to a surprise! I tucked them into bed, read a story, and kissed them goodnight and then said, “Now, you cannot call for me after I say goodnight.” That’s when my son understood he couldn’t play the up and down game anymore. “But mommy,” he said. “What if I need you?” To that I replied, “Unless you have hurt yourself, you don’t need me. It’s time for sleep. But,?? I added to be fair “you can tell me you love me anytime.”
My children slept through that night. They woke up to a toy car, colored pencils or a small candy and were excited for another opportunity for the Sleep Fairy to visit. Some mornings they didn’t make it through the night and the Sleep Fairy did not come. They were disappointed but knew that they had another chance the following night to have a good night??s sleep.
You can employ the Sleep Fairy in your home by following these steps:
- Introduce the Sleep Fairy by saying something like, ??Did you know??????????????? that there is a fairy who helps little children get to sleep and stay??????????????? asleep. All we need to do is say out loud at bedtime, ??Sleep Fairy we need??????????????? help sleeping!?? Then you explain that the fairy will bring a gift or treat??????????????? and hide it under their pillow when they??ve accomplished their goal.
- Be reasonable by requesting specific, reachable goals that your??????????????? children can achieve. If your child wakes up 10 times a night, then the??????????????? Sleep Fairy should come is he only wakes 3 times. This goal would change??????????????? over time.
- Give clear instruction. Tell your child exactly what she has to do??????????????? to earn her prize. “When I say goodnight, you must remain??????????????? quiet.” Or, ??You can only wake me up two times during the night.??
- Reward every night. For the first 30 days, reward nightly to change??????????????? your child??s pattern.
- Change to an intermittent or random pattern after 30 days. Once you??????????????? see consistent sleep patterns, tell your children the Sleep Fairy must??????????????? help other children who have sleep problems. The Sleep Fairy will still??????????????? visit once in awhile (randomly). Or if your child is more into a schedule??????????????? then tell him the Sleep Fairy will visit every Wednesday (intermittently).
- Have your child write a thank you note to the Sleep Fairy.
- Invite the Sleep Fairy back when needed. Children go through stages.??????????????? Some stages bring back old sleep habits and before you know it you’re??????????????? sleepless again. Take this opportunity to call the Sleep Fairy back.??????????????? Follow the same pattern for saying goodbye.
My children call the Sleep Fairy back ever so often now that they are 6 and 9. My son Dylan usually says, “Mommy, I miss the Sleep Fairy. Can she come to visit?” And, guess what? She always does!
Besides being the optimal source of nutrition for your baby in her first year, nursing has obvious psychological benefits for both mother and baby. At birth, infants see only 12 to 15 inches, the distance between a nursing baby and its mother’s face. Studies have found that infants as young as 1 week prefer the smell of their own mother’s milk.
Many psychologists believe the nursing baby enjoys a sense of security from the warmth and presence of the mother, especially when there’s skin-to-skin contact during feeding. Parents of bottle-fed babies may be tempted to prop bottles in the baby’s mouth, with no human contact during feeding. But a nursing mother must cuddle her infant closely many times during the day. Nursing becomes more than a way to feed a baby; it’s a source of warmth and comfort.
When the baby is being fed and nurtured in this way, it??s natural for her to fall asleep quickly. When you know how much she can consume in one feeding, try to gently nudge her awake if she falls asleep too soon. You can easily rouse her with a little tickle of the feet.??? Otherwise, she??ll get hungry sooner and you??ll be feeding her more often.
Breast-feeding is good for new mothers as well as for their babies. There are no bottles to sterilize and no formula to buy, measure and mix. It may be easier for a nursing mother to lose the pounds of pregnancy as well, since nursing uses up extra calories. Lactation also stimulates the uterus to contract back to its original size.
A nursing mother is forced to get needed rest. She must sit down, put her feet up, and relax every few hours to nurse. Nursing at night is easy as well. No one has to stumble to the refrigerator for a bottle and warm it while the baby cries. If she’s lying down, a mother can doze while she nurses.