There was never a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him to sleep – Ralph Waldo Emerson
In those wee morning hours when my daughter has her hand draped across my chest, her breath on my face, I almost forget about the bedtime battle the night before. Co-sleeping with my infant children was heavenly. It helped me nurse them on demand, which in turn, helped us all sleep a bit more. We also established an incredible, unshakeable bond.
But somewhere between infancy and kindergarten, co-sleeping began to interrupt our sleep…all of our sleep. WebMD has a wonderful article about Healthy Sleep in Children, including the consequences of sleep disturbances (i.e. fatigue, difficulty with attention, behavior challenges, and interference with learning). Despite the fact that the four of us sleep in a generous king size bed, our children are taller and move around much more than they did when they were babies. In an effort to help my children learn to fall and stay asleep independently, we started implementing a few changes. Here are my best tips for families struggling with the issue of sleep:
1. Establish a bedtime routine – We try to be consistent with how and when we put our children to sleep
2. Give kids a warm bath to settle and soothe them
3. Co-sleeping families looking to move their children out of the bedroom should ensure children start out in their own beds
4. Read a story while children are in their beds
5. Use a nightlight, if children are fearful of the dark
6. Consider use of white noise
7. Avoid liquids, sugar, and other stimulants at least an hour or two before bedtime
One of the things we’ve been trialing with our kids is the use of white noise. My husband and I started sleeping with a fan several years ago because the AC in our apartment didn’t always cool our bedroom effectively. But when winter came and we didn’t need the fan, I noticed that I actually needed that fan for the white noise aspect.
Photo: Marpac
Recently, we received a Dohm Sound Conditioner, which has been deemed the the official sound conditioner of the National Sleep Foundation. This compact, easy-to-use machine features two speeds and both the tone and volume can be altered by twisting the top of the machine. It’s simple but effective, and works to block out everything from city noise to snoring. While it’s a bit difficult to actually describe what it sounds like, a rush of air is probably the most descriptive. We have found that white noise has been incredibly beneficial for helping our entire family get much needed sleep.
What are your best tips for getting your children to fall and stay asleep? Would love to hear your tips and advice!
No compensation was received for this post. I received a Dohm Sound Conditioner which helped facilitate this review.
Photo via Rockin’ Mama: All rights reserved.
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