Baby Care: Ssssh, The Scoop on Sleep
Article featured in: OC Family | OC Register
Bloodshot eyes and fuzzy thinking are typical hallmarks of
early parenthood. And it’s no surprise — 43 percent of new parents get only one
to three hours of uninterrupted sleep per night according to a study
commissioned by Owlet Baby Care. Because newborns wake up every two to three
hours, getting baby to sleep promptly can have a huge impact on everyone’s
overall wellbeing.
To help parents find a few extra zzz’s in their nighttime
routine and shed light on the basics on newborn sleep, we sat down with
Michelle S. Donaghy, MSD Baby Sleep Coach. Based in Brea California, she is a
certified Gentle Sleep Coach who has helped several hundred families implement
better sleep practices.
OCF: What are the sleep cycles like for newborns?
Michelle S. Donaghy: Newborns sleep a lot but their
sleep is not well developed or organized. So you may not even realize it, but
they are getting about 15 to 18 hours in a 24-hour period as sleep usually
comes in small increments.
In the early stages, newborns spend about half of their
sleep in the active kind of sleep called REM. In REM sleep, they are more
easily aroused and are sleeping lightly. Babies also cycle between REM
and non-REM more than adults do and every time they switch they have a partial
awakening.
OCF: What are some easy ways to help baby fall back to
sleep?
Donaghy: Allowing baby the opportunity to work it out and
put themselves back to sleep is always best. If baby never learns how to
get back to sleep after partial arousal independently, they most likely won’t
learn to sleep through the night.
If baby is fully awake and crying, go to them and soothe
with techniques such as patting, shushing, stroking, or diaper change and
re-swaddling.
Then put baby back in their bed. Sometimes less is more, and
all baby needed was to be re-swaddled before being put back into their bed to
fall asleep.
It’s OK to stay cribside until baby dozes off, but the
middle of the night is not the time for playtime or awake time.
OCF: What kind of routine should parents implement before
putting a newborn down to sleep?
Donaghy: Newborns don’t need a lot of preparation for sleep.
But a consistent bedtime and a few simple steps leading up to bedtime will help
set the stage to regulate and improve sleep.
The simple steps could be going to the bedroom, changing
into pajamas and a clean diaper, swaddle, darkened the room, turn on white
noise, a pre-bedtime feed and rock or hold them in your arms to the point of
drowsiness but not fully asleep then put baby down into the crib and let baby
finish falling asleep in the sleeping space.
OCF: Do you have any advice for parents who are lacking in
sleep?
Donaghy: My best suggestion would be to have a bedtime
routine of their own. Set a timer when you will turn off all electronics
that is at least 60 minutes before you would like to fall asleep.
The ideal bedtime for most adults is to be asleep between 10
and 11 p.m. Having a little routine with something relaxing like reading, yoga
or listening to meditation is very helpful in getting the body ready for sleep
at night.
Other tips would be for parents to take turns attending to a
child who is not sleeping through the night.
Co-Author: Jenna L. Jones is an editor and journalist who
writes about everything from tech startups to beachside weddings. She regularly
enjoys a crisp glass of chardonnay with her husband and two lazy dogs at her
home in Long Beach, California. Follow her on Twitter @JLJonesOCR
Co-Author: Michelle S. Donaghy founder of MSD Baby Sleep and
Certified Gentle Sleep Coach.
Article featured in OC Family | OC Register - Baby
Care: Ssssh, The Scoop on Sleep -
March 14, 2019
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