Wellness

Is Your Child Sleep-Deprived?

Answered by Team ParentCircle

Q. My baby is 6 months old and I rock her to sleep. The problem is she takes a long time to fall asleep at night and I get exhausted by the end of it. My husband wants to sleep-train her, but I hear that it involves letting my baby cry for a long time. So, I am hesitant to try it. What is your advice?
 -Raagini, Bombay

I agree with your husband, you should try to sleep-train your daughter. Your baby likes the rocking and has gotten used to it. It will only get more difficult for you if you continue with this habit. I would suggest that you rock her for a few minutes, then put her down in her crib. If she cries, do not pick her up right away. If the crying persists for about five minutes or so, then rock her for some time and put her back in the crib again. Allowing your child to cry for some time will not cause any harm to her. Harden your heart and just do it.

Q. My son is a year and a half old and still wakes up three to four times in the night, breastfeeds, and goes back to sleep. What steps can we take to make sure he sleeps better? Some people are saying weaning him may help, but I am not sure if that will help solve the problem.
- Raghavi, Chennai

Children wake up in the middle of their sleep for many reasons, the most common one being hunger. So, please feed your child (breastfeed or give him something to eat or drink) before he goes to bed. Avoid breastfeeding him when he wakes up in the middle of the night. Instead, create alternative behavior like giving your child a pacifier or a bottle of water. When your child knows that he is not going to be able to breastfeed when he wakes up, he will start sleeping through the night. Another reason for children waking up at night is bedwetting (even if your child is wearing a diaper). So, check your child's diaper and make sure he is comfortable, and change it if needed.

Q. My one-year-old child sleeps for about 11 hours at night but hardly sleeps during the day. At best, it is for 30 minutes. I fear he is not getting enough sleep. How do I help him nap better during the day?
- Madhumitha, Coimbatore

Children have different sleep patterns. A one-year-old child should get about 12 to 14 hours of sleep. Your child is almost there. He is getting about 11.5 hours of sleep in total, which is acceptable. Going by what you are saying, it looks like your child is an early consolidator, which means he sleeps predominantly at night. This usually happens by 2 or 3 years of age. That's a good sign. So, there's nothing for you to worry.

Q. Can you describe a healthy bedtime routine? It is not easy to get my two-year-old daughter to bed. I want to make sure I am doing the right things as a parent.
- Ram, Hyderabad

You can read a book to your child or let your child listen to some soothing music (on a low volume). Make sure the lights are dimmed while doing these activities. Also, give your child a glass of milk at night to make sure she doesn't get hungry at night. Avoid exhausting routines such as rocking your child, as this may become an expected routine. It would be best to allow your child to sleep separately rather than co-sleeping in a bed.

Q. My daughter is a year and a half old. For the last four weeks, she has been going to sleep only at 3 a.m. and gets up around 11 a.m. We try putting her to sleep from about midnight. She takes a nap during the day from 3 p.m. to about 6 p.m. Earlier, she used to sleep from 11 p.m. to 9 a.m. We don't know what caused this sudden change, but we desperately need a solution!
- Prabhu, Chennai

It is hard to figure out what exactly caused the change in your child. But my first tip to you would be to completely avoid an afternoon nap for your child. Getting your child tired by the end of the day is key. If she skips her daytime nap, it is unlikely that she will stay awake till 3 a.m. At night, dim the lights, latest by 9. Make sure the environment is quiet; do not give toys. If you co-sleep with your child, I would suggest that you and your spouse go to bed after making sure your child is not in any discomfort. She will most likely follow suit soon enough.

About the author:

Dr Ramakrishnan is an American-Board certified sleep specialist and founder & director of Nithra Institute of Sleep Sciences, Chennai.

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