Part II of Our Sleep Series-Too Distracted to Sleep

05/24/2011

So you have endured the first three months, surviving on two-hour spurts of sleep. And you are looking forward to some longer stretches of sleep. How is that going to happen? It seems that something is changing in your baby. You used to be able to take her anywhere and she would sleep no matter where you were. However, since hitting the three month-mark, it is not as easy to port her around. She is more interested in her surroundings and is too distracted to sleep. So what do you do now?

Try to be at home when your child needs to nap. Letting your child fall asleep in the car or stroller at this age only makes things more difficult for you. Your child needs to start learning how to get herself to sleep or you will be the one doing it for a long time to come. Imagine sleeping on the floor of your toddler’s room while your husband has the whole bed to himself. Maybe that is why our country’s birth rate is only 1.6 children per family! So in order to help your child fall asleep on her own, she needs to be at home in her own bed. Initially, it may feel like you will never leave the house again, but this stage will be over before you know it.

From the Sleep Consultants, Allison Naidu and Adrienne MacQueen with Sleep Matters