In
the majority of cases, a baby’s biological clock is
preset for an early bedtime. When parents work with that time,
a baby falls asleep more easily and stays asleep more peacefully.
Most babies are primed to go to sleep for the night as early
as 6:30 or 7:00 p.m. I often hear about how babies and toddlers
have a “melt down” period at the end of the day,
when they get fussy, whiny and out of sorts. I suspect that
it’s simply a sign of over-tired children longing for
sleep.
Early
to bed, early to rise?
For
babies, early to bed does not mean early to rise! Most babies
sleep longer with an earlier bedtime. Many parents are afraid
to put their baby to bed so early, thinking that they will
then face a 5 a.m. wake up call. But keeping your little one
up too late backfires, and more often, a late night is the
one followed by that early morning awakening.
My
youngest child, two-year-old Coleton used to go to bed at
9:30, the time when my three older children went to bed, because
it was convenient for me. At that time in the evening, it
would take him a long time to get settled. I never connected
his inability to settle with his late bedtime. When I started
putting him to bed at 7:00, he fell asleep much more quickly
and slept more soundly.
What
About Working Parents?
If
you are a working parent, and your evening with your little
one begins at 6:30 or 7:00, you may find yourself torn between
keeping your baby up for some playtime and getting him right
to bed. You may find, though, that when your baby goes to
sleep earlier, and sleeps better, he awakens in a pleasant
mood, eager to play. Because you have gotten a good night’s
sleep, you can consider getting up earlier in the morning
and saving some time before work to play with your baby, as
an alternative to that late-evening play session. You’ll
both enjoy that special morning time. Later, when your baby
is consistently sleeping all night, every night, you can move
bedtime a little later and judge whether the difference affects
your baby’s sleep.
Finding
Your Baby’s Best Bedtime
It
can take some experimentation to find your baby’s best
bedtime. If you have been putting your baby to bed too late
in the evening, you can approach this adjustment in one of
two different ways:
- Adjust
your baby’s bedtime to be earlier by fifteen to
thirty minutes every two or three nights. Pay attention
to how easily your baby falls asleep as well as his awakening
time and mood to gauge the effectiveness of the changes
until you settle on his best bedtime, or
- Beginning
at around 6:30 p.m., watch your baby closely. As soon
as he exhibits any signs of tiredness (fussing, losing
interest in toys, looking glazed, yawning) put him right
to bed, even if his previous bedtime has been 11:00 p.m.
When you do this, keep your home quiet and the baby’s
room dark so that it resembles his usual environment in
the middle of the night. If this bedtime is substantially
earlier than usual, your baby may think he’s going
down for a nap and awaken after a short snooze. If he
does this, respond very quickly so that he doesn’t
fully awaken. Follow your usual method for helping him
fall back to sleep, such as rocking or nursing; keep the
room dark and quiet as you do during the middle of the
night.
Here’s
what Tammy, mother of seven-month-old Brooklyn had to say
about changing her baby’s bedtime, “I had been
waiting until 10:00 to put Brooklyn to bed because that’s
when I go to sleep. But your suggestion made so much sense
that last night I put her down at 8:00. I loved having the
evening to spend with my husband. We haven’t spent that
much time alone together in months! And the baby actually
had a better night’s sleep. I’m happy that all
our needs can be met in such a pleasant way.”
It
may take a week or more of adjustment to settle into a new
bedtime, but once you do, you’ll find that both you
and your baby are happier.
Excerpted
with permission by McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Publishing from
The
No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep
Through the Night
by Elizabeth Pantley, copyright 2002
