Parenting Article: Routines Are Best

By: Tonic Gifts

Being a mother is not an easy job but being a mother of a baby or toddler who won't go to sleep is even more difficult.

Sleep deprivation is not healthy for anyone and it stops you from being able to function to the best of your ability or even to make accurate decisions. It is of course made even more difficult when you have to return to work while the baby is still young and you are not getting as much sleep as you require to do the job.

We all want to do the best for our child and methods such as demand feeding are used with the best of intentions but often they can hinder the rest and sleep patterns of both the mother and the child, particularly as the baby gets older.

Getting your child into an early routine will be best in the long run but often it can be tough for mothers, particularly first time mums, when the cries start. The term early by no means refers to a baby in the first few weeks of its life. Once you know your baby's habits and how they are going to respond then you can start to create a routine for them. You may find that they require you to be in the same room when they settle and gradually you can increase the distance between you and your child.

When a baby cries, our first instinct is to pick up them up but once you have checked that they are warm, fed, dry and in no pain then a little crying is all part and parcel of being a baby - provided it is not left to cry for an extended period. If you manage to successfully get your child into a routine early then you may find that the only time you struggle in getting your baby to sleep is when they move to a "big" bed or when they are ill.

Establishing the patterns again for a child may be necessary but once instilled in them, they will eventually settle down. Once your child hits the toddler stage and you have no established routine then it can be even more difficult to settle a child. It may take a couple of weeks or even a month or two before your hard work will pay off. But the silence after 8.30pm and the childless beds will definitely be worth it.

Playing music, a night light or even giving your child a night time bath can be a big help to settle a child but once you decide what you are going to do then stick to it. The bedtime routine should be just that - a routine. Clean the teeth, read a few books, give a bottle or a drink - whatever is required and then leave. Once they have cried for a few minutes, go back in, check they are okay and leave again. Perseverence is the key and once you have established their sleeping routines, you will be wondering why you didn't do it earlier.

There are of course many books written on the subject and it is just a matter of finding a method which will suit you and that you are most comfortable with.

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