Getting uninterrupted 8 hours of sleep was a distant memory when I first had Cassie. When one becomes a new mom, she would do anything in exchange for a good night sleep. I, for instance became a little sad about this reality. Im sure babies are all ohh and awww because they are cute but the first few weeks with Cassie isn't a walk in the park and I'm sure I am not alone in this. I read just about every stuff I could find online about pregnancy but in pure heedlessness, I shove off articles about what to do after giving birth! Nobody cared to welcome me in this whole sleep deprivation party but Cassie!
I am no expert but I happen to put an end to it by training Cassie on how to sleep through the night. I love girl empowerment and I appreciate it when an ex colleague of mine at work messaged me on Facebook. She shared how she trained her baby to sleep through the night. I will share the tips because, who wants to look like a zombie?
It is important to note that babies come out of this world without any idea of how a day and night works and most of the time, they are wide awake during the night. C'mon, be honest. You don't want to play and cuddle a baby when you are dead-tired and sleepy! Do not fret though, babies also come out very much eager to learn and absorb a gazillion of things. They are born to be smart, so take advantage! They are the best student you could ever dream of. They will definitely commit to memory! Mom, you have to train her the difference between day and night. You have to magnify every activity that is appropriate for the day and the night.
TIP 1. Communicate. Because Cassie has a yaya, I talked to everyone at home about my plan. You adults should be in sync in attaining a specific goal-- BABY HAS SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT, right? Communicate and verbalize what you want and how it will be done. To better reinforce what I want for Cassie and for everyone to follow, I list down the activities or things appropriate during the day and the night. I created a column on what to do during the day with Cassie and what NOT to do during the night. I pasted it on the wall of our bedroom where everyone can see it and be guided by it.
TIP 2. Consistency. They say that it takes about 21 days to make a habit. Well, for starters, like babies perhaps -- it only takes atleast 7 days! I remember Cassie doing great as early as 4th day of taining! So mom, do not break it, keep the ball running, be patient and go through it day by day and night after night. All of your hard work will payoff and the fruit of your labor is.. umm a sweet sleep in the night!
TIP 3. The Module. So what do you train your baby? All you have to do is establish activities for her. And because I didn't have any idea on what to do when Cassie would start being on active mode at 2 AM I disturb her whenever she sleeps during the day and I realize that I am doing it all wrong. She wouldn't be disturbed anyway. She used to sleep straight for 14 hours during the day. I was completely strung out of this idea but I realized that it is normal for babies to sleep like a... baby?! They have to keep up and grow so its normal for them to have longer sleeps on their first month so I let her be. Going back, you don't have to destroy her "me" time during the day, little angel can still sleep whenever she pleases but all you have to do is to turn on a soft music, make the room as bright as possible and most importantly do not whisper when talking. Talk with your normal volume but of course do not shout as it will startle your baby. What I especially do is have her sleep in the living room and I play movies with moderate volume. She can still sleep peacefully though but she was getting the hang of it that daytime means everyone is awake and it is bright. All you have to do is emphasize these activities so that the baby would associate noise and bright lights to DAY.
Cont...
When the night comes, set a specific time every night for a "bath". Cassie's "punas" time is at 8 pm. I am all for this and this isn't harmful to babies unless you do not use lukewarm water. With all the activities during the day-- the sweat, people kissing the baby, the spilled milk, baby's saliva and diaper changes, the baby would most likely feel uncomfortable, sticky and might be fussy during the night. It makes alot of sense to do this! After bath,we would play a little and during the sleep time around past 8pm, I turn off all lights. Do not worry, they wont have any idea about ghosts so its ok to make the room pitch black or you can have a little lamp so that you can see how your baby is doing. Keep the room silent and ditch those soft lullaby music and most importantly, say your goodnight with a gentle kiss and DO NOT TALK TO HER. You have to create an environment that is very opposite of the day so that the baby can tell the difference and can associate the night for sleeping. When I first started this, Cassie of course would still wake up at dawn but I dont talk to her, I hushed her to sleep and i would even carry her but I do not talk to her until she falls asleep. What I did before when she starts waking up was to talk to her, put on some videos on my fone to have her watch nursery rhymes, I didnt know Im doing it all wrong.
Cont...
When the night comes, set a specific time every night for a "bath". Cassie's "punas" time is at 8 pm. I am all for this and this isn't harmful to babies unless you do not use lukewarm water. With all the activities during the day-- the sweat, people kissing the baby, the spilled milk, baby's saliva and diaper changes, the baby would most likely feel uncomfortable, sticky and might be fussy during the night. It makes alot of sense to do this! After bath,we would play a little and during the sleep time around past 8pm, I turn off all lights. Do not worry, they wont have any idea about ghosts so its ok to make the room pitch black or you can have a little lamp so that you can see how your baby is doing. Keep the room silent and ditch those soft lullaby music and most importantly, say your goodnight with a gentle kiss and DO NOT TALK TO HER. You have to create an environment that is very opposite of the day so that the baby can tell the difference and can associate the night for sleeping. When I first started this, Cassie of course would still wake up at dawn but I dont talk to her, I hushed her to sleep and i would even carry her but I do not talk to her until she falls asleep. What I did before when she starts waking up was to talk to her, put on some videos on my fone to have her watch nursery rhymes, I didnt know Im doing it all wrong.
Like what I said, I am no expert on this and I am just sharing my experience. I am not quite sure if there is a best time to start this DAY VS NIGHT Training to babies but I started training Cassie a little after she turned one month. At that time, I cannot wait for another month of not having a good sleep so I decided to start it right away. This decision helped me alot knowing that I had to go back to work after Cassie turns 2 months! With my understanding, perseverance, patience and faith to God, I can now sleep through the night. Cassie proved me that babies are real smart. Cassie is happy, Momma is happy!
Let her sleep for when she wakes,
she will move mountains!
she will move mountains!
