Sleep Strategies
There are plenty of programs to help you get your baby to sleep just a little longer; some may work for your new baby but won't work for your next one. Some may seem remarkably sensible to you, but to someone else they may seem crazy.
Before exploring the different programs, let's look at the relative importance of sleep issues. You may read that it is important for your baby to learn to fall asleep by herself because learning this will make her self-reliant. You may also read that babies will sleep more soundly if alone in a crib.
Whatever the program or strategy, you've got to decide what works best for you and your baby. No one practice will work for every baby. Rather, it's what works best with this specific child. Don't be intimidated just because a program is very popular. If a program makes you uncomfortable, try something different.
Tried and True
In addition to structured sleep methods, there are some simple practices that, while they won't work for all babies, should prove helpful and work for yours. When your baby is a newborn, let her fall asleep in your arms, then gently put her down (on her back) in the crib, keeping one hand on her chest the whole time. Place both hands on her for a moment after she's down, and then lift them very slowly.
Keeping your baby awake when she's tired during the day will not make her sleep better at night — it will just make her crankier. Nap timing does have an effect, however, and you'll be much better off if your baby takes an afternoon nap than if she stays awake all afternoon and falls asleep at 5
You don't have to turn your house into a library when your baby is sleeping — let the radio play, the dishes clatter, and the doorbell ring. She'll quickly learn to sleep through the noise, and you'll be able to relax instead of tiptoeing around.
The Real World
In the real world, mothers are reading stacks of books about sleep, talking about it with their friends, and doing whatever works for them. Sometimes, of course, they don't tell anybody about it, feeling guilty that they aren't following the rules. “Sure my baby is sleeping through the night,” a mom you meet at the park will tell you, not bothering to mention that her definition of “through the night” is midnight to 4
A 2007 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that parents were more likely to report insufficient sleep than adults without children. Mothers, particularly unmarried mothers, mentioned insufficient sleep more often than fathers. Insufficient sleep was reported by nearly 36 percent of unmarried mothers and almost 34 percent of married mothers.
