Toddler Sleep Question: My Toddler Needs to Be Rocked to Sleep All the Time!

Posted December 7, 2010 by KimWest & filed under Baby Won't Sleep.

This week's Toddler Sleep Question for The Sleep Lady: "I have made the mistake of rocking my now 13 month old to sleep. If I attempt to put him in his crib sleepy but awake he will stand and start crying. If I try to lie him back down or soothe him without picking him up he only gets madder. Any advice on breaking the habit of rocking to sleep? He wakes several times a night and will not go back to sleep unless he is rocked to sleep and will often wake when I try to put him back down. My husband and I get about 4 hours of sleep a night. I can't do this anymore and need your help!!" -Seneca Dear Seneca- It sounds like your son is finally on to you! You can no longer trick him by rocking him and putting him in to the crib asleep. This day was going to come and now it’s time to address it head on! Start on a day of good naps (any way you can get them) which for his age means a total of 2.5 hrs. Then plan on an early enough bedtime – usually between 7-7:30pm at his age. Make sure you have a nice, long and comforting bedtime routine. You can incorporate a wee bit of walking or rocking in it; just don’t let it be the sleep crutch. A few minutes in the rocking chair while you read a book, or a brief... more

Tips for When More than One Child or Baby Won’t Sleep

Posted May 6, 2010 by KimWest & filed under Baby Won't Sleep.

What can you do when your baby won't sleep? Many tired parents call me for help in getting all their children to sleep better! Some are upset that they have repeated a negative sleep habit with their second child and others find their level of sleep deprivation from having two children up at night who won't sleep more than they can bear. All of these parents notice that it is affecting their mood, their marriage and their children's temperaments. I remind these parents that is never too late to improve your children's sleep habits-yes, it may take longer with an older child and or be more challenging to sleep coach two children than one-but not impossible! I will not be able to give all the details of how to sleep coach more than one child in this article. I am hoping this article will compliment my book and help parents when baby won't sleep, and who are already familiar with my Shuffle techniques. There are many variations on sleep problems with more than one child so I will try to briefly address as many as I can. Here goes! When Baby Won't Sleep: Separate Bedrooms and Sleep Coaching More Than One Child If your children are in separate bedrooms then you can sleep coach them both using my Shuffle techniques at... more

How The Sniffles Can Mess Up Your Toddler and Baby’s Sleep Patterns

Posted March 1, 2009 by KimWest & filed under Baby Sleep, Baby Sleep Problems, Baby Won't Sleep, Newborn Sleep, Toddler Sleep Problems.

How the Sniffles Can Mess Up Your Toddler and Baby's Sleep Patterns - Guest Post by Lewis J. Kass, MD For those of us who were forced to take physics in high school or college, you may recall a physical property related to the flow of air through a tube. That property stated that as a tube became more and more narrow, the harder it was for air to flow through that tube. That difficulty worsened exponentially the smaller that tube became. Then as if we thought we'd never need to understand that principle beyond the final exam, suddenly we have a baby or young child with a stuffy nose from a cold or from allergies. It then makes a ton of sense how that little stuffy nose results in a terrible night's sleep. If it's hard for air to get passed that swollen nose then it's hard to breathe. If it's hard to breathe then we can't possibly be comfortable enough to sleep. Because our babies and toddlers and young children have such little noses and airways to begin with, any extra swelling, narrowing or obstruction takes a tremendous toll especially on sleep patterns. With this in mind, there are numerous respiratory conditions throughout infancy and childhood that wind up being particularly problematic for sleep. ... more

How to End Night Feedings After Six Months Old

Posted March 1, 2008 by KimWest & filed under Baby Won't Sleep.

The most common problem by far that I have encountered with children and behavioral sleep disorders is that most children who experience problems falling asleep have never learned to fall asleep without a breast or bottle in their mouths. This problem of needing this sleep crutch (noshing to fall asleep) compounds as they get older and no longer physically need a bottle or breast before going to sleep. As they become toddlers, they are not equipped with the necessary tools and habits to put themselves to sleep. The good news is that it's never too late to address the problem of baby feeding at night and remedy it. I decided to address this topic after several requests were sent to Snooze Week asking for help with this issue. I may have "bitten off more than I can chew" though (ha ha), as this topic is so immense, based on your child's present individual habits and age. Therefore, I must begin this article by saying all of these general suggestions are for healthy children over the age of six months who have recently been to a doctor that has eliminated any health reasons for needing to eat in the middle of the night. Let's begin by addressing your child's hunger clock, making sure she is taking in most of her... more

Creating A Secure Mother-Baby Attachment

Posted November 6, 2007 by KimWest & filed under Baby Won't Sleep.

Many of the families Peter and I have worked with in our practices tell us they have been influenced by literature referring to "attachment theory". I spent some time writing about this in "Good Night, Sleep Tight", but I thought it would be helpful to write more about how to create a balanced, secure mother-baby attachment with your child. We will start with sharing a case example (names and details have been changed). It was Wednesday afternoon when Karen arrived for her first visit. She was in her early thirties, married, attractive, college educated, well spoken and successful in her career outside the home. She talked about all the positive things happening in her life. Karen had a lot going for her. She had a happy marriage, a healthy 6 month old daughter that she and her husband had longed for, rewarding work, a comfortable home life and good friends. I asked Karen what brought her into therapy. Tears began to roll down her cheeks and she said, "I am embarrassed to say this, but I don't know how to mother my child. I am not sure what I am doing. I am afraid that I am messing up my daughter and she will not love me. I want to bond and have a loving relationship with her, but I have no idea how to do it." Having... more

“My Baby Fights Sleep” – Sleep Coaching the Super Alert Child

Posted April 6, 2007 by KimWest & filed under Baby Won't Sleep.

Sometimes I hear parents --those who haven't tried my system predict that it could not possibly work for their child, that it would only work for "easy" or "mellow" babies. It can work for all children - including some babies, toddlers and preschoolers with special emotional needs or physical challenges. Patience and consistency are important for sleep-shaping with any child, but are particularly essential in dealing with these more alert or spirited youngsters. If your child has a physical disorder or disease, work with your doctors to address it, and then use my system to help your child catch up on the sleep-learning he or she missed during his illness. It¡¦s been a useful approach even for children with serious diseases like cystic fibrosis. Sleep Coaching the Super Alert Child It's true that some unusually alert, bright and aware babies and toddlers do have a little more trouble learning to sleep. These children often reach physical milestones, like walking, on the early side. They tend to have slightly disturbed sleep as well. Temperamentally, they may be the kind of children who know what they want and when they want it, and are willing to hold out until they get it. That¡¦s a great quality in an adult... more

Toddler Sleep Question: My Toddler Needs to Be Rocked to Sleep All the Time!

Tips for When More than One Child or Baby Won’t Sleep

How The Sniffles Can Mess Up Your Toddler and Baby’s Sleep Patterns

How to End Night Feedings After Six Months Old

Creating A Secure Mother-Baby Attachment

“My Baby Fights Sleep” – Sleep Coaching the Super Alert Child

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