THE BABY SLEEP QUEEN

Is it possible to teach your baby to sleep on their own; the whole night, in their bed without being held or without depending on the boob?

Esther Kinuthia of Baby Insight swears it’s possible. But it takes practice! More practice and a lot of patience. Getting babies to sleep better is one area that her company is very passionate about.

Just like any new parent, Esther went through her baby’s unpredictable sleeping patterns and cries and she says it almost drover her insane. From the experience, it made her conscious of the beauty and challenges of parenting. She was lucky to have a background in Psychology which made it easier to understand some of the things she was going through as she raised her son- and she admits that sometimes it was about learning the hard way.

She wished there was someone, an expert perhaps to help out. With this experience and her psychology background, she vowed to find a way to get her son to sleep better, which she succeeded at – and was inspired to incorporate the same in her parenting company Baby Insight and help other parents succeed at getting their babies and kids to sleep better.

Her goal is to share information and empower other parents on matters sleep and raising children so that they could possibly have an easier time than she did, Sharing with them nuggets of wisdom and practical tips to make the parenting journey especially at the beginning, much easier.

 

So is it possible to train your baby to sleep? Esther says absolutely yes!

During the early days of life with a newborn, you’re focused on what’s best for the baby, so sleepless nights seem like a small price to pay. And as weeks go by, waking up every few hours starts to get tiresome and frustrating.

As the months roll by, you start pretending to be asleep hoping that your partner will get up.

You are too tired to keep making the trips from the baby’s bed to yours and you begin to deal with a whole new challenge of co-sleeping. Most nights you hardly get enough sleep and its start affecting other aspects of your life.

What can you do?

Esther recommends that you teach your baby as early as you can to sleep the whole night and alone. This is beneficial not only for the baby but also for you.

For mum, good sleep allows your body to rejuvenate, enhances optimal emotional and physical performance, will keep your mood positive, and improve your alertness, health and immunity. And importantly it will enhance the interaction with your baby as you bond better.

For your baby, good sleep promotes growth and immunity. The baby is more alert with a higher attention span and will likely have a better mood. With good sleep, the baby develops better as it improves their overall health and wellbeing.

HOW DO YOU SLEEP TRAIN?

It is best to start early between 4 to 6 months because at this age most babies may not need night feeds.

Below is a general indication of how much sleep babies and kids of various ages should get.

Age	Total Sleep Hrs	Night sleep	Naps
4 months	16 –18 hrs	8 – 9 hrs	7-9 hrs (3-5 naps)
4-12 months	12-16 hrs	9-10 hrs	4-5 hrs (2-3 naps)
1-2 years	11-14 hrs	11 hrs	2-3 hrs (2 naps)
3-5 years	10-13 hrs	10-11 hrs	0-1 hr
6-12 years	9-12 years	10-11 hrs	0

To achieve success in sleep training it’s important for mums and dads to understand the dynamics of sleep and what goes on in each stage.

It’s important to understand your child’s preferences or personal routine, address mother-child bonding issues and have an activity schedule e.g. feeds and most importantly try to remain relaxed through the training process.

Having a Sleep ritual also comes in handy. Have a plan and a routine in place. Create time to unwind and ensure you have put in place a conducive sleep environment which could include dim lights and no noise.

Create a routine that works for you. It can include things like bath time, comfortable bedtime clothes, a story, a final feeding, a massage, or anything else

Stick with the routine. Everybody loves knowing ‘what next’ and this also applies to kids, it creates a sense of control and security.

LET’S START FROM THE BEGINNING …

Below is a sample sleep time table

The best sleep position?

On back

       Why?It keeps the baby’s airway open

 BABY INSIGHT CAN HELP YOU SLEEP TRAIN YOUR BABY …

This can make the learning process easier for you as Esther shares with you expert information from which you can make an informed choice of what works for you and your baby.

During the process Esther helps mum and dads understand the science and psychology of sleep, walk with them through the journey starting from understanding their background including the mother’s pregnancy journey, current environment and support system as well as assessing the baby’s general health.

Baby Insight services include designing a schedule, providing practical demonstrations and shadowing you during the process until you succeed and providing emotional and psychological support during the journey. Esther will show you how it’s done.

GET IN TOUCH …

            Email: esther@hisia.co.ke

            Tel: +254(0)738809667

            FB: Baby Insight

            YouTube: Parenting with Baby Insight