Sleep can be a significant challenge in some households, and let’s be honest, we all know how it feels to miss out on sleep. Going without good quality sleep for nights upon end can have a massive negative impact on the family dynamic. Young infants don’t sleep for long periods of time at the start, but heading towards six months onwards, it is reasonable for new parents to start to get longer, more consolidated stretches of sleep. Here are a few ideas to help the situation:
 
1. Regular sleep times are key
Waking and going to sleep around the same time every day helps to regulate the body clock and promote good sleep. However, all wake and sleep times are not equal, and the time that your baby wakes and sleeps has a significant impact on the quality of that sleep and, therefore, the duration. Waking by 7.30am is a good anchor to help get the day off to the right start, and most young children benefit from a bedtime in the region of 7-8pm. Remember, bedtime is 'asleep' time, not the time you start the process!
 
2. Ensure appropriate day time sleep
Young children require day time naps. It can be challenging, but most children - up to 80 percent - still require day sleep at age three and beyond. If your baby is under-slept during the daytime, then you may find that they wake more frequently overnight, and even stay awake for long periods overnight as a result. It’s a good idea to fill their day time sleep quota to promote great night time sleep.
 
3. Read the language for sleep
Knowing your baby’s sleepy cues can enable the onset of sleep, eliminating the fight out of going to sleep. Very often, parents misinterpret sleep signals and therefore end up trying to rest an overstimulated little person. Brief eye rubs, decreased activity and staring into space often represent sleep readiness and would be the optimum time to begin a sleep time. Intense eye rubs, big yawing, agitation and fussing are typically too far gone and may either cause a resistance to sleep and/or short naps and frequent night awakenings
 
4. Get out and about
Filling the fresh air and outdoor activity quota is important. Light plays a role in regulating sleeping patterns, and exposure to natural light - specifically in the afternoon - has been shown to help improve sleep. Aiming for 30 minutes in the morning and again in the afternoon is a good guide.
 
5. Have a feeding and sleeping balance to the day
Young children need feeding and sleeping frequently throughout the day. Once solid food is established, normally beyond six months, there may be a better structure to the day with your milk feeds factored in, also. Most children won’t sleep well if they are hungry, so make sure they are getting enough to eat and drink of the right kind of food, and that they are well hydrated, also.
 
6. Create a sleep inducing environment
Adequately dark, without distractions. Blackout blinds are a great solution for this, ideally used with a night light to alleviate separation anxiety and offset the use of bright external lights that can interfere with the sleep hormone, even whilst asleep. We all sleep better with quiet, cool and comfortable surroundings; your baby is the same. The ideal bedroom temperature is 16-20 degrees, and sleep and bed wear should be adjusted to the season
 
7. Have a peaceful bedtime ritual that signals to your baby 'it is time for sleep'
Do this in the bedroom, with the lights turned down. Your task here is to relax your baby in advance of sleep, but beware of putting them all the way to sleep at the same time. Young children who are parent-dependent at bedtime will be more likely to wake overnight than those who are not. Give your child the opportunity to perfect this skill set, in order to promote this ability.
 
 

The two-year sleep regression and a new baby
If your child has been sleeping and napping well but has recently turned two and also possibly become an older sibling, then that can be a good reason for sleep to fall apart. There is a sleep regression around two years of age and potential nap strike, along with a peek of separation anxiety-increased vocabulary; and mobility can also make this stage challenging. The emotional overload and change to the family dynamic when a new baby arrives can further exacerbate and unsettle previous good sleep habits. Any one of the above can be what I would call the elements of a perfect storm, and may make your good sleep habits seem like a distant memory.  
 
To start with, you will need to help your child understand that he is still a valued member of the family despite the fact that he now has to share your time and love. Increase the amount of one-to-one time with him - 20 minutes a day of undiluted, face-to-face time without modern life distractions can help to seal the secure bond. His biggest fear will be that you don’t love him anymore. Fill that gap.
 
Make sure that your timings for sleep are correctly applied - at two years of age, the best time for the nap is 12:30 - 1pm, for one to two hours. The longer and later the naps end, the better; so, close to 3pm can really mean that your child is well rested. Very often, when sleep falls apart for any reason, the tendency is to start limiting sleep and pushing out bedtimes. This can be unhelpful and actually fuel the cycle of problems.  
 
A sleep regression at this age can last two to six weeks in duration, and in that time you will need to be predictable and consistent and try not to ingrain any unwanted behaviour; but at the same time helping him feel safe and loved. This can be a fine line as, if he requires more support, you may find that the support can become conditioned and remain long after the regression has passed.
 
Add extra time to your bedtime routine. Weaken the parental input gradually as the weeks go by; my stay and support approach will help with this, and continue to make sure that he does not become overtired. Observing an early bedtime between 6 and 7pm for a while can really help, as well.  
Paediatric Sleep Consultant
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