Just as sleeping is important for your baby, it’s also necessary that parents know how to help their babies sleep efficiently. The good news is that with the advancement of technology, it is rather easy to get information from all over the internet. We’re here to let you know that you’re not alone in training your baby to sleep properly.
Equipment for Baby Sleep
Mastering the art of baby sleep is arguably one of the hardest challenges for those who have just begun their parenthood journey. The good news is that there are lots of gadgets and items that you can use to ease the process. The following pieces of equipment are some of the best guarantees that your baby gets the sleep he or she needs.
Blackout Shade
Natural light is an integral part of a baby’s developmental process. However, an excessive amount of this may hinder the body’s secretion of melatonin, which is what tells our body that it needs sleep.
To prevent that from happening, blackout curtains on the windows of your baby’s room are extremely helpful.
Baby Monitor System
Not all parents are thrilled about the use of gadgets for their babies. However, a baby monitor system is essential, especially if you’re practicing certain sleep training methods.
A receiver is placed in your room, while a transmitter is placed in your baby’s room. This will let you know if your baby suddenly wakes up in the middle of the night while you’re not in the same room.
Humidifier
Moisture in your baby’s room is quite important for your baby’s sleep as this helps prevent a runny or stuffy nose. This level of comfort can be provided by a humidifier. Aside from that, a humidifier also helps with keeping mosquitoes away from your baby’s room. However, a humidifier can only do so much. If problems with pests and insects persist, make sure that you consult professional services for mosquito control to get rid of them once and for all.
Sound Machine
White noise can be really helpful for your baby’s sleep. This can be provided by a sound machine. Whether it’s for classical music, nature sounds, or nursery songs, a soft and gentle sound in the background is sometimes what keeps your baby asleep even when you’re away.
Different Sleep Training Methods
There isn’t one sleep training method that can guarantee your baby will achieve a complete sleep cycle regularly. Sleep training takes patience and continuity to ensure that your baby develops the right sleeping pattern.
To help with that, here are four of the most common sleep training methods practiced by parents from all around the globe.
CIO
This stands for “cry it out,” and this method is otherwise known as the extinction method. The main purpose of this method is to get your baby used to the practice of sleeping alone.
Instead of going back into the room in intervals, CIO suggests that once you leave your baby, let him or her cry it out through the night. There is much controversy that surrounds this method because of the amount of crying involved. This is also the reason why some parents are hesitant to practice it.
Chair Method
The chair method is one of the most effective sleep training techniques, but it requires extra effort and discipline from the parents. The entire method may last for up to two weeks before it’s completed.
Once you’ve put your baby to sleep, you sit on a chair next to the crib. You may leave the room once your baby is asleep but make sure that you return and sit back down if your baby wakes up. The following night, move the chair a little further from the crib. Increase the distance in small intervals every night until the chair is outside the room.
Pick-up, Put-down
The pick-up, put-down method is most effective for babies under seven months old. This technique believes in the principle that a parent’s job is to calm the baby, but it’s the baby’s job to fall asleep.
Basically, when you lay your baby down to sleep, you just stand near the crib and pat them when they start making noise. When they begin to cry, pick them up until they’ve calmed down, and put them back down to the crib to resume sleep.
Gone are the days when you had to take care of your baby without knowledge, support, and experience. With all the equipment and techniques we’ve developed over the past years, sleep training for babies has made it easier for parents to ensure that their baby grows healthily.
