The following is a guest post from Whitney Roban, founder of Sleep-Eez Kidz.
The move from crib to bed - it’s something every parent fears. Will it disrupt the sleep pattern? Will I end up with a child in my bed every night? Is my baby growing up too fast? The questions go on and on.
It’s natural to worry about a big step like this, but you have to be strong and follow the ABCs of sleep training: be Assertive, Believe in yourself and your child that you can do this, and Commit to the transition.
I’m always wondering why I torture myself with having a baby monitor for the twins. I've come close to ditching it many times.
"A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book." - Irish Proverb
Update on my not-so-successful sleep training efforts….
After another night of drama and vomiting, I resumed my position and went back in tonight for story time, a pep talk, reassurance and bribery. I feel a bit like a confidence cheerleader, but seriously it’s been two weeks and I am trying anything and everything.
Rain’s closing tearful plea tonight - “Mommy why are you doing this to us?!?”
It’s 11:40 at night, David Letterman is on the tube and I am afraid to go to bed. I just finished a date night, got my fill of romance and I should be fast asleep, but instead I am awaiting the sound of footsteps to come stomping down the hallway. I’m ashamed to admit that we are back in the full swing of trying to sleep train our children.
Julie Cole is the co-founding VP of Mabel’s Labels, the leading provider of labels for the stuff kids lose!
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Nightmares occur in some children at various points in childhood. Sleep terrors or night terrors go beyond a typical nightmare to a confusing and upsetting state. Night terrors don't occur during REM sleep like nightmares. According to Kids Health by Nemours, sleep terrors are more of a reaction than an actual nightmare, usually occurring as the child moves to a different phase of sleep.
Each night in the U.S., more than 5 million children wet the bed, according to Medline Plus. Boys are more affected than girls. At the age of 7, 9 percent of boys still wet the bed, compared to 6 percent of girls. Bed wetting is involuntary urination that occurs at least twice per month, so it does not have to be a nightly occurrence for it to be considered bed wetting. There are steps you can take to help a child stop wetting his bed.
Bringing your child to bed with you may seem like the easiest thing to do when you're in desperate need of sleep and she wants to be close to you. This act, however, can spiral into the habit of your child not wanting to sleep alone. By encouraging her to sleep in her own bed, you can maintain a normal sleep routine, as well as nighttime privacy.
Involuntary urination during sleep is not uncommon. According to Medline Plus, over 5 million children in the United States wet the bed during the night. Most children outgrow bedwetting by the age of 5 or 6, but by the age of 10, 9 percent of boys and 6 percent of girls still wet the bed. Still, actions can be taken to reduce the risk of bedwetting.
