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Trouble Getting Baby To Sleep? Here's What Not To Do

By Wendy Owen

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Published: 18Feb2009
Word count: 471
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It always troubles me to hear that there are parents using sleep medications for getting baby to sleep. Not just for baby's welfare but for the parents as well. Sleeping pills can be deadly for infants and small children for the following reasons:

Your child could be in for a lifetime of sleeping pill addiction. When he turns into an adult, he may never be able to develop a healthy sleep routine.

No sleeping drug has ever been tested on a baby or young child. In the case of some over-the-counter medications containing histamines (Nytol or Sominex), the effects can be reversed and they can act as a stimulant. Getting baby to sleep with these medications is virtually impossible.

However these unfortunate parents deserve sympathy rather than condemnation because they're usually at their wits end. Parents around the world are searching for the latest tips and techniques, hoping for some new information. Thousands of dollars are spent annually with just one aim - getting baby to sleep.

The main problems are:

- Baby sleeps all day and stays awake all night.
- Baby goes to sleep but won't stay asleep.
- Baby becomes very distraught when put to bed at night and screams loudly.

Full time mums can usually struggle by as they can catch up with some rest during the day. For those parents who have full time work outside the home, however, it can be a very long and hard road.

And if you're one of these parents then this was written especially for you, so don't despair, because there is a way out of the sleeping pill trap and it probably isn't as traumatic as you think.

Here's some techniques that actually work...

Crying it out - This one's not for the faint hearted! It involves leaving your baby to cry for a set amount of time before going in to see to him. As you progress, the time between visits increases. Tough love indeed, but it does work! Eventually baby will learn that his crying isn't getting him anywhere so he gives up and goes to sleep.

Now I realize that's probably not everyone's cup of tea. However balance this with the fact that, in the long term, you're setting baby up with good sleep habits.

A sleep routine - It doesn't have to be complicated. A bath followed by a cuddle and a short bedtime story will work well. It's best not to include any games or stimulating activities in the sleep routine and be sure to do it every night in the same order.

Natural remedies - This is a good idea for very busy parents. Homeopathic or herbal remedies are a much better and safer option to chemical sleep medications for getting baby to sleep.

Need advice on getting baby to sleep? To find out more about safe natural sleep solutions visit Getting Baby to Sleep Wendy Owen (HH Dip) is a holistic health therapist and sleep researcher with an extensive knowledge in homeopathic and herbal remedies.

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