Wendy Owen

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

Full time mums can usually struggle by as they can catch up with some sleep 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.

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 addicted to sleeping pills for the rest of his life. When he turns into an adult, he may never be able to develop a healthy sleep routine.

There is no sleeping pill that has ever been tested on babies or young children. Some over-the-counter medications, for example Sominex or Nytol, can have the opposite effect and they can actually act as a stimulant. Getting baby to sleep with these types of medications is almost impossible.

It's easy to criticize these parents, but we should also sympathize with them as they're probably at the end of their rope. Parents around the world are searching for the latest tips and techniques, hoping for some new information. Millions of dollars are spent each year with just the one aim - getting baby to sleep.

The main problems are:

- Baby naps all day and is wide awake at night.

- Baby goes to sleep quite easily, but wakes up frequently.

- Baby screams when put to bed each night and becomes very distraught.

Full time mums can usually struggle by as they can catch up with some rest during the day. For those who work full time outside the home however, it can be very difficult.

If you're one of these parents, this was written just for you. There are ways out of this trap, so don't despair, you may find it less traumatic than you expected.

Try these techniques, they really do work...

Crying it out - This one's not for the faint hearted! Crying it out means allowing baby to cry for an agreed amount of time before seeing to him. As you progress, the time between visits increases. Tough love indeed, but it does work! Sooner or later baby will realize that crying isn't working so he may as well just go to sleep.

Now this is probably not for everyone. However balance this with the fact that, in the long term, you're setting baby up with good sleep habits.

A sleep routine - Keep it as simple as possible. A bath, a bedtime story and a cuddle make a good simple routine. 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 one is a boon for busy parents. Herbal and homeopathic remedies are a far better and safer option to drugs for getting baby to sleep.

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