Silent Nights For All The Family

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Article Summary

You need your sleep during pregnancy and you won't be able to get enough rest if your toddler keeps waking you in the night. Act now to establish good sleep habits before the baby arrives. BE PREPARED

The importance of rest, and making sure your child is sleeping through the night

THOSE ELUSIVE ZZZ’s

With little time for rest during the day, it is even more important for second-time mums to get a good night’s sleep. Over the next few months, your baby will be rapidly growing and gaining weight and the strain on your own body and energy stores will be high. You may be finding it hard to get comfortable in bed, and if your firstborn is still waking up during the night your resting time will suffer further. Sleep deprivation makes motherhood and pregnancy even harder to cope with, so it’s vital that your safeguard your resting time and, if necessary, supplement your nights with a daily nap.

TIME TO SORT OUT BEDTIME TROUBLES

If your child is not sleeping through the night yet, or he has suddenly started getting up or wetting the bed in anticipation of the changes ahead, you and your partner should put in a plan of action.
Now is the time to establish good routines and, if necessary, set up reward systems to encourage your child to manage his nights without disturbing you. Getting through the night is all about learning to fall asleep alone. It’s a skill that doesn’t always come naturally, but with the right direction and firm boundaries it can be learnt.
Bedtime routines should be fixed and regular, and nocturnal visits should be completely discouraged.
If your child is persistently waking you up, make sure you share the sleep training with your partner, and try not to give in by making room in the bed for three. You need to crack the nights before your baby arrives. And your child will benefit more from being able to sleep through the night in his own bed than from snoozing in your arms – there’s plenty of time for extra cuddles during the day!

Category Tags:

Sibling

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Sleep

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sleeping tips

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routine

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sleep

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good sleep

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sleep problems

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resting time

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bedwetting

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bedtime routines