Caring for a newborn baby is tough. It includes waking up several times in the middle of the night, which causes sleep deprivation. Dealing with this can cause mental and physical problems for both staying at home and working parents. Experiencing sleep deprivation for too long is linked to an increased risk for heart diseases, diabetes, depression, anxiety, and automobile accidents. In addition, you also get sick more often and have poor concentration. But despite these risks, adults are expected to push through lack of sleep and still get things done.
If adults have these risks, what about a sleep-deprived kid? In fact, children share the same health-related effects of lack of sleep as adults. Additionally, you can observe that they are less curious, have less attention span, and don’t perform as well as their peers. What compounds the existing problem are nightmares, sleep terrors, and bedwetting.
The frequent wakings can affect you and your baby and other children at home, which is a big problem. The solution to this is training your baby to sleep on their own, but it will take several weeks. The first few days of training are the worst. Planning your sleep training journey is crucial. Here are three options you can consider.
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Bear it and Plan Accordingly
Sit down with your family and discuss how the next few days or weeks will unfold while you are sleep training the baby. The best day to start sleep training, so it is a bit easier for everyone, is during a holiday break or over a long weekend. The other children can nap during the day, so it doesn’t affect their school days. A few fun activities can also make up for the rough first nights.
Transfer Older Kids To A Different Location
Taking time off school and visiting relatives who live far away works excellent in ensuring that your children won’t be affected by sleep training. If taking the time out of school is not an option, you can bring the older kids to your relative’s house nearby for bedtime. You can also rent an Airbnb until the sleep training is in place and going well. If physically moving the older kids is impossible, you can rearrange your home. Move the bedrooms around or let them camp in the basement for a few nights so they can get the sleep they need.
Find a Night Nanny or Certified Sleep Consultant
Newborn care specialists or night nannies can help you take care of sleep training. A certified sleep consultant is another option you have. You can get breastfeeding and infant care tips while getting your little one to sleep through the night. Sleep coaches are skilled and trained in many sleep training techniques. They can do overnight visits and phone assistance so you can have the support you need. Plus, some have additional training as postpartum doulas and lactation counselors.
Getting through sleep training is necessary, so your baby can sleep through the night and disturb their siblings. While adults are adept at pushing through tiredness and lack of sleep, children are entirely different. Make accommodations for them while training your baby. If you have exhausted all your options, you can always contact a pediatric sleep coach so everyone can get the sleep they need to stay healthy and happy.
source: https://tinytransitions.com/how-do-i-sleep-train-when-i-have-other-kids-at-home/
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