Useful Tips For Getting Baby To Sleep In Crib

The joy of parenthood brings along with it many responsibilities and experiences, that may sometimes be quite a task. One such task is getting baby to sleep in crib. A lot of parents, especially first time parents face difficulty with nighttime parenting like getting the baby to sleep through the night, diaper changing in the night and getting the baby to sleep on its own. It is important that you teach the baby to sleep on her own early on or else she may get habituated with sleeping with you. It will get increasingly difficult for you to make her sleep on her own if she is not taught to do so within a few weeks after birth. So, here are a few tips for you to know how to get baby to sleep in crib.

There are a few things that you need to know about and understand so that you get your baby to sleep peacefully through the night in the crib. These include whether or not your baby requires parental help to sleep, the number of hours that she sleeps, the general pattern of baby sleeping, etc. During the first few days, you will have to spend some extra time trying to put her to sleep in the crib as she needs to get used to the routine. Also, make a note of any peculiar sleeping habits that your baby may have developed while sleeping as incorporating that habit will help you put her to sleep in the crib. The baby crib bedding should be comfortable and cozy for the baby to sleep well.

Getting Baby to Sleep in Crib - The Process

Prepare yourself well in advance for this process and get as much sleep and rest as possible during the day. This is the time when you will establish a bedtime routine and you will need to stick to it for successfully teaching the baby to sleep in the crib. Begin by a practicing a ritual that signals the baby that it is time to sleep. Read a book to her, sing a lullaby or rock her, for a few minutes and then place her in the baby crib. At this point, she will be drowsy and not fully asleep, so you will need to soothe her and not stimulate her to sleep.

Situation 1: Baby Falls Asleep
If she is used to soothing herself to sleep, allow her to do so. Else, soothe or pat her until you can see her drifting to sleep. Once you are sure that she has slept, stop soothing her and wait besides the crib just in case she wakes up. Babies require some time to fall fully asleep, unlike adults. During this phase of drifting into deep sleep, you will notice a number of gestures that the baby makes, but do not assume that she has woken up or soothe her.

Situation 2: Baby Starts Crying
If she starts crying or screaming when she is placed in the crib, do not lift her out of the crib. Soothe while she is still in the crib. She may cry for a few minutes, which is absolutely fine. You just need to reassure her that you are there and that she is safe. She may wake up frequently as she is not very happy with the idea of sleeping all by herself. Do not worry about it and let her sleep with you because of the crying. The best way to teach her would be by not giving into her resistance to sleep in the crib.

Going by any of the situations, this routine should be continued for at least a week or even more, depending on how well your baby takes to it. Remember, that persistence is the only key to getting baby sleep in crib. You may find it a bit difficult initially, but if you give in to her resistance, there is no way she'll learn to sleep by herself.

Harmful Effects Of Inadequate Sleep You Must Know

Do you think that lethargy and fatigue are the only effects of lack of sleep? Well, you are blatantly wrong, and I can prove it. This article discusses the side effects that arise due to sleep deprivation. By the end of it, I am sure you wouldn't want to lose sleep ever again.

Being deprived of sleep is a common event observed these days. There seems to be loads of unfinished work and just half the amount of time to finish it. This ends up in extended periods of wakefulness, or less sleep over an amount of time, just to wrap up unfinished jobs. People don't realize that by losing out on sleep, they are hampering their body function, especially the brain which carries out the function of regeneration, during sleep. Eventually, sleep deprived neurons start to malfunction, causing visible behavioral changes, and thus, begins the fallout of events due to inadequate sleep.

To put it across plainly, the fallout of lack of sleep often causes people to lose their night's sleep. No, I am not simply playing with words here. Keeping the psychological and physiological side effects of inadequate sleep in mind, distress is normal. It is also important to find out how much sleep we need and how to fall asleep faster. Let us dig deeper to understand the nasty effects of sleep deprivation.

Immediate Side Effects
>You might feel pain in different areas around your head. There might be heaviness in the head.
>Eyes might feel tired, eyelids might feel heavy and you may find it hard to focus your attention on your computer/TV.
>If you haven't slept enough, notice the changes around your eyes. Bags will be visible under your eyes, and the area may seem dark.
>You can face trouble concentrating on your work/daily chores.

Physiological Side Effects
>Lack of sleep can cause acute muscle pains. You may have experienced this offhand after a night of incomplete sleep.
>Dizziness, nausea and headaches are well-known side effects of lack of sleep. These side effects are tangible even after two consistent nights without much sleep.
>Irritability is probably the first visible side effect of lack of sleep. It is normal for someone who hasn't slept well at night to be irritable the next day.
>Memory loss and hallucinations are also acute lack of sleep side effects. In fact, the sad part about these side effects is that when you complain about it, seldom will someone believe you, right?
>A person having sleep deprivation is much more susceptible to having type 2 diabetes as compared to someone who gets the required amount of sleep.
>In fact, it has been researched and found that the effects of lack of sleep at an acute level, resemble those of psychosis or attention deficit hyperactivity syndrome. Scary, isn't it?

All these side effects are visible in a sleep-deficient person. However, there are worse manifestations of such side effects.

Serious Side Effects
>Lack of sleep suppresses the growth hormones and leads to higher levels of reaction to stress, urges for sex, affects immune system, moods, etc. This means that an individual starts losing his/her self-control.
>Sleep deprivation and psychosis have been closely linked by many studies. A person suffering from sleep deprivation is very much susceptible to being psychotic; and I don't mean this in an exaggerated manner.
>Fallout of lack of sleep rules over our healing abilities. Yes, lack of adequate rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep causes a slag in our ability in healing wounds. It also affects the immune system; hence, making it tougher to fight away diseases.
>This side effect is something that almost everyone may have noticed. If you have not slept at night, you will find it difficult to perform your activities the next day. Lack of sleep causes impairment of abilities. This is what makes you clumsy or "butterfingered" the next day.
>It has also been found that a side effect of sleep deprivation that has been under the radar for a while now, is obesity. So, not only is healthy eating required to avoid obesity, but also adequate sleep.
>All these side effects begin to show after some time of sleep deprivation. One night without proper sleep will not make you obese; however, a regular lifestyle around it, will.

So, if you find it difficult to fall asleep at a decent hour, you should be aware of some techniques to fall asleep, which include practicing meditation, fixing a sleep time and maintaining it, etc.

The ill effects of sleep deprivation are definitely scary. That is why they say "early to bed and early to rise, makes you healthy, wealthy and wise". Well, all I can say is that make sure you sleep for about 6-8 hours every day, and you would be away from any of the side effects outlined above. Too much sleep should also be avoided, but we can talk about that some other time. For now, I hope this article has been an eye opener, if you are sleeping inadequately, and has willed you into taking a nap. Sleep well!

The Need To Sleep Well

Before you spend money on something you think will fix your sleep problems, talk to your physician. If you are snoring, a referral to a sleep clinic may be necessary. If you are not snoring, a referral to a Behavioral specialist may be advisable.Every year  commissions a study on some aspect of sleep. This year the study examined market data on sleep products and services. The total industry was estimated to be $23.7 billion a year. There are obviously a lot of people looking for better sleep and they are looking at many different avenues for a fix. This includes everything from pillows and mattresses to medications.

There is no one magic fix, however. The only way to know what will help you sleep better is to know what is causing your sleep problem. As logical as this may seem, most people never look beyond the symptoms of poor sleep - not being able to fall asleep or stay asleep and not feeling rested. Many people do not view sleep problems as health problems and so they never raise the issue with their physicians. As a result, they are perpetually looking for a fix for a problem they do not fully understand.

Those people who do talk to their physicians will often be prescribed a medication. For many of them, the medication will work. For many others, it won't, and others do not wish to be dependent on medication if there are other alternatives. Unfortunately, these people are on their own, searching the internet and talking to friends, about other products practitioner. This is useful to determine if one has a sleep disorder or restless legs syndrome. Knowing this is the root of the sleep problem can then lead to an appropriate strategy for improving sleep and well-being. Unfortunately, many sleep clinics are not equipped to address insomnia and disorders. These people are therefore often the most likely to be seeking 'fixes' for their poor sleep.

Though most shiftworkers are focused on getting sleep, time and resources are being expended on how to keep people awake and perhaps even forgo sleep completely.Obviously, being alert at work and while driving is critical. Fatigue and lapses in alertness greatly increase the risk of errors and accidents and these exact a huge cost in accidents. Workers, therefore, are encouraged to get quality sleep in sufficient quantities to ensure that they remain alert and safe.

In some occupations, however, the need to be alert extends beyond the usual 8 or 12 hours of a shift. International and military pilots fall into this category.

Unusual efforts are made in these instances to ensure that they maintain alertness and in the case of US military pilots, amphetamine use has been endorsed. Currently, the US military is also experimenting with the possibility of staying awake for a week at a time. This is an effort to entirely overcome the body's need for sleep and the restorative effects it offers.

Is it possible that shiftworkers in more ordinary circumstances will be required to undertake the same extraordinary measures to maintain alertness? Perhaps not yet. We have not yet been able to overcome our need for sleep, as was shown by the soldiers in the Iraqi war who were subjected to long periods of sleep deprivation and who resorted to random napping to compensate. However, for the first time a drug has been approved in the United States for use in overcoming sleepiness associated with shift work sleep disorder.

Though most shiftworkers are focused on getting sleep, time and resources are being expended on how to keep people awake and perhaps even forgo sleep completely.Obviously, being alert at work and while driving is critical. Fatigue and lapses in alertness greatly increase the risk of errors and accidents and these exact a huge cost in accidents. Workers, therefore, are encouraged to get quality sleep in sufficient quantities to ensure that they remain alert and safe.
In some occupations, however, the need to be alert extends beyond the usual 8 or 12 hours of a shift. International and military pilots fall into this category. Unusual efforts are made in these instances to ensure that they maintain alertness and in the case of US military pilots, amphetamine use has been endorsed. Currently, the US military is also experimenting with the possibility of staying awake for a week at a time. This is an effort to entirely overcome the body's need for sleep and the restorative effects it offers.

This measure indicates that we are focusing our interventions away from finding the sources of the sleepiness and providing strategies to promote sleep. Instead, we are implementing strategies that simply overcome the sleepiness. Most shift workers are familiar with strategies for maintaining short term alertness, but is it advisable, in the long term, to maintain alertness through these methods? Or should getting enough sleep still be the best answer for ensuring alertness?