Baby’s are born sleeping all hours of the day, and being awake in the night. This just doesn’t fit well with adult sleep-wake patterns, and is one of the reasons that new parenthood can be so challenging.
A new research study just published this year helped establish a predictable nightly bedtime routine for babies (7-18 months old) and toddlers (18-36 months old). The children soon fell asleep more quickly, and had fewer night awakenings. Then they looked at the mother’s mood after the baby had been on the routine for just 3 weeks. Mothers had significant reduction in tension, anger, fatigue and confusion. The mothers of babies were also significantly less depressed.
All these positive effects came from having a nightly bedtime routine. In the next few weeks we’ll talk more about how to establish a healthy sleep routine for your baby. And for those in Seattle, I’ll be giving a presentation on this topic on January 26th. More details at www.naturalsleepmedicine.net.
Learn More About Baby’s Sleep Routine and Momma’s Mood