I can’t stop watching this video. The crying of the babies frayed me for a minute in the beginning but I got over that when I saw those heavy eyes beginning to droop.
Is there anything more peaceful than a sleeping baby? Or those beautiful faces as they start to relax? I think not
The video is an ad for Philips Avent and shows some creative techniques used by mothers to get their babies to sleep. Not sure if hey are real and sort of hope the hairdryer one isn’t. But still I loved the video.
Do you have any sleeping techniques? For babies or for adults?
If you want some real sleeping advice Publisher Mia Freedman and her baby whisperer Elizabeth talk sleeping babies just here
Comments
57 Comments so far
Embarrassed to say that our 10 year old still enjoys a “pat to sleep”. Yep, thats 10 years and counting!
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This White noise (composed by my hubby) lulls our baby son to sleep.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfZCkY_b1iM
The white noise and a gentle pat. See how it works here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RyncmRqiVI&feature=related
Read about our Baby Sleep School experience here.
http://www.venusyogalife.com/blog/baby-sleep-school-yoga-nidra/
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I’ve been using the Spoka light from IKEA to get my baby to sleep. It has been working a treat but touch can’t leave it in the cot.
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We went through three hairdryers in Dec’s first three months- they worked like an absolute charm. THEN we realised we could, duh, just tape the noise and play the tape. I blame the sleep deprivation that it took us that long.
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You do what works for you. Every child is different. All due respect to “baby whisperers” don’t waste your money on buying every book around. Work it out what works for you. Some kids hate sleep. My fella did, but we then found out at 3 months he had reflux, so lying down was painful for him as it brought on heartburn.
We were completley ignorant, never been around kids, so we rocked our boy to sleep from day one. Still doing it at 17 months, but it takes a lot less time now than it used to, about 5-10 minutes now, and to tell the truth I enjoy the snuggle and rock with him.
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Good on you susan- totally do whatever works for u. We did so with my son too; did need to adjust things later down the track as ge just got too heavy to hold! Am all for the cuddles, and snuggles in your bed too. He has just turned 3 and falls asleep on his own in his own bed- so don’t worry, these ‘habits’ can be broken. Good luck!
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Wow, is anyone else terrified by the SIDS risks in that video?!
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really cute, not sure if they are actually real or that immediately effective, but the clip is lovely anyway x
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How’s that baby left of the cushions on the couch. One roll and it’s straight on the floor.
We patted our son back to sleep. Amazing sleeper!!!
Daughter, currently gets fed back to sleep. Wont accept anything else. Well, honestly I haven’t tried anything else. I’m liking the midnight cuddles as much as she is.
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Yes, when I visit mums and bubs at home I see more of that than I’d like, it drives me insane and I also feel like a broken record, telling them it’s a bad idea.
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Faybian, what is the bad idea? the couch or the feeding to sleep?
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Guaranteed it will be the feeding to sleep. The list I was given of the “DON’T” do this for sleep was overwhelming…..
I think doing whatever’s best for the family is the best thing….
I doubt you’ll be giving them a bottle or rocking them to sleep when they are 15….
Enjoy it and repeat whatever works for this small part of their lives as what works for one family might not work for another….
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Amen to that, sister! And can I add: it’s nobody’s business but your own if you rock/pat/feed your baby. I am always baffled by people such as Faybian above, who have such strict ideas. I breastfed my son to sleep til he was 15 months old, and I do the same fort daughter, who is currently 17 months. Whenever people get all up-in-arms about it, I always say “but they’re not your boobs and you’re not the one putting them to sleep, so why do you care?”!!!! It’s such a short, precious time and it goes by in a flash.
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Here here Melissa , I’ve done the same with both kids , do what makes you both happy
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Faybian didn’t say it was feeding to sleep. How about waiting to see her response before commenting on her “strict ideas”?
I actually read it as her being a midwife/baby health nurse doing home visits and seeing babies sleeping on the couch with cushions.
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Thank you Kris.
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I met a lovely Mum at our local pool whose gorgeous daughter had already lost her 4 front teeth at the age of 3 or 4. When I commented that it was unusual for a child to lose the baby teeth so early, she told me they had to be pulled out under general anaesthetic as they were rotten. Cause: giving her a bottle to put her to sleep & the milk would pool in her mouth increasing the rate of decay.
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The couch primarily. Even young babies can move unexpectedly. They can and do roll off couches. It’s also a SIDS risk.
As for feeding to sleep, it happens sometimes. If you can do it and your baby still sleeps well, so be it, otherwise it can become a “sleep association”. When the baby partially wakes up 20-40 min later (depending on the age) he/she will wonder why there’s no breast in his/her mouth and wake right up.
It’s ideal if your baby can settle him/herself back to sleep after the periods of part waking, so that’s why rocking/feeding etc to sleep isn’t reccommended. The baby begins to learn that he /she needs this to go to sleep usually.
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Actually, no they don’t. I have fed/rocked both my babies to sleep and we have never had any problems with them sleeping through their sleep cycles. Maternal health nurses need to learn to be less rigid in their thinking.
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Cosytimes did you read my comment at all? Especially the bit where I said “if you can do it and your baby still sleeps well, so be it”?
I wish people would be less defensive about how they do things. These suggestions are meant for the babies that are NOT good sleepers. I’m glad it’s worked for you, but it frequently doesn’t work for others. Tresilian and other residential centres wouldn’t exist if it worked for everyone.
Anonymous, I’ve seen more kids with rotten teeth that I care to remember because of bottle feeding in bed. Very occasionally someone who has frequently breastfed a baby at night for an extended period of time can have a child with rotten teeth too.
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A friend of mine went through several hairdryers in her baby’s first few months.. works a treat according to her. My baby (now toddler) is a song, Imagine, I just have to sing the opening few lines and she calms immediately. I wouldn’t have believed some of these if i hadn’t seen how fast it works for my own.
As for Adults.. i just discovered (thanks to a friend) Sleeping on my back with a pillow under my knees. The last few nights I have woken in the same position. Dead sleep. No back pains
Wonderful!!
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How about 7 nifty ways to conceive …. Cause I’m struggling
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Pregnancy specialising naturopath… I never believed, til I saw the result in my friend, 7 years and 2 IVF courses later, she conceived naturally. Just don’t get caught into any anti-vaccination tripe…
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Acupuncture, worked for me (conceived naturally) and worked for my sister (successful after 6 rounds of IVF!)
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yes – worked for me too! The IVF people said “straight to IVF”, but two healthy pregnancies later (quick conceptions too!) Good luck
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… and I totally agree, don’t get caught in the anti-vax stuff!
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senior pictures are a lalrey big deal, and you have to be comfortable with the person enough to be yourself and have your pictures show your true personality, i see true potential in your pictures and would love to have the opportunity of getting mine done by you!
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Yep, another who’d strongly recommend seeing a fertility naturopath! I conceived both my sons on the first try after my partner and I followed a four month preconception plan with each – I was also seeing an acupuncturist who specialises in fertility. I’ve sent several friends who’ve had fertility issues to both my naturopath and my acupuncturist, and all have had successful pregnancies, including the most recent – a friend who’d been trying to conceive for eight years, and had had five unsuccessful rounds of IVF – after following the four month plan, she conceived on her first attempt and is due with a baby girl in April! Even if you are unsuccessful following this path, at the very worst, you will become healthier in the process, which can only aid you if you have to go down the assisted conception route. Good luck!
ETA that although my naturopath never vaccinated her own son (who’s now a teenager), she offers a very balanced view of the pros and cons of vaccinating and not vaccinating and allows you to make your own choice. She never tried to persuade me not to vaccinate, but said that she could offer homeopathic treatments instead of or in conjunction with the vax schedule, but that it was entirely our decision to make, so not all naturopaths will try to push you into not vaccinating.
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Book – “Taking Charge of Your Fertility” by Toni Weschler – used it 15 years ago – its still popular today.
http://www.tcoyf.com/
There was no website back then, just a group of fledgling internet gals from all over the globe with a common goal – to bloody well conceive! The book was a godsend – had to get one of my US email group buddies to send it to me (no Amazon back then either!!!).
Best of luck.
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Best book on fertility I found. Comprehensive.
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We tried for years….tested with ultrasound for endometriosis, tested for blocked tubes (hideous test), tried naturopathy, fertility meds, was on diabetic meds to make ovaries more sensitive to fertility meds….the list goes on. Then after all that time, effort, testing, heartbreak, depression, I had a laparoscopy, and the ob/gyn found severe endometriosis (which didn’t show up on any other test and I had no symptoms). Meaning nothing else was ever going to work. I wish I did it sooner. He got rid of it all, then I went on fertility meds for 6 months, no pregnancy, he did another laparoscopy and endo had all grown back. So we then did IVF and we were successful first go! We have now had 2 more babies, each falling pregnant naturally first month of trying. In hindsight, I wish I had the laparoscopy sooner, as I said, nothing else was going to work while the endo was there. If I got rid of it earlier, I could have then tried more alternative/natural therapies for longer, but as it was, we had been trying for years, so we just wanted to jump straight into IVF by that stage! Not saying that’s what you should do, or that there is anything amiss in your body……just merely sharing my experience! Oh, and I also found the best ob/gyn was one that was also titled ‘fertility specialist’…look for those! The docs at Sydney IVF branches (not just located in Sydney) were amazing. And they don’t just do IVF. Good luck! It is not an easy road to travel x
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PS. Plus I did Acupuncture when I was doing IVF!
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Baby wearing…
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Yes, yes, yes!!! My first two never slept well and at 3 and 5 they still don’t. Baby3 is strapped to me in the day (love my hug-a-bub) and in bed with me at night and she’s a super sleeper. Still wakes twice a night for feeds but is so settled and easy to getting sleep. She now started day naps in her own bed and will go off on her own and sleep for between 2 & 3 hours. I can not believe the difference it has made especially since babies 1 & 2 never slept more than 40mins at a time. Wish I’d known about this 5 years ago, oh the exhaustion it would’ve saved me
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All kids sleep differently, so don’t beat yourself up about “what could have been”. It’s possible that number 3 is just a good sleeper and would have been no matter what method you used.
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With 2 boys (nearly 3yrs old and youngest is 7mths) i don’t have the time i had with my first to walk about and sooth him. The youngest is lot louder and not as calm and laid back as his big brother. We have tried walking up and down singing/swaying/shooting him but he fights going to sleep.
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Hi Leanne. Ha ha. Hope you don’t really mean “shooting” him. That made me giggle. I couldn’t get sleep from either of my first two, both very unsettled and then when pregnant with number three I discovered a hug a bub – baby 3 is strapped to me and she is settled and calm and just nods off when she is ready. It’s really helpful when I need my hands for the other two. If you can borrow one from a friend, it may be of a help. Of course, I don’t know you or your family situation so I’m just sharing what has worked for me. Good luck, hope you get some rest soon
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Dont let them get overtired, they’re harder to settle then.
Don’t make a habit of cuddling/rocking them to sleep. It usually doesn’t encourage long sleeps.
Don’t leap up as soon as they whimper. Give them a minute to settle down. Then go in if they don’t.
Start to work out what different cries mean,
Lastly accept that their sleeping habits change in the first year, a lot.
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You’re onto it babe : perfect advice!
Worked for me!
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AGREED!
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Yup.. specially the not getting up to the first whimper. I discovered that by accident, making dinner one night, i heard her make a little noise and didn’t go in as i was in the middle of something, only realised about 10 mins later that she hadn’t made another noise!
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Faybian, the baby whisperer! Great advice.
All pretty much what we did for 2 great sleepers, too. The sleep cycle extends over time and not going in as soon as they whimper is very important. Probably they’re just rolling over or moving a little and are fine.
Sure, it’s hard work not to do all those things at the start, when they seem easier, but it’s sooooooo worth it in the end.
I’m the problem sleeper in my house and last night I did a couple of 10 minute meditations from Kathy at my diamonddays.com, that featured in a post here a month or so ago, and bingo, pretty good, unassisted sleep for me last night – after a horrible behaviour morning with one of the kids yesterday, that got my cortisol (stress hormone) soaring!
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Thanks for the compliments guys, the truth is its my job. I especially like sleep education for mums and bubs. I used torun “sleep groups” and I work in our day stay house.
My youngest was a light sleeper and I used these on her, with success. What made it even harder was when she started sharing a room with her sister and inadequate to try to settle her ASAP. Needless to say my husband used the excuse that I “knew what you’re doing”. Grrr.
Maybe some sleep techniques for yourself???
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I’ve tried to get my husband to pat me back to sleep, but it always turns into something else! hehe!!
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Haha! Classic. They’re funny like that. That’s why I don’t ask for a back rub if I’m tired.
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faybian, maybe you can give me some advice? no. 1 was never a good sleeper, at three and a bit he still gets up, is very sensitive, has nightmares, needs a very strong routine to go to sleep, and everything in it’s place! (very anal
)
we have renovated and had no place to put no.2, who is now 11 months old but now the house is done, we have got to get him out of our room! (he has always been a champion sleeper but now knows that we’re in the same room, not good!)
in short, i’m worried about the big one disturbing the little one when i move him to the other end of the house with his brother. what do you think?
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Play music or white noise in the light sleeper’s room to block out external noise and/or buy him some earplugs.
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he’s not a light sleeper, just a bad sleeper
we already do music. as for ear plugs; getting them in a 3 year old’s ears, much less a baby’s…might be a bit hard 
you must have very placid children!
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Put them down separately? Ie baby half hour before the little fella?
As for middle of night issues like nightmares, our 7yo shared with his 5yo brother since they were 4 & 2. The older boy talks in his sleep (more accurately cries out), takes ages to get to sleep, needs a nightlight, likes a prebed routine, and has been like this since tiny (we used to play Enya to get him to sleep – until i realised sometimes he would want an entire DVD played 2 or 3 times!). the younger boy is a champion sleeper, and always has been. We have found that the older boys foibles haven’t rubbed off, and the younger boy remains a champion sleeper (once asleep – sometimes he can take a while to slow himself down enough to get there!). He crashes first, sleeps deeply & soundly.
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Thats the one I’d go for. Separate sleep times. Put the young one in half an hour or so earlier. Good sleepers usually can tolerate a bit of noise during the night. Try to have their beds as far away as possible from each other and not “facing each other”. It can take some time, but they will get used to it.
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thanks guys!
moved the little one up there last night and he was a bit “WTF!” the big one was sleeping-over at gparents. tonight will be the test! unfortunately they’re both totally crashing at the same time, how am i going to get one of them out of routine!? LOL
i was thinking i could just throw them in bed, close the door, turn tv up, skull wine and plead innocence….
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Crikey, all those pillows and soft furnishings!
I will add that my baby never, NEVER fell asleep as easily as these ones did! Crying never worked…she went from zero to ballistic, sweaty, shaky, blithering mess. We rocked and soothed and sang til she was one, then gradually, gently taught her to fall asleep alone. She is a fabby sleeper now – up to three hour day naps, eleven to twelve hours at nights.
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i totally did the hairdryer thing = white noise. it worked great on my restless bubb !
no shame. it’s apparently that loud at times in mummy belly – so really… it’s natural!
also great : be ” off channel ” on the radio clock and even the vacuum cleaner
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Someone told me using 1 or all of the 5 “S’s” almost always works. They are Swaddling, shhhh sounds, swaying (or rocking with baby), stomach or side settling & sucking ( either breast, bottle or dummy). Swaddling & swaying was always a winner. And never forget the soothing vibration of the car to put bub to sleep at 3am when nothing else works – we’ve all been there yes?!?!
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OMG, that’s on the DVD, “the happiest baby on the block” or some such. It’s by an American paediatrician. Occasionally I’ve played it for clients when running a “sleep group” and most of them seem freaked out by the hair dryer and whooshing right near the baby’s ear.
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I always stroked my babies forehead. Almost always got them to sleep. All children are different so trying different techniques til the right one comes along is a good idea.
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Absolutely! Although I’m convince one caveat to this is that you have to *genuinely* try them, and that means giving them a good go – don’t give up after 1-2 nights. I vaguely remember reading something like 2-3 weeks? i.e. that’s the time frame a baby may take to adjust to a sleep aid that *is* ultimately going to work for them – so if you give up after a few days or nights, you don’t know whether it may have worked or not, and the lack of consistency will drive you and your baby round the bend! Based on my experience with my now 2.5 year old, and what I plan to do with number 2 bub on the way…
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