As an expecting mom, I remember scouring through some of the best books on pregnancy, parenting, what I must be prepared for, how to take care of the little one and what not?! You can read as much as you want, but nothing prepares you like the actual experience of raising a newborn! You have set up the perfect nursery and downloaded a couple of those white noise apps, but you still wake up more tired than you were 10 hours ago! Remember all those parenting jokes you come across on #KSPMorningHumour- they hit you hard now and you realise each one of them is true!
Not to scare you preggy mommas- but as someone whose new mom days are just behind me (thankfully!), I decided to do a little more research, and from our conversations with sleep experts like Kerry Bajaj and Dr Preeti Devanani and from fellow parent’s tips to know what worked and what didn’t. Scroll down for a handy guide that explains the basics of sleep training for Indian families.
1. Establishing A Routine
Now this is a basic- claim the experts. Make sure your routine doesn’t take the backseat for any reason. Stick to timing and make sure you do it right. By doing that you are starting on a habit and one that will actually help you plan ahead better. Be it a warm bath, and a fresh set of PJs and a lullaby- whatever suits you and the little one!
2. Preparing Your Baby For Sleep:
Once you have established a routine as explained above, make sure you focus on communicating this to the baby. Don’t expect your baby to sleep in a room that’s well lit or noisy and continue sleeping right. Dim the lights as the bedtime approaches and avoid any loud noise or music in and around the baby’s room. Over a period of time, your baby will understand that these signal bedtime! Also a common mistake- a lot of parents believe that completely tiring kids out is the way to get them to bed early. Not the right way, it will, in fact, be counterproductive.
3. Use Sleep Time As the Perfect Bonding Period For You & The Baby:
As you are approaching bedtime, after your customary bath, ensure you spend a few minutes reading to your baby. Don’t worry if they are too young! Bedtime storytelling and reading is a perfect bonding activity for the kids and is known to show wonders on the child’s EQ.
4. Don’t Pick Up The Child From The Crib/Cot A Soon As They Cry:
After rocking them to sleep and transferring them to a crib, some kids, wake up immediately crying. When you do this, the baby gets used to being lifted and comforted by someone. This keeps both of you trapped in the cycle of sleep-wake up-cry-comfort back to sleep-wake up day after day. Watch him/her closely how they pacify themselves back to sleep- if they continue crying, you might help them. Give them the time and option to identify it themselves.
Go ahead and try these tips with your babies. Remember parents- there is no foolproof method, but if you try these habits over a period of time, the baby and you will get accustomed to a proper sleep pattern. Isn’t that the ultimate goal of parenting?! I remember how I waited with bated breath for my baby to sleep, so I could catch up on the pending chores, my work deadline and of course some much-needed me-time!
In this pursuit, don’t forget to ensure your child puts on a fresh and clean diaper so they sleep comfortably, just the way you need. That is in fact the key to sleeping long and without interruptions. Mamy Poko Pants, one of the leading and trusted brands in India, has come up with an interesting concept- #24Plus1HourForMe. Intrigued? Watch this video to know more.
Interesting, don’t you think? With up to 12 hours* of absorption that ensures a comfortable sleep for your babies by preventing leakage and heaviness, mommies are now guaranteed some precious extra minutes that they can use for themselves. That got me thinking. What would I do if I got an extra hour? I would love to bake something, listen to some favourite music, hum along and even catch up on the latest in the OTT world!
What would you do if you got an extra hour mommies? Tell us in the comments below, we would love to hear from you.
*- The hours vary according to individual baby’s urine amount.
Mansi Zaveri
Kriti Rajat Sethi
KSP Team
Shruti Guha Thakurta
