Dr. Marc Weissbluth
The "Healthy Sleep Habits" author takes on parent misinformation.
by Jeanne Sager
October 2, 2009
That ties in with some questions I had from a reader. Say a sitter keeps putting your child down for a nap at 4 p.m., saying the kids fight it anytime earlier, but now the parent can’t get the child to bed at night. Should the nap be moved or the bedtime?
Yes, if you don’t nap in phase of your biologic rhythms, it’s not as restorative. It can mess up schedules. If a child needs a nap between 12 and 2 p.m. and doesn’t get it, it makes more sense to put that child down earlier than to try to sneak in a nap.
What are the some of the other big "offenses" well-meaning parents are making in the sleep wars?
"The most important thing is to get Dads on board."
Failing to distinguish between prevention of sleeping problems and treatment. You can prevent all sleeping problems, if you start early, get Dads involved, put them down drowsy . . . Treatment may or may not involve some crying, but prevention doesn’t involve crying except in a rare post-colicky fit. A lot of parents, the focus is on "when do I just let my child cry?", but the real issue is, "how do I get my child to sleep better without crying?"
So do you think for parents to really get a handle on sleep issues, they should buy one of these books, before they have the baby?
A mother who is postpartum should not attempt to read a book. She’s recovering, she’s been through labor and delivery. Maybe there are issues of prematurity, breastfeeding, C-section that could linger on postpartum. The most important thing is to get Dads on board; reading, heavy lifting, make sure mother and child are getting good sleep. You can read maybe a chapter or two to maybe understand why good sleep is important . . . in the first week or two or month. That’s enough. Once your baby’s born, it will all gel together, and you’ll know why it’s so important. I don’t think they should read a lot before the baby’s born, but reading some makes it so much easier.
What are the best reasons to get kids in a good routine and develop those healthy sleep habits?
If you can remember that sleep helps the brain to develop then that is the best reason to get kids in a good sleeping routine. If you protect sleeping habits, in the same way you protect other health habits — you encourage handwashing, you encourage teeth brushing, you encourage wearing a helmet when a child is on a bike, you buckle up their seatbelts — you’re teaching them health habits that span their whole life. It’s not a one-time deal.
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©2009 Jeanne Sager and Babble Media
About the Author
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Jeanne Sager is a freelance writer and photographer living in upstate New York with her husband and daughter, Jillian. She maintains a blog of her award-winning columns at jeannesager.blogspot.com. |
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