SLEEP TRAINING
5. Read this passage about sleep training (the process of helping a baby learn to fall asleep and stay asleep through the night) from a paediatric nursing manual. Label each paragraph, choosing from the list below.
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Most experts recommend starting when your baby is between 4 and 6 months old. By about 4 months, babies have typically started to develop a regular sleep-wake cycle and stop needing most of their night feedings. These are signs they may be ready to start sleep training and you can start following some basic suggestions.....................................................................................................................
You can start this when your baby is as young as 6 weeks, but don’t worry if your baby is older – it’s never too late. It can include a warm bath, a book, and a lullaby before putting the baby to bed.....................................................................................................................
Experts recommend it between 7 and 8 o’clock, so your baby isn’t overtired and fighting sleep.....................................................................................................................
Try to get your baby up around the same time every morning, and organise feeds and naps at the same times during the day. This predictability helps him/her relax and a relaxed baby settles down to sleep more easily.....................................................................................................................
An underlying problem, such as sleep apnoea, needs to be addressed by your baby’s doctor before you consider a sleep training program.....................................................................................................................
Typically, this method suggests putting your baby to bed when still awake and allowing short periods of crying punctuated by comforting (but not picking up) your child.....................................................................................................................
This method encourages a more gradual approach – soothing the baby to sleep and offering comfort right away when the child cries.....................................................................................................................
With this method, parents gradually diminish their bedtime role by sitting near their baby until s/he falls asleep and gradually moving the chair farther away from the bed each night. Another approach is to check and reassure the baby (without picking it up) every five minutes until the baby falls asleep.
a. The no-tears approach.
b. When to start?
c. The fading method.
d. Follow a daytime schedule.
e. Choose a suitable bedtime.
f. The cry-out theory.
g. Introduce a bedtime routine.
h. Look for medical conditions.