Posts Tagged ‘sleep deprivation’
Get your baby to sleep
In case you haven’t noticed, humans need sleep. Especially the mother humans who are expected to take care of any other humans residing in her household. When your baby doesn’t sleep, you don’t sleep. This sleep deprivation normally doesn’t phase anyone else in the house as it is not their responsibility to get the baby to sleep. They can just roll over and put a pillow over their heads, Mom will take care of it.
So, why won’t that child sleep?! Well, humans, especially baby humans, are creatures of habit. Sleep is one of the human behaviors that associates itself with your surroundings at the time. For example, if you are used to sleeping with the television on, you will have a difficult time falling asleep with it off. If you normally sleep with the lights off, it won’t be easy to fall asleep with the room fully lit. However you put your baby to sleep is how it will need to be for the entire night for that baby to stay asleep.
People normally awaken several times a night, but fall right back to sleep so easily that you usually do not even remember waking up. If you rock your baby to sleep, when he wakes up in the middle of the night to find himself in a crib, not being rocked, it is difficult for him to fall back to sleep. If you normally nurse your baby to sleep and she wakes up in the middle of the night with no breast to suckle, she will not be able to fall asleep either. This is not to say that it is wrong to get your baby to sleep in these ways, but you had better be prepared to get up in the middle of the night to get the baby back to sleep unless you have a family bed where the baby sleeps with you and in this case, you probably are getting plenty of sleep though probably not much sex!
Read the rest of this entry »
How Sleep Affects Your Weight
This article is from the WebMD Feature Archive
The Dream Diet: Losing Weight While You Sleep
Lose weight while you sleep. It sounds like something you’d hear on a late night infomercial — just around the time you are reaching for that bag of cookies because, well, you can’t sleep.
But as wild as the idea sounds, substantial medical evidence suggests some fascinating links between sleep and weight. Researchers say that how much you sleep and quite possibility the quality of your sleep may silently orchestrate a symphony of hormonal activity tied to your appetite.
Maintaining Proper Sleep Hygiene
by Richard O’Boyle, PublisherMore about Richard…
Getting a good night’s sleep is not only satisfying and invigorating, but also the foundation for a healthy and productive day. Yet up to a third of older individuals report difficulty maintaining sleep on a recurring basis and more than half report occasional problems with their sleep. Identifying and correcting poor sleeping habits can help older adults to improve their well-being and quality of life.
It is generally believed that older people require the same amount of sleep as younger adults – seven to nine hours each night. But they then to become lighter sleepers and may wake three or four times throughout the course of the night. They may have to go the bathroom frequently or find their sleep disturbed by the discomfort of a chronic illness. Some of these disturbances may be correctable with lifestyle and nutrition changes, but others may be symptoms of more serious medical conditions.
Incoming search terms for the article:
:: Sleep Baby Sleep :: Teach Your Baby to Fall Asleep Independently
Having a new baby is an incredibly exciting time, but it can also be filled with a great deal of anxiety. One major source of that anxiety is if you have a baby who isn?t sleeping well. Sleep deprivation will quickly wear you down, and your baby will be exhausted and irritable as well. When this pattern goes on for months, a once happy little family can rapidly turn into a tired and cranky crowd. Much of this angst can be eliminated by helping your baby learn to sleep independently. A baby who sleeps who sleeps independently is usually a baby who sleeps through the night and takes nice, long naps on a consistent basis. Enabling your baby to learn how to sleep better should be a simple and gentle process, and most often your baby even have to shed a tear. This article will provide you with some important tips from the baby sleep book, Sleep Baby Sleep, and will help get you started on your way to having a better sleeping baby and a well-rested house.
#1 Establish a Consistent Nighttime Routine One important aspect to getting your baby to sleep through the night is to have a consistent bedtime ritual. A solid evening routine will help your child understand that it is time for sleep when the routine is complete. A typical schedule might include a bath, some quiet time, a final feeding, and then a good-night kiss. Though your particular routine may vary, it is important make sure you have some kind of consistency at bedtime.
#2 Help your Baby Learn how to Fall Asleep Independently Each time your baby is ready to sleep, no matter what time of day or night it is, you have a brand new opportunity to help your baby learn how to fall asleep without your help. If you try your hardest to seize each of these opportunities, your baby will be sleeping through the night sooner than you can believe. Keep in mind though that this is a process, and not an overnight miracle. Be consistent in your efforts and you will quickly teach your baby how to fall asleep without your help.
Incoming search terms for the article:
Toddler Sleep Problems Tips for All Tired Toddler Parents
Toddler Sleep Problems Toddler sleep problems are very common. As your toddler continues to grow and develop his sleeping patterns will change. Sometimes these changes are for the good and sometimes they create a huge problem.
Here are suggestions and information about toddler sleeping patterns and toddler sleep problems.
Build a regular bedtime routine everyone enjoys. For a toddler, this could include:
Incoming search terms for the article:
Baby sleep training: The basics
Baby sleep training: The basics Reviewed by the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board Last updated: January 2007 What is sleep training?
Sleep training is the process of helping a baby learn to get to sleep and stay asleep through the night.
Some babies seem to develop a regular sleep routine quickly and easily. But many others have trouble settling down to sleep — or getting back to sleep when they’ve been wakened — and they need help and guidance along the way.
When can I start and what are the stages of sleep training?
Read the rest of this entry »
Berkeley Parents Network: Co
Berkeley Parents Network Home Members Post a Msg Reviews Advice Subscribe Help/FAQ What’s New
Co-Sleeping with a Baby Berkeley Parents Network > Advice > Sleep > Co-sleeping > Co-Sleeping with a Baby
- Planning to Co-sleep – what do I need?
- Co-sleeping 3-month-old thrashing & kicking at 4am
- We want 4-mo-old in bed but not between us
- 6-month-old only sleeps lying on top of mom
- Co-sleeping 9-month-old sleeps very lightly
- Baby naps only while being held
- We Love Co-sleeping but Baby isn’t sleeping well
- Co-sleeping with a baby and an older child
- Moving baby out of our bed
- Breastfeeding and Co-sleeping
- Safety Concerns of Co-sleeping
- More advice about co-sleeping
- Co-sleepers & Snuggle Nests (reviews)
Co-sleeping 3-month-old thrashing & kicking at 4am June 2005
Our 3 1/2-month old sleeps in bed with me and my husband. He does well until around 4:00 am (easily goes back to sleep after nursing, etc.). But starting around 4:00 am he becomes very restless — thrashing and kicking his arms and legs. (At first we thought it was because he had gas, but we have discovered he thrashes regardless.) He seems to sleep through it all, but my husband and I have a hard time doing the same. This has been going on for at least a month. Does anyone know if this is common baby behavior? Has anyone been able to calm their baby’s restless arms and legs? Or is it time for us to start transitioning him to his own bed?
My baby moved around quite alot as well at that age. We put her in a bassinet right next to the bed (or you could use a co- sleeper) which would minimize the disruption to your sleep. Good luck Your post reminded me of a friend’s infant – now 7 years old – who started to be a big thrasher around 5, 6 months. In that child’s case, the child was diagnosed with sleep apnea and was I guess thrashing around for increased air. The baby’s adenoids turned out to be big and partially blocked breathing. My friend described her baby as snoring, mouth breathing, and doing a kind of sucking, choking sound as well as thrashing. Just a thought. I think that an ENT doctor evaluates that sort of thing. P.S. The baby had her adenoids out and become a champion quiet, still sleeper. Good luck to you! Fredericka It’s normal for babies to move around when they sleep, particularly when they go through milestones. At this age your baby is becoming much more aware of the world around him, is getting control over his body and soon will start rolling around and sitting down, plus he may be starting to teeth. All these things disturb his sleep. Chances are that he’ll go back to a quiet type of sleep for a while, only to be disturbed again when he reaches another milestone. In a few months, you’ll have him crawling in his sleep! If his movements bother you and your husband, you should think of transitioning him now, when it’s still easy. You could put a crib near your bed so you still have him close but he doesn’t hit you. anon One of our babies did the same thing–he’s now 7 months and I’d say it hasn’t been a problem since 4 months or so? I’m finding that with most baby-related ”problems,” the simple answer is that you just need to wait and it will resolve itself! Genevieve Three months is when we moved our daughter into her own sleeping space. We really liked the idea of having her in bed with us but nobody was getting any rest because she is so restless. It was hard – I missed having her right next to me! – but it was really good we did because we all slept better and she really likes being in her own crib now. good luck sleeping well The same thing happened to us with our now 12 month old son when he was around that 3-4 months, so we began to swaddle him at naptime/bedtime and it helped a lot. We swaddled him until he was about 6 months and swaddling helped keep him asleep longer, and it also helped on the transition from our bed to his crib. Hopefully that will help you guys, good luck! Teresa My baby began to thrash around at four months and I started to transition him to his crib at this time. For me, it has worked out just great, and my son loves his crib. If you aren’t ready to start moving him out, you could try swaddling him when he sleeps with you and this might keep his movements down… lisette Try swaddling your baby. It sounded kind of old-fashioned to me but it works and it is fine for the baby. One explanation (and instructions) can be found in Harvey Karp’s ‘Happiest Baby on the Block’ book. Apparently there is a DVD version, too. Anon. i have a 2 year old who has done this on and off forever. he’s now transitioning to a toddler bed….i entirely missed the crib boat. my advice is you will all sleeep better if he goes in a crib. i wish i had taken my own advice. good luck We want 4-mo-old in bed but not between us May 2002
Our 41/2 month old son has been sleeping in bed since he was born, (first baby) now he is strong and big 16lbs. and rolling so we need to figure out something else, but we don’t know what. We need to have some personal snuggle time but the baby is always between us. We tried to get one of those bed rails so he could be on one side but our mattress is too big 15”… any suggestions- we were also told that co-sleepers are onle good for 17lbs or less? The bedis already next to wall – not good enough. The thought of a crib has come up but we still want him in bed with us and we don’t think he will sleep alone. He has to fall asleep on one of us and sleeps on me most of the night after nursing. Help with ideas are really appreciated. Liza
We kept our son in bed with or near us for the first year, which we all loved, except for the part about the kicking, thrashing, sideways-sleeping little body taking up most of the bed. My solution was to take my sister’s porta-crib [one of those miniature cribs where the sides fold in] and remove its 4th side, so that it became kind of a co-sleeper for big kids. I secured it around with a belt clamp, keeping the sides all snug. You can also use some c-clamps to secure it more snugly to your bed; ours was jammed between the bed and the wall pretty tight, so we felt it was safe. You can place a piece of board or cardboard beneath the crib mattress if you think the gap presents a problem. The crib’s mattress was somewhat lower than our mattress top, but our son climbed up to us when he needed us and we were able to slide him over into the crib pretty easily too. It’s so nice to just be able to reach over and comfort him – it worked really well for us. It did make it a lot harder to make the bed. Jean Have you tried all different types of bed rails? We have a tall mattress too and finally found a brand (Safety First I think?) that works perfectly. It doesn’t need to be really high off the bed-just enough to prevent a roll. I would not recommend the bed against the wall as baby can get wedged between the bed and the wall. I put my baby on the outside with the bed rail up and find she is more far more likely to roll towards me than she is to roll to the outside near the guard. Nicole we had a lot of luck putting our son’s crib, minus one side rail, right up against our bed. It functions just like a co- sleeper, but give us a lot more room in the parent’s bed. he can roll over when he needs some milk or a snuggle and we can roll him back when he falls asleep again. Jolie You could try putting your mattress right on the floor and adding a second mattress and extra bedding materials right next to it, to make a super-sized bed for all three of you!
Read the rest of this entry »
Incoming search terms for the article:
Lack of Sleep Triggers ‘Migraine’ Proteins
Lack of Sleep Triggers ‘Migraine’ Proteins
June 24, 2010 — Not getting enough sleep or having poor sleep habits can trigger migraines or cause occasional migraines to become frequent. Now new research may help explain the biological links between sleep and headache pain.
Pain researchers from Missouri State University report that rats deprived of REM sleep showed changes in the expression of key proteins that suppress and trigger chronic pain.
Toddler Sleep Disorder
Toddler Sleep Disorder
Do you think your toddler might have a sleeping problem? A toddler sleep disorder is not uncommon. Many children have the same issues with sleep as adults. Many sleeping disorders are inherited, others stem from illnesses such as infections and colds. Sleep Sense is here to help. We know how hard it can be to get your child to sleep enough, or perhaps they sleep too much. Sleep Sense researchers have put together a book on just this topic, and we offer tips on what sleeping disorders are and how they can affect your sleep.
Healthy Sleep: A Guide to Natural Sleep Remedies
Healthy Sleep 
A Guide to Natural Sleep Remedies Contents Introduction Many of us experience the occasional night of sleeplessness without any consequences. It is when the occasional night here and there becomes a pattern of several nights in a row that you are faced with a sleeping problem. Repeated loss of sleep affects all areas of your life: The physical, the mental, and the emotional. Sleep deprivation can affect your overall daily performance and may even have an effect on your personality.
If your insomnia continues for a long period of time it can cause problems in your relationships, compromise your productivity, and perhaps lead to other health problems. It can become a relentless cycle of worry and anxiety as night after night you toss and turn, wondering when sleep will come, wondering what is wrong with you. Insomnia and sleeplessness generally fall into three categories:
- “Initial” insomnia: where you have difficulty in falling asleep, generally taking 30 minutes or longer to fall into a sleep state.
- “Middle” insomnia: where after falling asleep you have problems maintaining a sleep state, often remaining awake until the early morning hours.
- “Late” or “Terminal” insomnia: where you awake early in the morning after less than 6 hours of sleep.
Insomnia can be the symptom of some medical conditions that may require your doctor’s advice and medical care. In those cases the cause will be treated, not the insomnia. If, however, your sleeplessness is due to a pattern of not sleeping, or because your body and mind find it difficult to settle into a state of relaxation necessary for sleep, this book offers you alternative choices for achieving healthy sleep without the use of prescription drugs. This document will teach you how to:
- Set the mood for a comfortable sleep atmosphere
- Prepare your body for relaxation
- Use colors to stimulate calmness and relaxation
- Understand the importance of exercise
- Use music and other relaxation techniques
- Relieve your mind of anxiety and worry
- Discover the importance of reducing stimulants
- Use herbal teas and warm drinks to promote relaxation
- Use herbs and vitamins to promote natural sleep
After reading this book you will have the information you need to turn your sleepless nights into restful ones, waking in the morning refreshed and alert rather than tired and anxious. All of the techniques and sleep-inducing aids in this book can be applied naturally and easily in your life. Get ready to embark on the journey of falling asleep naturally!