Guest post | Emma @happy_sleepy_family | https://www.happysleepyfamily.com/
‘Your baby should be sleeping 7-7’
Did you ever hear this as a new parent?
Did you ever hear it and wonder what on earth you’re meant to do to make your baby sleep 7-7?!
And what should you do if they don’t?!
This is so common and unfortunately there are so many generic sleep guides out there that expect your baby to conform to this.
Not only are they extremely unrealistic, but babies AND children AND adults can only sleep as much as they need to!
Often we hear that phrase ‘sleep breeds sleep’, and I remember hearing it as a new mum, thinking that I’d better give my boy more sleep then!
Well, this phrase is only a reality in one scenario. And that is if they are sleep deprived, or not having as much sleep as they need. Sleep does not breed sleep in any other scenario.
Each of us have our own sleep needs. Some of us have higher sleep needs and just need more sleep to get through the day, and some of us are the opposite and need less.
Now, we’re not told this as new mums are we? We are told generic information such as your baby sleeping 7-7.
Well what about when that doesn’t work? What then?
This is where we need to work out the sleep needs for each individual little one, and we do this by looking at their temperament and the sleep they are currently having over 24 hours.
Temperament can tell us a lot about sleep needs. Quite often lower sleep needs children tend to be sensitive, need support, always on the go, and it’s very easy to miss their sleep cues as they keep going until they hit a wall!
Higher sleep needs babies are often the opposite. They may struggle between naps, sleep anywhere, and will often self settle. They show more sleepy cues and generally just need a lot more sleep!
Once we have a better idea of sleep needs, we can work out what the little ones routine might look like. And this doesn’t need to be rigid-in fact I encourage flexibility. The key is really in how that sleep is distributed over the day and night.
So if you’re a little stuck, try work out what YOUR little one needs. What someone else is doing most likely won’t work for your little too .
Remember, one size does not fit all.
Emma
Happy Sleepy Family
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