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Better Bedtimes

BETTER BEDTIMES:  How can you help a rambunctious youngster get to sleep?  Will "monster spray" get rid of the ones in his closet?  How can you stop your kids from sleeping in your bed? Can a flashlight help take away her fear of the dark?  Will sticking to a strict schedule every day make a difference?  Join host, Dr. Winnie King, and find out the answers to these questions and many more.  You'll also meet a lively little boy and his mom and hear a sleep specialist's advice about how to get him to bed — and his mother some rest!

Guests:

Daniel Schirripa - 4 years old
Beverly Schirripa - Daniel's mother
Renita Nelson - Mother of 2-year-old
Jodi Mindell, Ph.D. - Associate Director, Sleep Disorders Center, Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA; Associate Professor of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA; Author, Sleeping Through the Night: How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night's Sleep; Chair, Pediatric Task Force, National Sleep Foundation; Advisory Boards: Parents Magazine and BabyCenter.com

Tips:

How to Help Your Newborn become a Better Sleeper

  • Learn your baby's signs of being sleepy
  • Follow your baby's cues as to how best to get him to sleep
  • Always put your baby to sleep on his or her back
  • After the first few weeks, start to actively encourage nighttime sleep
  • Make sleep a family priority (that means you, too, Mommy!)
  • Take the first steps towards a bedtime routine

How to Help Your Infant Sleep Well

  • Learn your baby's signs of being sleepy
  • Start developing a bedtime routine
  • Set a regular sleep schedule for your baby
  • Give your baby soothing surroundings
  • Put your baby to bed drowsy but awake

How to Help Your Toddler Sleep Well

  • Sleep by night, fewer naps by day
  • Wind down your routine in the place where your baby sleeps
  • Set limits (on trips to the bathroom, books read, glasses of water, etc.)
  • Set a regular sleep schedule
  • Put your child to bed drowsy but awake

Above courtesy of The National Sleep Foundation

Resources: 

For Further Information:

http://www.sleepfoundation.org/

http://www.babycenter.com/

or call 1-866-565-2229