Coping with Clock changes and sleep patterns.

Most of us experience no problems when the clock goes back an hour or forward an hour in spring and autumn.
Unfortunately there are some individuals who find this a very difficult experience. They find that their sleep pattern is disturbed by this event for a good few weeks. This leaves these individuals struggling with all the associated symptoms of sleep deficit, and makes life for the other family members much more difficult. However, with a little planning these difficulties can be avoided.

If you know how long it takes to "recover" from the clock change then you can anticipate and plan a strategy that will avoid the process of sleep deficit and sleep disturbances. These clock changes occur at pre set calender dates. If you know, for example, that it will take three weeks to catch up with this change, then you can avoid the problems altogether by simply dividing the 60 minute change into 3 segments of 20 minutes.

Three weeks before the clock changes start to adjust pre bedtime routine by a few minutes so that by the end of the first week a 20 minute delay in bedtime routine (or an earlier start to this routine) is accepted.
Continue this over the following three weeks, and by the time the clock has moved, the brain and body will be in sync with this altered sleep/wake time.

This can be further enhanced by altering the supper snack before bed to ensure that it is rich in the chemicals which encourage the release of sleep hormones. The precursor to the release of Melatonin, the sleep hormone, is Tryptophan.

Tryptophan is a natural amino acid found in foods like turkey, chickpeas and a variety of other foods. Tryptophan is required to make Melatonin, the sleep hormone and to act as a precursor for Serotonin.

Serotonin levels affect our mood. Patients who suffer from depression may be given drugs which modify the uptake of this chemical.

Foods that help in serotonin production are foods high in B-vitamins, foods like brown rice, eggs, organic chicken, corn, green leafy veggies, legumes, nuts, peas, and sunflower seeds.

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The Golden Rules

These are the "golden rules" which, if observed, will help ensure a good night's sleep.

1. Make sure your child's room is quiet and dark.
2. Keep environmental noise to a minimum, no loud TVs.
3. If your child still needs a nap, schedule that nap for early afternoon, before 3pm.
4. Wake your child at a regular time every morning. This will strengthen the circadian rhythm.
5. Avoid drinks of tea, cola and drinks containing caffeine before bedtime.
6. Quiet play in the hour before bed is better than stimulating, exciting play.
7. Keep the room at a comfortable temperature. If the room is too warm sleep may be disturbed.
8. Use a short pre bed routine that your child will recognise and stick to it.
9. Make sure that your child does not go to bed hungry, but do not give children over 6 months feeds or drinks through the night.
10. Help your child to fall asleep without your presence. Use a favourite toy or blanket and put your child to bed while he/she is drowsy but still awake.

You may find you are already doing some of these things, or all of them. If your child is still having difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep contact Dream-Angus.com we can help you to help your child.

Reflux/spitting up in infants

It is not uncommon to wind/burp a baby and have some altered milk returned with the process. Some babies are known as "happy spitters" and from the begining these babies return mouthfulls of altered feed when they are encouraged to release any wind they may have swallowed. If this is an occasional rather than an regular occurance then there is no need to take any action. Other children suffer from gastro oesophageal reflux (GERD) to a degree that makes them very uncomfortable. Imagine having persistent heartburn which worsens with feeding. This makes feeding a much less comforting and enjoyable experience.

What causes this problem?

In newborn babies, and especially in babies born before their due date, the gastric tract can be immature and the muscles at the top of the stomach are less efficient than they should be. These muscles are there to allow air out but keep feeds, which are mixed with the acids in the stomach, in their place. When they are less efficient semi digested food is returned with the acids of the stomach, to the oesophagus and to the outside world. Over time, if this is untreated, asthma can result. For many years thickeners were added to feeds in an attempt to reduce reflux but research shows that this is totally ineffective and only results in increasing the time that food remains in the stomach.

What are the symptoms?

The most common include :-

Frequent spitting up or vomiting
Irritability when feeding
Refusing food or eating only small amounts
Sudden or constant crying
Arching the back while feeding
"Wet" burps
Frequent hiccups
Frequent coughing
Poor sleep habits with frequent waking

Bad breath

What can I do about this?

Give baby smaller feeds more regularly.

Wind/burp baby regularly during a feed.

Keep baby upright for 30-45 minutes after a feed and gravity will help keep feeds down.

Put baby down to sleep on his/her back but raise the mattress by putting a pillow or folded towel underneath the mattress so that there is a slope keeping baby's head slightly higher than baby's feet.

Do not thicken baby's feeds. This does not work and can result in other problems. Starting semi solid feeds early does not help and can increase the risk of allergy or other gastric problems. If baby is consistently upset by reflux do see your Doctor because there are suitable medications which will help. By the age of one year many babies will no longer have symptoms.

Preparing your child for a new baby.

New arrivals mean major changes for the entire family. Children can be excited about the arrival of a new baby. They may be very gentle and caring and yet at other times they can be jealous and agressive towards a sibling. Preparing your child for a new brother or sister can help get this new relationship of to a good start.

Tell your child about the new baby about 3 months before the baby is due. Do not tell your child you are having a baby to give them a new friend. Children may be dissapointed when the new baby sleeps most of the time and does not play with them.

Explain a little about babies to your child. There are a variety of good books written for children about the arrival of a new baby. These can help you help your child to know what to expect. If you chose this time to move your child from a cot to a bed do not use the baby as a reason. It is far better to explain that "you are a big girl now so it's time for you to have a big girl's bed."
Avoid making any changes to your child's routine in the month before the arrival of the new baby.

Tell your child ahead of time where you will be going when baby is born and who will look after them until your return. When you do return after the birth be available to give your first child your full attention. Be consistent use the same approach as you used before baby arrived with the same rules and consequenses for unwanted behaviour. Try to mainitian the routines your child is used to. It is important that your older child is given some uninterrupted time and space for play away from baby each day.

If you need help in moving your child from cot to bed ;-
Contact Dream-Angus.com we can help.

Starting at day care or nursery.

All children have to learn to cope with temporary separations from their parents. Learning to be apart can be difficult for both parent and child however parents need time to themselves occasionally and children benefit from spending time with other people and other children.

Shyness around new people and anxiety about separation from parents is common in children of pre school age.

If your child is old enough to understand what is happening then, before starting your child at a child care center talk about this with your child. Visit the place together so that your child feels comfortable there. Stay close and allow your child to watch the other children. Don't force your child to join the activities and if possible make several visits gradually extending the time you spend together there. Invite other children from the group to your home so that your child can get to know them a little and look for them in the group.

On the day explain to your child where they are going where you are going and when you will return. Do this in terms that the child can understand. Make sure that the care giver has all they may need to take care of your child. Suggest that your child bring something to the group, a special toy or other comforting item from home. You could perhaps leave something of your own to reassure your child that you will return. For the first few times you may want to reward your child by spending time in the park on the way home, or playing a special game with mum or dad.

Develop a routine for the times when you leave your child with some one else. After a while your child will be able to say what the steps are, e.g.

Say hello to the care giver and other children.

Find something to do.

Kiss or say good bye to mum/dad.

Explain to your child that you will leave, even if they do not want you to, once you have said "goodbye".

When you return greet your child and spend some individual time with them. Ask about what they did while you were gone. If your care giver tells you about something interesting your child has done show an interest and praise your child. Be prepared for your child to be a little clingy this is normal after separations.

Remember;-

When practical, prepare your child ahead of time.

Tell your child where you are going and when you will return.

Develop a routine and explain the steps to your child.

Talk about rewards.

Prepare the care giver.

Introduce others to your child.

Help your child find something to do.

Praise your child for mixing or playing with others.

Say goodbye and leave ignore protests and do not go back.

When you return, greet your child and spend time with them ask about their activities.

Review the steps with your child in a way that they can understand

Hormones and sleep.

Deep sleep triggers more release of growth hormone, which fuels growth in children and boosts muscle mass and the repair of cells and tissues in children and adults.
Sleep’s effect on the release of sex hormones also encourages puberty and fertility. Consequently, women who work at night and tend to lack sleep are, therefore, more likely to have trouble conceiving or to miscarry.

During sleep, your body creates more cytokines cellular hormones that help the immune system fight various infections. Lack of sleep can reduce the ability to fight off common infections.
Research also reveals that a lack of sleep can reduce the body’s response to the flu vaccine. For example, sleep-deprived volunteers given the flu vaccine produced less than half as many flu antibodies as those who were well rested and given the same vaccine.

When we sleep less, our stomach secretes more of an appetite stimulating hormone, and we produce less of the hormone which reduces our desire for food consequently we gain weight. A recent French study of 1,138 children found that 26% of children in the sample who had a sleep deficit were overweight, and 7.4% were obese. Day time naps do not compensate for proper night sleep which is generally deeper and longer. This same study showed that 22% of children who slept less than 10 hours a night when they were only 2.5 years old were hyperactive at 6 years of age. This is twice the rate of those who slept 10-11 hours a night at 2.5 years of age.

Sleep is undeniably an important part of our daily lives. Sleep deficit has profound effects not just on our mental health but also on our physical health.

If you need help to resolve your families sleep issues Contact Dream-Angus.com

Extinction (Crying It Out)

Crying it out involves putting a child to bed at a set bed time and then ignoring the child's cries until a set time the next morning. While this method has been documented as successful in resolving settling issues it is seldom an acceptable choice for parents who must listen to their distressed child crying.

One study showed that although the child cries for a prolonged period there is no memory of this and perhaps the child cries for so long that they forget why they were crying. Other children may cry until they vomit, which is even more distressing for the parent. Parents are naturally concerned about the effects of this "treatment" on the child's emotional and psychological development. Feeling that this is unnatural and goes against the parents natural desire to comfort the child, makes this harsh type of "treatment" difficult to administer and difficult to be consistent with.

There are many other ways to resolve this issue. Allowing a child to become and remain distressed for a period of time does not teach the child to learn to soothe themselves to sleep and this is one of the most valuable lessons we can offer our children.

If you have tried, or are considering using this method to get your child to sleep, be assured there are other techniques which are very effective and much kinder to parent and child.

If you struggle to get your child to self soothe to sleep Contact Dream-Angus.com we can help you to help your child improve their sleep pattern.

Sleep and the newborn baby.

Most newborn babies will sleep 16-20 hours out of 24. They wake when hungry or uncomfortable and are fairly easy to soothe once the reason for crying has been established. For the first few weeks it would appear that there is no routine. Baby can demand a feed at intervals of bewteen 2-4 hours. Some times this interval varies throughout the day. During growth spurts more feeds are required. In these early weeks it is not possible to alter baby's sleep wake cycle and there should be no need to. A baby will wake and sleep as the infant's body requires.

Recognising when an infant is tired takes time. Some babies will rub their faces on the person holding them, yawning, closing their eyes and sometimes even stretching before a nap. In the early stages the infant lacks the co-ordination to pull at an ear or rub tired eyes. An upset baby can be soothed by low frequency noise. A washing maching, vacum cleaner, a radio not quite tuned in to the station, music which before was heard through the thick abdominal wall, now played softly may halp.

If you are holding an upset baby try patting slowly at slightly less than heart rate, about 60 pats a minute, this reflects a resting heartbeat and is reminiscent of the rhythm heard in utero.
Soothing a baby to sleep requires a general slowing down of everything. Voice interaction should be quiet and of a low pitch. Put your infant down in the crib before they are completely asleep will help them to accept that going to sleep does not require any adult intervention. This will prevent problems later.

Once the child is about 3-4 months a more definate pattern starts to emerge.

For help, advice and support with your child's sleep
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