When should sleep training start?

Training your child to sleep should begin as soon as possible. We teach our children to become reliant on us by always holding, rocking, allowing baby to suck and fall asleep when we are present. This builds the idea in the child's mind that falling asleep is difficult without the associated presence and action.

From only 8 weeks babies have a rudimentary rhythm to their sleep/wake cycle. They may not have such a good routine around food but it is developing. The earlier we encourage babies to fall asleep without us the easier it is for baby and parent to become confident about this. Of course if baby is unwell the demand for comfort and cuddles increases. Learning to anticipate baby's needs and recognise wants is an important part of parenting.

Children's needs should always be met, unconditionally. In the real world our desires/wants are not always me and it is easier to teach children this life lesson early. It is also kinder not to allow them to expect that they are always going to be given the things they desire as well as the things they need.

Baby should be put down in a safe sleeping place when he or she is drowsy but aware that this is what is happening. This will build security and independance into sleep time. If you are confident that things are fine baby will be confident too.

If you struggle to establish a routine for your little one, contact Dream-Angus, we can help you to teach your child this valuable lesson.

Sleep patterns in infants.

We expect babies to wake frequently through the night for feeds and for comfort. Most healthy term babies no longer require feeds at night when they are about 6 months old. Some stop looking for a mid night feed before that. Others are used to this feed and are reluctant to go without but usually they can be gently disuaded from maintaining this habit.

What may surprise mums, is that babies who are exposed only to daylight in the first few weeks of life demonstrate the begining of a sleep wake pattern at as early as 60 days/8 weeks. Starting to "sleep train" infants from this early stage could be highly effective.

When we start to discern a pattern to an infants sleep/wake periods the patterns could be reinforced by ensuring that naps are taken in daylight with normal ambient household noise, and night sleep started when the daylight fades. This follows our primeval sleep/wake pattern which we have adapted by using electric light and altering our lifestyles.

Learn to recognise your infants "sleepy signals". If your child is demonstrating these signs then take advantage of this and put your child to bed. There is only a short window when you can successfully persuade an infant to nap. Miss that slot and baby has gone beyond napping, got a second wind and become fussy and reluctant to settle.

If you would like help to improve your child's sleep Contact Dream-Angus.com

Children's sleep difficulties.

Children's sleep difficulties vary with the age and developmental stage of the child. They can be simple with a single cause and a quick solution, or they can be complex with more than one difficulty. It is always important to differentiate between a genuine sleep difficulty and a physical or psychological problem. The most common sleep difficulties are related to going to bed, getting to sleep, and staying asleep all night without interruption.


Some children are resistant to bed time. They always want another story, another drink or snack, and generally put off the time when they must go to bed. For some children this is because they are fearful of being alone, of the dark or because they have had bad dreams, or fear bad things lurking in their room. Developing a good short recognisable pre bed routine which allows the child to quiet their thoughts and calm before bed is helpful and there are simple reassuring measures that parents can take to make the experience less worrying.


Learning to go to sleep without requiring any other stimulation is entirely possible. Always being be held, fed, rocked or to have a parent present, leads the child to believe that without these contacts and reassurances they cannot get to sleep by themselves. In fact every child can get to sleep without these associations but some take longer to learn this. Parents who have had difficulties in getting their child to sleep may inadvertantly create a situation where the child will not sleep without their presence and this has to be unlearned.


Although sleep is considered to be a quiet activity this is not always the case. Most children have between five and eight periods of lighter sleep when they may waken. If they required a parental presence to get them to sleep at bed time, they will require this again when their lighter sleep results in a night waking. Adults also have these periods of lighter sleep but they are usually aware that this is light sleep and may change their position and return to sleep without a full awareness of having been lightly asleep. Children have to learn to do this too.

If you need help to teach your child to sleep Contact us at Dream-Angus.com

The Fourth Shift

While a great deal of research has looked at sleep and children's sleep patterns the sociological effects of childrens sleep on that of their parents, has been largely ignored. Last year a sociological study examined how couples with children have their sleep influenced by caring for their child or children.

The key concerns were not only related to caring for young children and their physical needs at night, but also how the nature of caring for older children impacts on parents sleep. A number of couples aged 20-59 with both younger and older children took part in the study which involved completing auditory sleep dairies, individual in depth interviews, and follow up interviews.

It is not really a surprise to find that the physical and emotional care of young children at night was largely provided by women, with a lack of explicit negotiation between partners about who should provide this care, even when the woman returns to work. Overall considerably more women than men continued their daytime and evening employment, as well as undertaking a third shift, or sentient activity, for their family into the night. This resulted in a fourth shift where physical caring and sentient activities continued.

As a consequense mothers were more likely to subjugate their sleep needs to those of the family. Fathers, in general, did not undertake this fourth night time shift. Those fathers who did, were more likely to be fathers of older children who were staying out late at night, with their focus of concern being the safety of the children.

If you find your children are demanding during the night and you would like to alter this behaviour, Contact Dream-Angus.com

Migraines and Sleep Related Breathing Disorders.

Children who experience migrane headaches are more likely than the rest of the population to have sleep disorders, which are related to how they breathe while asleep. Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, where breathing is discontinued for 15 seconds or more while the child is asleep, is a recognised sleep disorder. Often this can be simply resolved by removal of large tonsils and/or adenoids. Other children experience this problem because they are overweight, or for other physical reasons.

Children with sleep related breathing disorders may wake suddenly in the night, when the brain announces a lack of oxgyen, and demands a breath be taken. This can result in a sudden, and to the child, inexplicable and terrifying waking, and may be accompanied by an associated gasp as the required breath is taken.

A study by Dr. S. Kothare looked at children who reported having regular headaches. The study found that children with migrane were twice as likely to also have obstructive sleep apnoea. This same study found that children with tension headache also grind their teeth at night.

Migraine in children, is a big and separate subject. It is not always reported as headache, and can, depending on the age of the child, be reported as abdominal pain. The relationship between sleep disordered breathing and headache, migraine and tension headache should be brought to the attention of parents so that appropriate investigations, advice and treatment can be obtained. Migraine is associated with a shorter total sleep time, a longer total time to fall asleep and a shorter period of Rapid Eye Movement sleep.

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea occurs in 2% of children. It can develop at any age, but is most common in pre school children (3-6 years). At this stage of life the tonsils and adenoids are large compared to the throat. The rate of occurance is the same regardless of gender. It is more common where another family member has the same disorder, and it is common in obese children.

If your child regularly wakes suddenly, with a sharp cry in the night, you should consider your family's sleep patterns and possibly seek advice regarding Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.

If you would like more information Contact Dream-Angus.com

Calming babies and children under 1 year.

The most difficult thing in getting a young child to sleep when they are resisting, is getting the child to be calm enough to relax and become drowsy. There are a number of simple techniques which can help with this.
If the child is still a baby and not yet mobile, there are the much lauded "4 S's"

Swaddling a baby is conforting, gives a feeling of being held without the need for a parent or carer to hold the child. It provides "deep pressure", avoids waking from the startle (moro) reflex when hand coordination is not fully developed, and for a majority of babies helps to calm.

Shuushing, providing background noise which reduces the effects of sudden loud noise and replicates the noises heard by baby while in the womb.

Sucking is calming for most babies unless they have reflux and associate this with pain. Using a comforter/pacifier/dummy to calm a baby is good but they should not be left in the mouth until the child is asleep or they may become dependant on this aid.

Shoogling, the short gentle movements which replicate the gentle movements felt as mum went about her day before delivering baby. Some parents use a swing, stroller, or rock baby in their arms.

All of the above in a variety of intensity and combinations will soothe a distressed baby. Unless a child is calm getting them to sleep is virtually impossible. Having a recognisable routine which is always done in the same order at the same time is reassuring for every child and the older the child the more important that routine is. This makes some certainties in the child's life. If a certain set of circumstances occur, then the anticipated response is also familiar and it is easy for the child to give the appropriate response. Our children want to please us and having at least one thing which they recognise and know how to respond to, helps build confidence in an otherwise uncertain world.

Some parents, who struggle with settling and sleep issues resort to the use of medications, or homeopathic, or herbal remedies. These may help but do not address the root cause of the undesirable behaviour. Adults come to rely on the administration of these products to acheive a calm and sleepy child. The child also learns that sleep can only be accomplished by the use of such substances. This is not a healthy route to sleep. It does not allow the development of independant abilities to self soothe to sleep. This can become a long term issue which, when behavioural interventions are used would be short lived.

There are very few occasions when it is appropriate to medicate to sleep. While there are treatments which will achieve this they are not without side effects and they do not address the problem, they only treat the symptoms.

If you have difficulties settling your child, Contact Dream-Angus.com

Depression in teenagers

Professor Gangwisch, of Columbia University College in New York, is the lead author of a recent study published in the journal Sleep which looked at the theory that inadequate sleep is a risk factor for depression.

Those of us working with children and families have always been aware that many young people spend their formative years chronically sleep deprived. As a result they are tired and inattentive and more prone to obesity,hypertension and depression.

Researchers now believe that sleep deprivation is directly linked to depression and suicidal thoughts, making it much more difficult for these young people to cope with daily stresses and making it more difficult for them to engage with their peers and with adults.

Teens allowed to stay up to midnight are 24% more likely to suffer depression and 20% are more likely to consider self harm than those who have set bed times of 10pm. Adolescents who sleep for five or fewer hours per night are 71% more likley to suffer from depression and 48% are more likely to consider suicide than those who reported getting eight or more hours of sleep per night.

The more sleep adolescents and teenagers get the lower the rate of depression, and the better this is for both their mental and physical health. Nine hours of sleep per night is the recommended level for adolescents. Of the 15,000 students, aged between 12 and 17, who took part in this study, the average sleep duration was only 7hours and 53 minutes. Those with a bedtime of 10pm or earlier slept on average 33minutes longer than those who went to bed at 11pm and 40minutes longer than those who went to bed at midnight.

This highlights once again the important part a good nights sleep plays in mental and physical health and wellbeing. Teaching your children good sleep habits is vitally important. Recognising when things are going wrong and working to resolve sleep issues at an early stage is worthwhile from a health perspective. Ensuring that young people get regular exercise, fresh air and have a regular sleep pattern gives them the optimum start in life.

If your child has difficulties developing a good sleep pattern contact Dream-Angus, we can help you to help your child to a better sleep.