Sleepy-time Stress

Reviewing Sleep Strategies

By Laurie Dove

Regardless of the method parents choose to help their infants sleep through the night, teaching healthy sleep habits is essential for the whole family, says Jodi Mindell, author of Sleeping Through the Night and associate director of the Sleep Disorder Center in Philadelphia, Pa.

"Doing sleep training is not a selfish act for parents," she says. "Babies feel better if they sleep during the night, and waking up to happy, well-rested parents has huge implications to them."

One of the biggest obstacles to any sleeping method parents try is failing to stick with it long enough to see a difference. It's crucial to try a method not just for two or three days, but for two weeks, otherwise babies can become confused and have even more trouble sleeping through the night.

And, cautions Dr. Judi Owens, director of the Pediatric Sleep Disorders Clinic at Hasbro Hospital in Rhode Island, even siblings can have different sleep needs and temperaments. What works for one child may not work for another. However, by the age of 6 months to 9 months, otherwise healthy children should be sleeping through the night, Dr. Owens says. Infants and toddlers, like adults, go from light to deep sleep many times during the night. And because sleep research is just now coming to the forefront, Dr. Owens expects the next few years to be full of discoveries.

"Much of what we know about babies and sleep has only been discovered in the past 20 years," she says. "We know that children need adequate rest. We don't yet know enough about the short-term and long-term effects sleep problems have on kids."

Want to see more?

• The Crying Game: Soothing Your Newborn
• Crying Baby, Sleepless Nights: Why Your Baby is Crying and What You Can Do About It
• The First Year: Birth to 3 Months
• Talk about it!