New guide offers hope for sleepless children, parents
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Parents sometimes lose sleep trying to get their kids to bed
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CNN's Pat Etheridge reports on a new guide from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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January 9, 2000
Web posted at: 8:00 p.m. EST (0100 GMT)
By Parenting Correspondent Pat Etheridge
ATLANTA (CNN) -- A major physicians group is offering help for bleary-eyed parents who have trouble getting their children to sleep.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has published a "Guide to Your Child's Sleep," that sorts through many approaches, including the importance of routine and rituals.
The problem is, not all children are alike. And the book points out that sleep strategies should be tailored to fit the family.
"There's no really set rule," said Dr. Michael Levine, a pediatrician. "You have to go by every baby's personality. They're all different and every family's personality, every family, runs on different rhythms and different energies," Levine said.
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Levine: Every child is different and has their own personality
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Sleepless nights are normal
During a child's first few months, pediatricians advise parents that sleepless nights are normal. Crying infants need prompt attention and frequent feedings.
At three to five months, the baby is ready, but not always eager, to sleep through the night.
Quiet, repetitive, routines help, such as reading the same bedtime story each night.
"In order to establish early, good, sleep habits, there must be consistency," said Levine. "And consistency to the rhythm of the household. And the parents together must decide how they're going to end the day for the sake of the baby's good sleep," Levine said.
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Babies aged three to five months may sleep through the night
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Avoid extremes, embrace limits
Parents will have more peace if they choose a bedtime plan that avoids extremes. The guide suggests it's not necessary to respond to every whimper, nor is it wise to let a baby cry for longer than ten minutes.
When babies become toddlers, the guide says, children need firm limits. Nightly rituals and a consistent bedtime will help avoid battles later on.
"They don't know where the limit ends, and how far they can go," said Levine. "But you do. And you set the rules. If you don't set the rules they're going to keep you up all night," he said.
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