Liwaza Green: The wonder of a new baby brings a wealth of joy to new parents, but when your baby struggles with sleep, that joy can easily turn into major frustration. We sent our camera crew to Seattle, Washington, to meet with parents struggling with children who don't want to sleep.
Amy Stetson: The sleep deprivation was definitely affecting my family in that I was exhausted the next day, sometimes physically almost in pain. It hurt because I was up so much during the night: holding, rocking, swaying. My husband had a tough time at work, needing to be there mentally but not being able to focus, and Liam was exhausted during the day. That made it really tough on all of us.
Elizabeth Pantley: Sleep issues are very complicated and have many causes. And when a baby isn't sleeping, the parents aren't sleeping either. And that lack of sleep can affect every minute of every day for every person in the family.
Liwaza Green: In her book, The No-Cry Sleep Solution, parenting expert Elizabeth Pantley shares helpful tips to address this age-old problem.
Elizabeth Pantley: The interesting thing about sleep is, it's not just about being tired. Lack of sleep can affect everything in a child's behavior. It can cause temper tantrums and stubbornness, prevent them from learning well. They're sick more often and don't recover as quickly. In addition, the parents aren't sleeping well, so they have their own sleep deprivation to deal with.
Andrew Carr: We went several months to almost a year where, when my wife was working at night, I hardly got any sleep. I was always on edge. Even if he was sleeping, I was waiting for the nighttime meltdown.
Elizabeth Pantley: The biggest issues are the problems that the parents have sleeping. A sleep-deprived parent finds it hard to get through the day when they're getting up multiple times during the night and then struggling with a child who won't nap as well either. The problem with sleep is that it's very individual, so the first thing parents need to do is look at their child and try to figure out what the sleep problems are for them. For instance, a child who needs a pacifier to sleep, every time he wakes up in the night is crying and looking for someone to retrieve the pacifier. So you can either teach that baby how to find his own pacifier in the night or help him learn how to fall asleep without the pacifier in his mouth.
Liwaza Green: Understanding your child's individual sleep patterns can play a vital role in dealing with sleep issues.
Elizabeth Pantley: Lucky is the parent who decides to learn about their child's sleep while they're pregnant, before that baby's even born, or right when they have a newborn in the house. The more you understand about how babies sleep and how to help them sleep better, the less likely you'll have problems later on. The most important things are to have a consistent routine and understand your baby's sleep and how to help him sleep better.
Amy Stetson: After reading the book, it took about two weeks before I noticed a difference in Liam not waking up nearly as much. And the amount of time it took me to get him to go back to sleep, I used to be in there for maybe an hour and a half at times. And it had gone down to 15 minutes, 10 minutes. Now we're doing great. Now I can go in and talk to him and sometimes don't even have to pick him up out of the crib, which is just amazing.
Liwaza Green: If you have a toddler, you'll be interested in reading Elizabeth's latest book. It's called No-Cry Sleep Solutions for Toddlers. Let's look at some of her valuable tips. Start by maintaining a consistent bedtime for your toddler. The human body has a built-in clock that must reset itself daily. Look for natural sleep patterns that your child seems to follow, and schedule sleep around those times. Encourage regular naps. Even the most energetic child can find it difficult to make it through a full day without at least one rest break. Develop a consistent bedtime routine which can help a toddler transition from the busy constant motion of the day to a tranquil time to sleep at night. Teach your child how to relax and fall asleep. Use a book or a bedtime story to allow them to settle down and prepare for a good night's sleep. Bedtime can become a special time of bonding with your child. This is a great way to develop and establish communication skills that will last a lifetime.
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