If you’ve been watching the news, one story is creating major buzz: Dr. Penelope Leach, one of the leading voices in child care since the 1970s, just released her new book, The Essential First Year. In it, she states that the extensive crying that often occurs during cry-it-out sleep training is damaging to babies’ brains. She explains that the high levels of the stress hormone cortisol released during these crying binges are toxic to babies’ developing brains.

There is much more research to be done to accurately predict exactly how much crying is damaging to a baby’s developing brain. But in the meantime, Leach’s words are causing many parents to panic, as one new mother asked, “If I can’t let my baby cry-it-out, does that mean I have a year or more of sleepless nights ahead of me?”

More than Two Options
It is a distressing myth that you only have two choices when it comes to changing your child’s sleep problems: cry-it-out, or suffer as a sleep-deprived martyr. The reality is that there are many, many gentle solutions for helping your baby to sleep better that don’t include hours of tears for your baby – or for you. There are a wide variety of effective approaches to helping a baby sleep better. You can avoid making your child cry to achieve better sleep, and steer clear of any possible damage from lengthy crying episodes, by taking a good look at your baby’s bedtime routine, schedule, and sleep environment  and making a few important changes.

No-Cry Solutions for Your Baby

Here are a few sample tips for achieving better sleep using No-Cry solutions:

Maintain a consistent bedtime and awaking time.
Your child’s biological clock has a strong influence on her wakefulness and sleepiness. When you establish a set time for bedtime and wake up time you “set” your child’s clock so that it functions smoothly.  Keeping the same schedule seven days a week allows your child’s biological clock to become in sync with the clock on the wall.

Aim for an early bedtime, since most babies and young children respond best with a bedtime between 6:30 and 7:30 P.M. Most children will sleep better and longer when they go to bed early, since this is most compatible with their biological makeup. A by-product advantage to this important concept is a bit of adult-only time once the little ones are asleep – healthy for parents, too.

Encourage regular daily naps.
Daily naps are critically important, not only to a child’s health and mood, but to a successful night-sleep pattern, as well. A child can find it difficult to go through the day without a rest break because the effects of even a good night’s sleep wear off over a few hours.  A child will often wake up cheerful and become progressively fussier or hyper-alert as the day goes on. An overtired child will find it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep at night.

In addition, the length and quality of naps affects night sleep – good naps equal better night sleep and an easier more peaceful bedtime.

Set your child’s biological clock.
Take advantage of your child’s biology so that he’s actually tired when bedtime arrives. Darkness causes an increase in the release of the body’s sleep hormone -- the biological “stop” button. You can align your child’s sleepiness with bedtime by dimming the lights and turning off the TV during the hour before bedtime. 

Exposing your child to morning light is pushing the “go” button in her brain — one that says, “Time to wake up and be active.” Early morning light helps keep a child’s biological clock ticking properly. So keep your mornings bright.

Develop a consistent bedtime routine.
Routines create rhythm in your child’s life. A consistent, peaceful bedtime routine allows your child to transition from the motion of the day to the tranquil state of sleep. A good routine becomes part of the “cue” that bedtime is sleep time. The relaxed pre-bed environment allows a child to slow down and ease into sleep. An energetic child can often be helped to relax with a back massage or quiet story-telling or lullabies in the dark.

Be thoughtful about the steps in your baby’s bedtime routine. If your baby’s routine includes twenty minutes of rocking, or if it involves feeding until your baby is sound asleep, you’ll likely be repeating these steps even at 2 AM. Try to finish up the bedtime routine with your sleepy baby lying in her bed, so that if she wakes in the night she’ll be able to fall back to sleep on her own without relying totally on a parent for assistance.

Create a cozy sleep environment.
Where your child sleeps can be a key to quality sleep. Make certain the mattress is comfortable, the blankets are warm, the room temperature is just right, pajamas are comfy, and the bedroom is welcoming. Keep the sleeping room dark and use soft music or white noise recordings (such as the sounds of rainfall or ocean waves) to help enhance the relaxing setting.

For more sleep tips, visit No Cry Sleep Solution today!