How to stop Habitual Waking from D/F
Habitual waking. just as adults tend to get into waking habits, so do babies. The difference is, we look at the clock and groan, “Oh, God, it’s four-thirty AM.—just like last night”, and then we roll over and go hack to Sleep. Some babies do that, but others cry out, and their parents come running. When they do, they inadvertently reinforce the habit. To find out if a baby is in a habitual pattern, I ask, Does she wake up at the same time every night? If so, and if she wakes up more than two days in a row at that time, recognise that there’s a pattern developing. Chances are, You’re going into your baby’s room and employing some kind of prop. Let’s say you rock her or give her your breast. That might put her to sleep, but- it’s a short-term fix, a Band-Aid. What you need is
a solution.
A PLAN: Nine times out of ten a child who wakes habitually doesn’t need more food (unless she’s going through a growth spurt; see pages 115—119 and 197 TBW SAYP). Instead, Re-swaddle, if necessary, give her a dummy to calm her, and comfort her with the shush-pat. Keep stimulation to a minimum. No rocking or Jostling. Don’t change her unless her nappy is soiled or soaking wet. Do the ‘Four S’ routine and stay with her until she’s settled into a deep sleep. You’ll also need to take steps to break the waking habit.
So, let’s say you’ve ruled out other causes such as pain or discomfort. You’ve also eliminated hunger by both upping her food during the day and tanking her up at night. This is what I call my “wake-to-sleep” technique: Instead of lying there waiting for her to wake up, set your clock an hour earlier than her habitual waking time and you wake her (see bottom of this page). She probably won’t wake up completely, but her little eyes may dart back and firth under her lids, she’ll murmur and move a bit just as an adult would if you interrupted his deep sleep. Do this for three nights in a row.
I can just hear your response: “You must he out of your mind!” I realise that wake-to-sleep is a shockingly counterintuitive suggestion, but it does work! Sometimes, in fact, it only takes one night to break the habit, but I recommended that you keep it up for three nights nonetheless. If it doesn’t work, you have to reevaluate whether her habitual waking is due to another cause. If you’ve ruled everything else out, do this wake-to- sleep technique for at least another three days.
Wake to Sleep? Tracy, You’ve Got to Be Kidding
Parents are often shocked when I suggest the wake-to-sleep strategy for habitual night waking. Set your clock an hour earlier than your baby usually wakes and go into his room. Jostle him gently rub his belly a bit and stick a dummy in his mouth—all of which will help stir him to semi-consciousness. Then, leave. He’ll fall back to sleep. This gives you the control, rather than your sitting around hoping that your baby’s habit will magically go away. (It won’t.) By waking him an hour early you’ll disrupt his sleep pattern.