5 Days to a Perfect Night's Sleep for Your Child - The Secrets to Making Bedtime a Dream

Informationen zum Autor Eduard Estivill, M.D., is director of the Sleep Disturbances Clinic at the Institut Dexeus in Barcelona, Spain, where he is also head of the Neurophysiology Unit. Trained in both America and Spain, he is a specialist in pediatrics, neurophysiology, and sleep medicine. Klappentext An international phenomenon now available in America for the first time, this quick, no-nonsense guide is all you need to get your child to sleep through the night (pillow not included). These days, most books on improving your child's sleep take either a tough-love approach (ignore crying) or a soothing strategy (offer continuous comfort). But now an internationally renowned sleep expert provides a middle-ground method that will have your child sleeping through the night at any age. Dr. Eduard Estivill's no-fail technique focuses on a mixture of authority, ritual, and reward. Parents can end negative cycles of resistance and wakefulness and feel as rested as their child will by following these expert tips: • Adopt a firm and confident attitude (your child will pick up on your mood). • Use meals as a cue to announce your child's next nap or nighttime sleep. • Incorporate appropriate elements (such as a stuffed animal or a pacifier) at bedtime so your child will not rely on you as a vital part of the sleep process. • Reinforce the contrast between light (day) and dark (night). • Never punish children by making them go to bed (it sends the wrong message about sleep time). • Learn what to say before-and after-the light is turned off. Complete with special techniques to use with newborns, plus an invaluable question-and-answer section that addresses specific concerns (children sleeping in their parents' bed, how divorced parents can work together, special-needs children), this sanity-saving guide promises sweet dreams for all.Chapter 1 My Child Doesn't Sleep Well WORDS OF ADVICE Before you start, please read the following recommendations carefully. • First of all, you need to be convinced that this method will work for you. In order to teach a child healthy sleep habits, you, the parent, grandparent, babysitter, or caretaker, are the key player in the process. And your confidence in this method is essential to your success! If you trust the method completely, you will project your confidence to your child and will see quick and tangible results. You will be faced with new situations, and-trust me-many of them will be extremely trying, especially at 4 am. This is why all the caretakers must work together, drawing from the same set of standards and following the same rules. • Make sure that your child doesn't have medical ailments when you begin treatment. Methodically rule out any type of illness that may be causing your child to sleep poorly, the most common of which are ear infections, lactose intolerance, gastric reflux, and, occasionally, psychological or psychiatric problems. Con-sult your pediatrician to help you with this. • Recognize that all kids can learn to sleep well even though each child is different and has a unique personality. Some kids catch on quicker than others. Some do as they're told. Others are more stubborn. Some children are calm and some, more active. From the minute your child is born, you, as a parent, start to see these different personality traits. And of course they're important, but they should never be used as an excuse to justify insomnia. Teaching your baby to sleep simply means teaching her correct sleep behavior! We learn to sleep, just as we learn to eat, read, and go to the bathroom. Sure, there are active kids who can barely sit still, so it's tough imagining them reading a story quietly to themselves. But they will figure it out, sooner or later. • Remember that your child needs you. You, the parents and caretakers, are the ones who will teach her how to sleep on he...

Product details

• Authors: Eduard Estivill, Eduard/ Lethem Estivill
• Publisher: Ballantine
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 25.03.2008
• EAN: 9780345501806
• ISBN: 978-0-345-50180-6
• No. of pages: 76
• Dimensions: 133 mm x 210 mm x 13 mm
• Subject: Guides > Self-help, everyday life > Lifestyle, personal development