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loocyloo
25-09-2019, 02:09 PM
I have 10 EY children, 3 are poor sleepers and wake up for the day around 4.30/5.00 am ... consequently, they are exhausted during the day.
One I'm hoping is a temporary response to new sibling ...

But I'm not alone ... of the 3 other minders I see/ talk to locally, all have a couple ( at least ) of poor sleepers / very early risers ... I don't ever remember it being this bad before!

Is it just children today? !!!

chris goodyear
25-09-2019, 02:59 PM
I have been doing this job for more than 30 years and I do think children are different these days. Due
I think to all the stimulation they receive now as compared to before and although none of my current children wake that early none sleep for as long as they did back in the day. Usually it's a half hour nap and even the 7 week old baby I just took on doesn't sleep more than 3/4 hour at a time - if I'm lucky! Young babies used to sleep for a good couple of hours but no more.

loocyloo
25-09-2019, 03:45 PM
I have been doing this job for more than 30 years and I do think children are different these days. Due
I think to all the stimulation they receive now as compared to before and although none of my current children wake that early none sleep for as long as they did back in the day. Usually it's a half hour nap and even the 7 week old baby I just took on doesn't sleep more than 3/4 hour at a time - if I'm lucky! Young babies used to sleep for a good couple of hours but no more.

I'm so glad to hear it isn't just me! I've been nannying or child minding for the past 30 years too!

I also think that babies are never left to their own devices to self settle, play or just 'be' any more! They generally all seem more 'needy' .

loocyloo
26-09-2019, 11:28 AM
Ok ..
Next 'question' ... are less children able to self settle?

I've got one who isn't a particularly bad sleeper, but at 12 mths, can't settle to sleep by themself. Mum cuddles child to sleep ... I'm rocking in a buggy ... takes 10/15 mins !!! But once asleep sleeps well. Child only comes one day a week and this is only week 4, so I'm hoping to train them! Mum can't put her down to sleep as child gets hysterical!

But I would say the majority have taken some training to self settle! And most 'won't' for parents!

chris goodyear
27-09-2019, 07:22 AM
Funnily enough I find the opposite! I used to rock them to sleep (sometimes taking for ever) but now from day 1 pop them in the buggy and leave them. If they don't settle after about 5 mins I will rock for a few mins and most will then go to sleep. Hope I haven't jinxed it now as have mostly young ones at the moment and can't spend the time rocking and rocking. Good luck.

loocyloo
27-09-2019, 10:30 AM
Funnily enough I find the opposite! I used to rock them to sleep (sometimes taking for ever) but now from day 1 pop them in the buggy and leave them. If they don't settle after about 5 mins I will rock for a few mins and most will then go to sleep. Hope I haven't jinxed it now as have mostly young ones at the moment and can't spend the time rocking and rocking. Good luck.

Thanks and fingers crossed you haven't jinxed it!

Maza
28-09-2019, 08:55 AM
Sleep routines in babies and toddlers is a fascinating subject isn't it?

I was lucky in that every single one of my mindees were just happily popped in the cot where they snuggled down and fell asleep almost instantly. A couple of hours later they would give me a contended little 'call' to let me know that they were awake, or would play happily in the cot until I checked on them and discovered that they were awake. Even my extremely fussy eaters were dream babies/toddlers when it came to a sleep routine.

My DD however was a different story when it came to sleep! Had I created that sleep monster? Probably! Yes, I held her until she slept most nights as a baby. As a toddler I stayed in her room until she fell asleep. I used the 'Baby Whisperer' technique of gradually weening her off needing me there - me being further and further away from her each couple of nights, eventually standing in the doorway and calming her from there, and then outside the door etc. It worked. I wasn't ready to do cold turkey. Also, I wouldn't have expected anyone else to sleep train her, it had to start at home. I have to say, it was a big contributing factor to me going into childminding instead of putting her in a nursery.

To be fair, up until 8 months old she had severe reflux. The paediatrician put her on a sleep/eat routine where she had to be held upright after each feed for up to one hour. It was exhausting, especially for the middle of the night feeds. I'm sure this contributed to her needing to be held to go to sleep.

The only sleep issue I came across with a mindee was a Gina Ford baby who could only go off to sleep in a darkened room. Fantastic when we were at home. However, as he had two naps a day I really wanted him to be able to nap in a buggy for one of his sleeps occasionally, especially if it was nice weather and we didn't want to be indoors for both his morning and afternoon nap. I tried to get him to nap in the buggy but didn't succeed, he would just scream and we would all have a rotten time. When he started going to nursery for two days a week he had to get used to sleeping in a room with lots of other toddlers and stimulation and then he became a lot more versatile at mine too.

chris goodyear
28-09-2019, 01:09 PM
Maza I did exactly the same as you with my daughter! I have 4 children and my first son took hours to go to sleep at night and never slept good in the daytime, anything would wake him. Second son was a dream and loved his sleep and settled himself easily. Third son would go to sleep but not stay asleep! then same routine as you for my daughter. I think when it's your own child you are obviously too emotionally attached to let them just get on with it whereas mindees are easier as we are not mum/nan. Now my kids are all adults with their own children they still have the same sleep patterns as when they were babies in the sense that the eldest can get by on 3 - 5 hours sleep at night but the second eldest NEEDS at least 9 hours which he often doesn't get due to his job and now he is a new parent I really feel for him!