ÑHILDREN’S SLEEP PROBLEMS/BUILDING THE BASICS: EXERCISE FOR DETERMINING YOUR CHILD’S SLEEP ASSOCIATIONS
Describe your usual bedtime routine:
What events precede bedtime? (Examples: give bath, put on pajamas, quiet play, put baby into bed, sing lullaby, turn down lights, say goodnight, leave the room.)
Describe the sleep environment. (Examples: lights low, child in own bed, stuffed bear, blanket in bed.)
Who takes the active parts? (Examples: Dad does quiet play, Mom puts child in bed.)
Describe your middle of the night response:
What happens when the child wakes up? (Examples: he cries, he comes to our room.)
What is the child needing from you? What do you do in response? (Examples: feed him, give her the pacifier, scold her, etc.)
Who takes the active parts? (Examples: Dad calls back to her, Mom nurses, etc.)
Assess your child’s sleep associations:
From your answers above, summarize the set of circumstances that your child seems to need and expect to get to sleep -the things that signal to her that all is okay and it’s time to go to sleep.
*18\67\8*
