Janet Krone Kennedy, licensed clinical psychologist and founder of NYC Sleep Doctor, spoke with “St. Louis on the Air” host Don Marsh to discuss her book “The Good Sleeper: The Essential Guide to Sleep for Your Baby (And You)." The book provides information and training tools to assist new parents with developing sleep patterns for their infants and babies.
“Go to sleep, little baby”
On average, babies need twice as much sleep as adults, and should not be awake more than 90 minutes at a time. Kennedy explained that some parents believe that preventing their baby from sleeping during the day will help them sleep through the night. However, doing so actually disturbs the development of a baby’s internal clock to a more routine sleep pattern.
“Getting [babies] as much sleep as possible and keeping them well-rested gets them in the rhythm where their body is able to get the sleep that it needs,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy explained that when we are tired or exhausted, our bodies release adrenaline, which helps keep us awake. Getting your baby to sleep before they are overly tired and the adrenaline kicks in allows them to establish sleep rhythms.
“They will sleep longer, more deeply, and they will learn how to self-soothe and stop waking up during the night,” Kennedy added.
Soothing techniques that feel like ‘home’
In the beginning stages of growth, babies need plenty of help going to sleep, Kennedy said. This requires creating an environment familiar to babies.
“Recreating the womb environment where babies are used to a lot of motion and noise inside the body are soothing for them in the early weeks of their life,” Kennedy explained.
Kennedy recommends rocking and “shushing” babies in the infant stage to help them achieve sleep. As they become older, nearing 3 or 4 months, allowing them to fuss their way to sleep or doing “cry it out” training before intervening is most effective. Prolonged hands-on stimulation from parents actually keeps them awake and disrupts sleep patterns.
“It’s very difficult for the parents to do, but it teaches the baby to sleep in a matter of days,” Kennedy said.
To co-sleep, or not to co-sleep?
While some parents may opt to co-sleep with their babies, Kennedy urges parents to consider how they will wean their baby from sleeping with them and understand the dangers associated with co-sleeping.
“There are certainly a lot of happy co-sleepers out there, but it’s not a strategy that I would recommend,” Kennedy said. “One is that it can be very difficult to get the baby out of the bed, and another one is safety. Adult beds are not made for infants, and your bed is not a safe place to sleep.”
Related Event:
- What: Janet Krone Kennedy Discussion and Signing
- When: Thursday, May 21, 7 p.m.
- Where: University City Public Library, 6701 Delmar Blvd.
- More information
St. Louis on the Air discusses issues and concerns facing the St. Louis area. The show is produced by Mary Edwards and Alex Heuer and hosted by veteran journalist Don Marsh. Follow us on Twitter: @STLonAir.