Why it’s best not to be constantly trying to reset your baby’s body clock
Sometimes you might find that you are constantly trying to reset your baby's body clock, week after week. This ongoing struggle feels not only exhausting, but demoralising. (Or depressing.)
In The Possums Sleep Program, a reset occurs through a one to two week period of change. Doing a reset requires some planning, and may even require bringing in extra help for that week or two, if you can, depending on your situation. A reset can feel intense.
But after you come out the other side, the days and nights will be much more manageable. You continue to use your new understandings about how to keep baby's body clock and sleep pressure functioning in sync with your own sleep, but life is generally easier (- still exhausting, still tough sometimes, but more manageable).
The most common reason why families find themselves dealing with excessive night waking is because in our society we're taught that babies should be sleeping for longer than they actually need in a 24-hour period. But it could be that you're having a hard time believing your baby needs even less sleep in a 24-hour period, given all the advice out there telling you otherwise.
Here are the most common reasons why you might find yourself accidentally caught into a constant effort to reset your baby's body clock, and what you could do to change this.
| Time of the day you're constantly trying to reset | My guess as to why (though only you know!) | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| Having trouble getting baby up at the same time in mornings | Exhaustion. You don't have support in the mornings | Read here for a list of strategies. Do you have someone who can come into the house early each day or stay, just for a week while you do a reset? |
| Having trouble pushing baby's bedtime back later in the evening | Exhaustion. You're desperate for a break | Read here for a list of strategies. If you are alone in the evenings is there someone who can come for the evenings or stay with you or whom you can visit, just for a week while you do a reset? |
| Baby dials up a lot whenever you try to push daytime naps back a little later, for instance to consolidate naps into a lesser number of naps, or into a single nap | Exhaustion. It's awful when he dials up so much and it's been going on week after week. You worry about how it's affecting him and his development | This when an extra big effort to increase sensory nourishment as baby's sleep pressure climbs is very helpful. You might read here, and here , and here. |
| Baby dials up when you wake him from daytime naps, which makes you think he needs more sleep | Exhaustion. It's awful when she dials up so much and it's been going on week after week. You worry about how it's affecting her and her development | This is also when an extra big effort to increase sensory nourishment as soon as baby wakes is very helpful. You might use a quick dial-down feed (though not feeding back to sleep), then move into a sensory adventure outside the home. |
Please consider seeing an NDC Accredited health professional, either face-to-face or online, if you try out these steps for a couple of weeks and still don't feel you're getting anywhere.
