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Possums Baby Sleep 101


  • Introduction to this brief & simple section of The Possums Baby Sleep Program
  • Key things to know about babies' sleep
  • The dial on your baby's nervous system
  • Babies' sleep needs
  • Differences in babies' sleep
  • Normal baby night waking
  • Night waking in babies - how much is too much?
  • Babies' body clock
  • Babies' sleep pressure
  • Babies need sensory nourishment
  • Babies' bedtime
  • Feeds and cuddles help babies sleep
  • Babies and sleep safety
  • Key steps to help with babies' sleep
  • Set a regular wake-up time for your baby
  • Baby sleep superpower #1: milk = sleep
  • Baby sleep superpower #2: rich stimulation = sleep
  • Let your baby nap on the go
  • Active evenings help babies' night sleep

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  • Possums Baby Sleep 101
  • S1: Possums baby sleep 101 (brief & simple)

Baby sleep superpower #2: rich stimulation = sleep

Dr Pamela Douglas9th of Jul 202317th of May 2024

baby and mother outside walking on the street

This page is part of a collection of short articles called Brief & simple, which together make up a quick summary of The Possums Sleep Program in plain language. For comprehensive information and support, please go to The essentials section of The Possums Sleep Program, and begin to work your way through the program's online text and videos.

Your superpower #2 for healthy sleep is making sure that your baby has plenty of rich and changing sensory adventures.

It's hard work keeping your baby dialled down inside at home. When your baby dials up at home, you might think it's because your baby is tired. But it is more likely your baby is becoming bored and needs a change of things to see and experience. See what happens if you step outside!

Your baby's night-time sleep will be healthiest if you (or the baby's carer) get out of the house during the day and do the things that you enjoy. This might be seeing friends or going for a walk. If you have older children, you (or the carer) will need to meet their needs for activities outside the house. Let your baby's sleep simply fit in with your daily activities outside the home.

“Daytime is for living, nights are for sleeping!”

If your baby is kept happy looking at and feeling the amazing world around them, the sleep pressure will finally rise high enough to send baby to sleep without any fuss. Day-time naps are just meant to take the edge off the rising sleep pressure and might only be a few minutes long. That's normal and is better for helping your baby sleep well at night. Long daytime naps can stop the night time sleep pressure building for many babies, and after a while might cause excessive night time waking.

Acknowledgements

I'm grateful to Professor Sophie Havighurst, Ros June, and Caroline Ma at Mindful, The University of Melbourne, for their feedback on the articles in the Brief & simple section of The Possums Sleep Program. They helped to keep the language plain and the concepts as accessible as possible. For comprehensive information and support, please go to The essentials section of The Possums Sleep Program, and begin to work your way through the program's online text and videos.

Recommended resources

Plan enjoyable days outside the home to help with baby sleep

What is sensory motor nourishment and why does it help with baby sleep?

Go for lots of walks when you're caring for a baby or toddler

Spend time with kind and encouraging people

Spend as much time in nature as possible when you're caring for a baby or toddler

group of parents with their babies in prams pose for a photo outside with dr pam

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Next up in Possums baby sleep 101 (brief & simple)

Let your baby nap on the go

Two mothers sit on stairs outside while their babies nap on their laps

This page is part of a collection of short articles called Brief & simple, which together make up a quick summary of The Possums Sleep Program in plain language. For comprehensive information and support, please go to The essentials section of The Possums Sleep Program, and begin to work your way through the program's online text and videos.

Babies don't need to be taught to sleep.

They can be trusted to take the sleep they need, dropping off in the carrier, the pram, the car capsule or after a feed…

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