I told you yesterday that I was a stressed out mamma with my 1st baby as well as all about what I've learned about Why Should Children Have a Nap Schedule. Most days, she's the one I'm stressing over still. Poor first children always end up being the "test baby" no matter what ;o) We noticed all our kids forming a routine around 3-6 months. I am writing these because, though many people may think we are odd for stressing over a baby's sleep, I know all to well this is a real issue for stay-at-home-moms!

During her first year, I had read so much about the importance of her sleeping and then she wouldn't...well, at least she wouldn't stay asleep. One week she would go every day taking a thousand 30 minute naps. then the next week she would do 45 minute naps. With all my research I'd learned that unless your baby was sleeping 1 full hour {hopefully a minimum of 1.5 hours} per nap they weren't really getting the rest they needed during their nap.

My best friend who has kids almost the exact ages of mine was struggling with this as well. With 2 mamma's on the hunt for an answer she finally found someone who told us the key {my friend ROCKS and found this online resource for you: Babywhisperer.com, this book is AWEsome!}:

• If your baby is waking after only 30 minutes of sleep- they were over tired when you put them down.
• If your baby is waking after only 45 minutes of sleep- they weren't tired enough when you put them down.

That sounds easy enough, right?!? I wish. I learned the general 30-45 minute naps being over or under tired were very true but learning my baby's cues was hard. This lead to me charting her day for about a week {another suggestion I'd read}. This HELPED! I didn't have a computer {plus I'm obsessed with graph paper} so I simply took a piece of graph paper, a pencil and a ruler and when to town making 30 minute time slots. I dedicated an entire week to trying to stay home and do nothing but focus on her sleep.

My chart consisted of:

• morning wake time
• nursing times
• play times
• naps
• wake times
• bath
• night time bed time

This is a more resent chart I've done with our, now family of 5. Sorry, I think I finally threw her original ones away. This will at least give you an idea. {note: charting your entire family is good for learning your kids patterns as well as learning where you spend your time and might find some extra wasted time you didn't know you had ;o)}

After doing this for several days I began noticing she actually did have a pattern. Some babies may seem inconsistent but if you chart them for even just a few days you'll notice a routine. I also began noticing her cues for sleepiness as well {more about cues tomorrow}. Some days were 30 minute naps, some where 45 and eventually I hit the perfect mark for laying her down which resulted in an hour and 1/2 to two hour naps!

I've learned from that very first time charting, that my babies seem to have a typical hourly pattern. We don't go down for naps at a certain time of day every day but we do have a set amount of "awake time".

• Maggie is now 4-years-old and has about 5-6 hours of awake time before she needs to go down for a nap, giving her 1 short nap a day.
• Izzie is 2.5-years-old and has about 4-5 hours of awake time before she needs to go down for a nap, giving her at least 1 long nap or 2 short ones a day.
• Jamin is 1.5-years-old and has about 2 hours of awake time before he needs to go down for a nap, giving him at least 2 naps a day, some days 3.

Knowing this also makes it easy to tell babysitters their routine and what to expect rather than hoping they catch their sleepy cues in time. Having a routine makes it easier to plan things like grocery shopping with fewer crabby kids because you know when they should be sleeping and aren't expecting them to be cheerful and ready to run errands. You will no longer be surprised when they pass out in the car or are screaming while you are trying to take a phone call.

I hope this helps those mom's who are having the all to real stress of figuring out your baby's sleep! Questions I didn't answer? Ask away!

This is the 2nd in a series I'm doing on Kids & Sleep. You might also want to read

Why Should Children Have a Nap Schedule,

Environment, and the

"Cry-It-Out" Method.

{These may change a little based on comments and questions as we go}

I had my 1st child at 24-years-old. I had just finished my psychology degree and had been waited to be a mommy all my life! I had grandiose ideas of what it would and wouldn't look like, some of which I still stick to and others of course have developed and changed over the past 4 years. One of the 1st things I stressed about was learning what my new baby needed and how to figure that out. The thing that helped me the most in accomplishing this was learning her routine, patterns, or "putting her on a schedule", as some call it.

I've had tons of advice sent my way in these past 4 short years. Sleeping has been one of the major ones I've heard about: She needs more sleep. Do your thing, when she's tired she'll pass out. Let her drop where she may. Scheduling everything. Stay home during her napping years. Everyone needs their own room for sleep. She sleeps too much. Chunk'm all in a bed. Why do you do that?

I've sifted through it all. Deciding what advice is God-send and what isn't for our family. Here are a few of the things I've learned, believe in, and have adopted concerning my babies and their sleep:

• Sleep is a critical part of the growth of a child.
• "Sleep is especially important for children as it directly impacts mental and physical development."
• These are the sleep recommendations according to WebMD:

1-4 Weeks Old:15 - 16 hours per day
1-4 Months Old: 14 - 15 hours per day
4-12 Months Old: 14 - 15 hours per day
1-3 Years Old: 12 - 14 hours per day
3-6 Years Old: 10 - 12 hours per day
7-12 Years Old: 10 - 11 hours per day
12-18 Years Old: 8 - 9 hours per day

• These are the sleep recommendations according to the Mayo Clinic:

{I posted these 2 because they are the "norm" for sleep recommendations and are test and proven the healthiest in lots of realms including our home}

• Sleep is the most important 'job" children have. "...a child will spend 40 percent of his or her childhood asleep."
• The sleepfoundation.org has more information on sleep needs and patterns per age. Great information!

All this "sleep" talk and schedules may sound crazy to some or perfect for others. Some of you may be going, "I know they need sleep by why "schedule"? I'm with ya. I am an odd combination of an organized AND laid back personality type. By "schedule", all I really mean is I figuring out what she needed when. By trying to stick to this, it helped her feel secure by having simple things she could rely on dailey. An infants needs are basic: eat, sleep, play, lots-a-love! Routine gives them security by letting then know these basic needs will be met.

For our family, sleep was the hardest to figure out. I stresses all the time because my baby wouldn't stay asleep even though I could tell she was tired. I'd taken care of all her other needs I knew this must be the issue in her schedule. Once we figured out the sleeping everything else seemed to fall into place. I want my babies to be healthy. That's my 'job', right?

God blessed me with these little lives to disciple them into becoming bond-slaves for Him. The way I'm going to do that, starting in these formative years, is by treating them the way Christ parents me: He does what's best for me even when it doesn't make me happy, I think I know what's good {not best} for me, and have my own ideas of what I need. I tell my babies often, I'm not here to make you happy, I'm here to keep you safe, healthy, and show you the love of Christ. The love of Christ some times looks like what is often called "tough love" and many times it's good ol fashion gentle gracious snuggly love.

What is your biggest struggle with sleep and your littles?

Charting Baby's Routine,

Environment, and

"Cry-It-Out".