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Wednesday, Apr. 27, 2005 | ||
Weary parents try to hold out on crying babyIts 7 p.m. and Im readying, mentally, for what promises to be a long night. Luke, at 6 months, is still waking up every two or three hours, so my husband and I have agreed to begin the agonizing process of sleep training. Our guide is a book several mothers recommended after they saw the dark circles under my eyes: Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child (Fawcett, $14.95) by sleep expert Marc Weissbluth, a professor of clinical pediatrics at Northwesterns Feinberg School of Medicine. Essentially, the Weissbluth method entails putting children to sleep before they are overtired as early as 5:30 p.m., even if that means you dont see them after work. If the child wakes and cries at night, parents must resist the urge to cuddle or feed unless there is a problem. The babys angry protest rallies should stop by the fourth evening, though the timing varies. Advocates say it ultimately should teach the infant to be a self-soother and results in better quality sleep. An overtired child is an unhealthy one. Studies show that some children who are diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactive disorder are actually just sleep deprived. Wire services | ||
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