Although every baby’s digestive system is inherently “weak”, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is indigestion from milk (breast or formula), or the inability to digest complex solid foods, that are the common causes of poor sleeping. Chinese Medicine teaches that solid foods should normally not be introduced until the child reaches around five to six months of age at the earliest. If solids are introduced earlier than that, the baby’s immature digestion may simply not be up to the task.
A great technique to help stimulate your baby’s digestion is to do an abdominal massage every day. Any form of indigestion can wake even the heaviest sleepers. Therefore, this massage can have an incredibly beneficial effect, improving both your baby’s digestion, immune health, general wellbeing and also importantly, sleep.
It is best to massage with medium pressure in circles around the belly button, going with the course of the intestines to treat gas, bloating and constipation, and against the flow of the intestines to treat diarrhea [talk to someone trained in baby massage before you try this]. To do a well-baby treatment, begin with 50 circles against the flow of the intestines and then 50 circles going with the flow of the intestines. This is guaranteed to ease tummy troubles that interfere with good sleep.
If you are trying to soothe your baby to sleep, and you have addressed all of the usual causes for wakefulness (hunger, nappy, warmth, wind and burping), try this fantastic little pressure point:
Located between and slightly above your baby’s eyebrows on her forehead is what we call the magic “sleep button”. Just a soft stroking touch for anywhere between 10 and 20 seconds will prompt your baby to relax and close her eyes. On occasion it can take a little longer.
It is also important to ensure that your baby sleeps in a dark room, both at night and during the day. Your baby’s sleep is controlled by the natural sleep hormone melatonin, the neurotransmitter that helps your baby get to sleep and stay asleep. To trigger this we need darkness, including during your baby’s daytime sleeps. However, your baby needs to be exposed to natural light during the day when they are awake. A great way to help settle your baby in the evening is to go for an outdoor walk. This is great for both you and your baby and will help set their natural sleep rhythm and promote a more restful night’s sleep for you all.
Whilst this time is exhausting and frustrating, it, like everything else in your little ones life, will pass.
And just perhaps you may miss those midnight cuddles.
For more great tips visit www.barefootparenting.com.au and access our ancient sleep secret download cheat sheet.
References
Brown, Amy and Harries, Victoria
Breastfeeding Medicine 2015 10:5, 246-252
Ednick M, Cohen AP, McPhail GL, Beebe D, Simakajornboon N, Amin RS. A Review of the Effects of Sleep During the First Year of Life on Cognitive, Psychomotor, and Temperament Development. Sleep. 2009;32(11):1449-1458.
Tham EK, Schneider N, Broekman BF. Infant sleep and its relation with cognition and growth: a narrative review. Nature and Science of Sleep. 2017;9:135-149. doi:10.2147/NSS.S125992.
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