LilSugar

Easidream Sleep System: Kid Friendly or Are You Kidding?

LilSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 05:00:47 -0700

Nothing beats the sight of an infant peacefully sleeping through the night. Though it is often a struggle to get there, most mamas can see an end to multiple night awakenings by the time their bambino is just a few months old. For those looking for something more immediate, an expensive, but innovate product might provide them with the solution they've been looking for.

Easidream ($450) is designed to mimic the sounds and feelings of the womb, right in the baby's crib. The pneumatically powered system includes a ventilated pad that fits securely under a crib mattress and gently rocks back and forth or side to side, much like the movement a baby feels prior to birth. A plush sheep that attaches to the side of the crib is also used to mimic the sound of the mother's heartbeat and glow a faint light.

Would you invest in such an item if your wee one were fussy through the night?

My Sleep Method: Tire Your Children Out

LilSugar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:00:00 -0700

I never could stomach letting my children cry it out. Despite friends who swear by the method and have logged enviable amounts of sleep, I can't imagine hitting the hay while my infant whimpers.

In working staggered schedules, my husband and I came up with our own method - tire them out. It wasn't something we discussed, it just happened. Before going to work in the afternoon, he'd take our tots on outdoor adventures to museums, exhibits, parks, and playgrounds. Then, when I leave the office, I run errands, meet up with friends, and plan play dates with the kids in tow. Our arrangement exposes our children to lots of places and people, and they get shut-eye in the car. Sometimes it means late nights and other times early mornings, but we have never had a real schedule.

Until now. This week my daughter started kindergarten and we had to bid our go-where-the-day-takes-you attitude goodbye (well, it's tabled until the weekend). The 6:30 a.m. wake-up call has gotten our best rester out of bed before the sun comes up and back between her sheets by 8:30 p.m. Our son is about to begin preschool, and already the lil wild child is tucking himself under the covers at a reasonable hour. I suppose we've discovered a new sleep method - enroll your kids in school. At night in the moment of peace I have before I crash, I savor it, knowing that it will be a distant memory when our new baby arrives next month.

Have you used any unconventional sleep methods?

Source: Flickr User lovelypetal

Safer Options For Co-Sleeping and In Room Alternatives

LilSugar — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:00:36 -0700

Finding a place where baby can sleep and mamas can relax is the subject of much debate. Attachment parenting experts and nursing moms tout the conveniences and bonding experience created through co-sleeping, while many doctors and experts point out the safety risks associated with the practice. Despite the fact that the American Academy of Pediatrics and CDC have linked co-sleeping to an increase in infant suffocation rates, 53 percent of lilsugar readers haven't changed their views on deciding to snuggle up with their tots. For those looking for safer alternatives to the family bed for their newborns, we've rounded up some of our favorite in-room options. Source

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Parenting Q&A: Haven't Slept Through the Night in Three Years

LilSugar — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 08:00:48 -0800

Q. I have been awake for three years! Our son still wakes up at least twice a night. How can I get him to sleep through? Our older son just did it on his own.

A. I can remember sitting in my car watching people walk by thinking, “You’ve probably had more than two hours sleep” and glaring at them like a sniper. Sorry your first-born spoiled you, but now there is only one answer. You have to make him stay in his bed and go back to sleep. Here’s the formula I prescribe. If you follow it, I promise within a week you will get a full night sleep and no longer be a Mommy Zombie longing to eat the well rested.

To see Lonna's process, read more.

Tell him he WILL sleep all night starting tonight. Tell him everyone needs a full night sleep and mommy needs rest to be a great mommy.
When he voices concerns (I’m scared, etc.) do a house tour and assure him there is nothing to fear and that everyone is safe and will wake up refreshed.
Remind him all day, “Tonight you will stay in your bed” and give him extra hugs.
At bedtime, have a spray bottle with scented water and spray away bad thoughts and nightmares. Leave it by his bed and tell him if he wakes up to simply spray.
NO nightlight because they cause shadows. If necessary, leave the door a bit open and then close it as soon as he’s asleep.
DO have a white noise CD, this can work wonders all night.
When he does wake up the first night and comes into you, you simply take him back to bed without conversation and say goodnight and leave. You could do this for a very long time, but it is the most important step. He needs to know that you are serious.

This process is to be repeated every night, in the same order, until one morning you wake up and think your clock is broken because it says seven and you realize he did it. Then you go out to breakfast.

- Lonna Corder

Parenting expert and Montessori school director, Lonna Corder has been doling out advice for 25 years as a teacher, parent/child consultant and on television. For more information, visit lonnacorder.com.

If you're at your wit's end about an issue and want another take on the situation, private message your question to lilsugar. We'll be running this feature all week!

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Top 5 Considerations When Moving Out of the Crib

LilSugar — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 06:00:45 -0800

Thirty-five percent of lilsugar readers said they moved their lil one out of their crib and into a bed when their tot was around two-years-old. It is a big switch that is both exciting and imposing for kids (and their parents), but it helps them gain a sense of self-independence that is necessary as they grow up. Before you make the move, take a look at the five things you should consider when creating a big kid bed. Source

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Lil Tip: Dream Jar

LilSugar — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:35:33 -0800

If you've got a wee one who wakes up paralyzed with fright at night, end his nightmares with pleasant thoughts before bed. A Sugar staffer who had trouble sleeping when she was lil, told me about her then teenage sister's remedy - a dream jar. It was filled with pink and blue papers with all kinds of adventures written on them from "Tonight you will ride on a unicorn" to "You're going to Disneyland with your family." Each evening she had the child choose one before she fell asleep and it worked. The nightmares were willed away.

Do You Check-in on Your Children During the Night?

LilSugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:00:03 -0700

Actress and mama of six Angelina Jolie stars in the thriller, Changeling, a film about a woman whose son is kidnapped. Saying that is her biggest fear, the celeb admits to checking on her children in the night. This is a common practice among many parents. Do you partake?

Source

Tell Mommy: Where Did Your Newborn Sleep?

LilSugar — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 06:00:00 -0700

My son and daughter slept in the same white wicker bassinet that I did as an infant. The linens have been replaced, but over time, its durable craftsmanship has lulled 28 of our family's infants to sleep. But when it comes to putting a newborn to bed, there are more than a few options out there. From moses baskets to handmade cradles and co-sleepers to carseat inserts, many options have surfaced over time. From dresser drawers to the parents' bed, where did your baby lay his or her head for the first few months of life?

Wonder Women: Olympic Mamas

babysugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:00:57 -0700

While much of the mama focus throughout the Olympics has been on 41-year-old swimmer Dara Torres, she is just one of 20 mothers on Team USA this Summer. Many of these gold medal moms claim that parenting has made them better athletes, often bringing them a new-found perspective on the importance of their sport in their lives. They juggle parenting with intense training regimens and robust travel schedules, leading us to marvel at how they manage it all.

The answer, as many of them confessed on the Today show this morning, is forgoing sleep. While a majority of you told us that you get between six to eight hours of sleep each night, these winning women often perform with minimal shut-eye in order to get the job done.

Tell us, since becoming a parent, what have you sacrificed in order to pursue your dream?

Kush for Your Twins: Ga Ga or Gag?

babysugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:00:35 -0700

Breastfeeding can leave even the flattest of ladies feeling like Dolly Parton for a day or two. For those ladies who have welcomed a new set of twins in addition to baby, the Kush ($65) is a coveted accessory. Ladies place the padded slip–resistant cushion between their breasts before laying down for a snooze. Kush keeps the "girls" supported, which apparently makes for a better night's sleep and less wrinkled cleavage. Watch the video and tell me what you think.

Kush Support - A Natural Rest For The Breasts - Funny video clips are a click away