Sleep Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler and Preschooler: The Ultimate No-Worry Approach for Each Age and Stage

320 Pages·2006·1.85 MB·English

by  Ann Douglas

Praise for Ann Douglas
“For sleep deprived Moms desperate to emerge from a bleary-eyed state of newborn
or toddler exhaustion, help has arrived from parenting guru Ann Douglas.”
—Stacy DeBroff, author of The Mom Book: 4278 Tips From Moms for Momsand
the founder of MomCentral.com
“A one-stop, no-guilt answer book on sleep where *every* bleary-eyed parent can
find wise, rational advice on any sleep issue from A to ZZZZZs.”
—Paula Spencer, contributing editor to Parentingand Baby Talkmagazines
“Solutions that fit like a glove, no matter what your lifestyle or sleep concerns.”
—Julia Roslen, Senior Editor ePregnancymagazine
“No mother should have to lose sleep over sleep again!”
—Andi Buchanan, author It's a Girl: Women Writers on Raising Daughters
Please Note:
This book is designed to provide you with general information about some
of the sleep problems that babies, toddlers, and preschoolers may experience
and some general health and medical conditions that may contribute to
those sleep problems. It does not contain medical advice. Rather, it is
intended to provide information about various medical conditions, sleep
treatments, sleep-training techniques, and procedures so that you can be a
more informed health consumer and parent. This book is not intended to
provide a complete or exhaustive treatment of this subject, nor is it a substitute
for advice from your physician, who knows you and your child best. Seek
medical attention promptly for any specific medical condition or problem
that your child may have and do not administer medication to your child
without obtaining medical advice. All efforts were made to ensure the
accuracy of the information contained in this publication as of the date of
writing. The author and the publisher expressly disclaim any responsibility
for any adverse effects arising from the use or application of the information
contained herein. While the parties believe that the contents of this publication
are accurate, a licensed medical practitioner should be consulted in the
event that medical advice is desired. The information containedin this book
does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement with respect to any
company or product.
sleep
solutions
for your
The Ultimate No-Worry Approach™
for Each Age and Stage
baby, toddler
and preschooler
ANN DOUGLAS
Author of The Mother ofA ll® Pregnancy Books
WILEY
John Wiley & Sons CanaLdtad,.
Copyright © 2006 by Ann Douglas
All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright herein may be repro-
duced or used in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic or mechanical without
the prior written permission of the publisher. Any request for photocopying, recording,
taping or information storage and retrieval systems of any part of this book shall be
directed in writing to The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). For
an Access Copyright license, visit www.accesscopyright.ca or call toll free 1-800-893-5777.
Care has been taken to trace ownership of copyright material contained in this book. The
publisher will gladly receive any information that will enable them to rectify any reference
or credit line in subsequent editions.
National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication Data
Douglas, Ann, 1963–
Sleep solutions for babies, toddlers and preschoolers : the ultimate
no-worry approach for each age and stage / Ann Douglas.
(The mother of all solutions series)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13 978-0-470-83633-0
ISBN-10 0-470-83633-4
1. Infants—Sleep. 2. Toddlers—Sleep. 3. Preschool children—Sleep.
4. Child rearing. I. Title. II. Series.
RJ506.S55D69 2006 649'.122 C2005-906426-9
Production Credits:
Cover design: Sharon Foster Design
Cover images: Royalty-Free/Corbis
Illustrations: Kathryn Adams
Interior text design: Pat Loi
Printer: Printcrafters
Authors and publisher have used their best efforts in preparing this book. John Wiley &
Sons Canada, the sponsor,and the author make no representations or warranties with
respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically dis-
claim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. There
are no warranties that extend beyond the descriptions contained in this paragraph. No
warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials.
The accuracy and completeness of the information provided herein and the opinions
stated herein are not guaranteed or warranted to produce any specific results, and the
advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every individual. Neither
John Wiley & Sons Canada, the sponsor, nor the author shall be liable for any loss of
profit or any other commercial damages including but not limited to special, incidental,
consequential or other damages.
John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd.
6045 Freemont Blvd.
Mississauga, Ontario
L5R 4J3
Printed in Canada
12345PC10 09 08 07 06
To the Writermamas:
For being there for me when I found myself up in the night,
tending to a sleep book that wouldn’t go to bed, and for sharing
my passion for making a difference in the lives of other mothers.
—Ann
Acknowledgements
Back when this book was at the conception stage, I e-mailed friends asking
them if they knew people who might be interested in being interviewed for a
book on babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and sleep. And then those friends
talked to their friends,and so on, and so on.
Activating the mom-to-mom grapevine—plus getting a wonderful e-mail
boost from the National Association of Mothers’ Centers, who were kind
enough to tell their members that I was looking for parents to interview for
this book and its sister book, Mealtime Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler, and
Preschooler: The Ultimate No-Worry Approach for Each Age and Stage—was
the secret to finding the parent stories that (I’m sure you’ll agree) are the
best part of this book. My in-box overflowed with replies from parents who
were eager to tell me what they had learned through the Sleep School of
Hard Knocks in order to help out some other sleep-deprived parent.
Because those parents’ voices are the heart and soul of the books in
The Mother of All Solutions™ series—along with the books’ sister series, The
Mother of All® Books series—it only seems fitting to give those parents
star-billing. So a huge thank you goes out to the following moms and dads
for sharing so much of their lives with me: Tracy Aisenstat, Johanna
Armstrong, Stephanie Ashton, Pam Aziz, Erin Bailey, Tanya Balgie, Krysta
Barberi, Pamela Baribeault, Kevin Barnes, Sara Beresford, Tanys Bingham,
Susan Blackmer, Brandy Boissonneault, Tanya Bonham, Sonya Boyes, Erin
Branchflower, Darla Brownlee, Jennifer Cabralda, Michelle Camazzola,
Brandy Carrelli, Dawn Carrier, Nathalie Caso, Jennifer A. Cavanaugh, Wendy
Cellik, Marcelle Cerny, Helen Chanfat, Anna Chapin, Will Chapin, Jodi
Chetcuti, Crystal Chretien, Laura Korbe Clark, Anne Clarke, Clinton Clarke,
Lisa Clarke, Patricia Clouse, Tabitha Connor, Maggie Cox, Christine
Cristiano, Colleen Curran, Susanne Davis, Sharon DeVellis, Ann DiMenna,
Jennifer Dodds, Stephanie Dolejsi, Lori Anne Dolqueist, Dani Donders,
Tracy Dougal, Marcia Douglas, Elisabeth Doyle, Stephanie Drew, Sarah
Egelman, Anna Epp, Caroline Erdelyi, Georgina Eva, Nicole Fenwick, Bonnie
Frampton Faust, Trudy A. Kelly Forsythe, Marie Gallo, Dawn M. Garcia, Amy
K. Gates, Marla Good, Sarah Gordon, Sarah Gratta, Michelle Hamer,
Kimberly Hart, Rachel Hartman, Jennifer Henderson, Christine Hennebury,
Christine Hibbard, Kristi Honey, Tom Honey, Brenda Hubbard, Christine
Iacobucci, Arlene Ignaczewski, Nancy Irvin, Bonnie Jarvis, Jason Jarvis, Amie
Jones, Christine Jordan, Kimberly Kilduff, Suzanne King, Jenn Kreske, Claire
Kusu, Samantha Lamb, Renay Langdon, Jodi Lastman, Julia Lawn, Jennifer
Lawrence, Natasha Le Blanc, Marianne Lee, Heather Lind, Carolyn Loy,
Michele Lurie, Wendy MacDonald, Sharon Marks, Karen Mazza, Sasha
McCorrister, Scott McCorrister, Amanda McDowell, Shana McEachren,
Melissa McEathron, Sharlene McKinnon, Laura McSloy, Mireille Messier,
Jamie Millette, Robin Millette, Billy Mitchell, Wendy Morgan, Laura
Morrison, Sabrina Mullen-Forestell, Zaheeda Nasser, Lorraine Neal, Sharon
Newton, Anne-Marie Nichols, Tania Obljubek, Cathy O’Brien, Emily O’Brien,
Shelley O’Brien, Tami O’Dette, Kerri Paquette, Heather Paul, Fawna Pears,
Julie Pellerin, Jennifer Penick, Gillian Hutchison Perry, Julie Pettit, Maria Phillips,
Stephanie Phoenix, Karyn Positano, Jennifer Power Scott, Keri Puglisi, Sarah
Ramsay, Sarah Richards, Sue Robins, Samantha Robinson, Judy Roche,
Sharon Rose, Jen Sammut, Tina Scherz, Christine Schofield, Michelle Sevilla,
Christine Silliphant, Julie Singleton, Caroline Smialek, Erin Smith, Laurie
Smith, Amanda Snyder, Leanne Steen, Marie Stone, Nikki Stoughton, Tanya
Stuart, Erin Sullivan, Maureen Sweeney, Cathleen Takahashi, Eileen Tan,
Patricia Tast, Laura Tedesco, Annemarie Tempelman-Kluit, Michael Thomas,
Michele Thrailkill, Dianne Vroom, Amy Wadsworth, Claire Wafer, Leslie
Walker, Paige Wilkins, Michelle Williamson, Sue Wilson, Marina Wolanski,
Chelsea Wolfe, Jennifer Woodard, Nicholas Woodard, Lynn Worthington,
Karen Wright. Thank you all.
Next, I would like to thank the book’s technical reviewers for their incredibly
thorough, detailed, and thoughtful comments on the book’s manuscript:
• Heidi Koss-Nobel, CD, BA, CLE, Washington State Coordinator for
Postpartum Support International and DONA International’s 2005
Individual Doula of the Year, and a practicing Postpartum Doula in the
Greater Seattle Metro Area
• Ian MacLusky, MBBS, FRCP (C) Paediatrics, FRCP (C) Respiratory
Medicine, director of the Sleep Disorders Laboratory at the Hospital for
Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario
• Sallie Page-Goertz, MN, CPNP, IBCLC, clinical assistant professor, KU
Pediatrics, University of Kansas School of Medicine and University of
Kansas Medical Center,Kansas City,Kansas
• Marla Good, editorial consultant and the proud mother of 21-month-old
Josephine (a toddler who, like many of her age-mates, is still somewhat
skeptical about the benefits of sleep)
Iwould also like to thank:
• Mary McCormick, executive director of the Canadian Foundation for
the Study of Infant Deaths, for her detailed and helpful suggestions on the
chapter on safe sleep
• Katherine Finn Davis, PhD, RN, CPNP, of the Emory University School of
Medicine Department of Pediatrics—Division of Infectious Diseases,
Epidemiology, and Immunology, for generously taking time from her
busy schedule to answer a lengthy list of my sleep-related questions
• the hard-working staff of Wiley Canada: executive editor Joan Whitman;
project manager/wizard Liz McCurdy; project coordinator Pam Vokey;
book designer Pat Loi; freelance copy editor Valerie Ahwee; marketing and
publicity gurus Terry Palmer, Erin Kelly, Christiane Cote, Erin Goodman,
Sarah Trimble, Meghan Brousseau et al.; publisher Jennifer Smith; and
Wiley general manager Robert Harris (who published my first book back
when I was sleepless with baby numberfour), for teaching me so much
about the world of publishing.
Finally, I would like to thank the members of my book-writing posse and
support team: Sekoiaa Lake, Robin Millette, Lisa Clarke, Nicole Tetreault,
and Barb Payne for their behind-the-scenes administrative help and research
assistance; my agent Ed Knappman, of New England Publishing
Associates, for going above and beyond the call of duty on occasions too
numerous to mention, and my trademark attorney Valerie G. Edward,
B.Arts.Sci., LLB, ditto; Cheryl Froggett and the rest of the Starbucks
Peterborough gang, who cheered me on each morning when I picked up my
Venti Bold and who even gave me afree mugto keep me going when I was
heading into the home stretch; my real-world and on-line friends (who
convinced me to get back to my keyboard on days when I was feeling
tempted to see if Cheryl was hiring); my PWAC buddies; the members of
The Good Girl Club (including our honorary non-girl member); my long-
suffering friends who have had to put up with yet another one of my
book-writing disappearing acts; and, last but notleast, my husband, Neil,
and our four kids, Julie, Scott, Erik, and Ian, who made sacrifices above and
beyond the call of duty while I was living and breathing “sleep book.” I think
it’s my turn to do the dishes.
I know I have probably forgotten to thank someone—chock it up to sleep
deprivation, if you will—but please know that if you passed along a bit of
sleep wisdom; encouraged me to keep plugging away on the book (or to take
abreak from the book, if that seemed like better advice at the time); told me
you’d once read something of mine that made a difference in your life; said
something nice about one of my kids; or left me a cheery note in my blog
(Marla, Dani, Jen, et al.); well, all that meant more to me than you could
possibly know. Thank you.
About the Author
Ann Douglas is an award-winning pregnancy and parenting author. She is
the author of The Mother of All Pregnancy Books, The Mother of All Baby
Books, The Mother of All Toddler Books, The Mother of All Parenting Books,
and The Mother of All Pregnancy Organizers(all part of the internationally
best-selling The Mother of All® Books series), as well as the two debut
titles in the newly launched The Mother of All Solutions™ series: Sleep
Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler, and Preschooler: The Ultimate No-Worry
Approach for Each Age and Stage and Mealtime Solutions for Your Baby,
Toddler,and Preschooler: The Ultimate No-Worry Approach for Each Age and
Stage.She is also the co-author of other highly popular titles in the pregnancy
and parenting category, including The Unofficial Guide to Having a Baby
and Trying Again: A Guide to Pregnancy after Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and
Infant Loss (both co-authored with John R. Sussman, MD) and Choosing
Childcare for Dummies®.
Ann delivers keynote addresses at parenting and health conferences across
North America; teaches on-line pregnancy courses through WebMD.com; is
a Mom Expert with ClubMom; delivers parenting workshops through the
Ella Centre for Pregnancy and Parenting and workplace-based parenting train-
ing through Lifespeak Inc; serves as a member of the National Advisory Board
for Invest in Kids; and is the president of Page One Productions Inc., an award-
winning marketing and communications firm that specializes in mom-to-
mom communications.
Ann writes columns for Conceive Magazine, Glow,and CanadianLiving.com
and is a regular contributor to numerous other pregnancy and parenting
publications. She is frequently quoted in such publications as Parenting,
Parents, Fit Pregnancy,American Baby,Working Mother,and Canadian Living
and is a popular radio, TV,and on-line chat guest.
Ann and her husband Neil have four children, ages eight through 18. Her
children started sleeping through the night anywhere between three-and-a-
half weeks and two-and-a-half years of age. (It was her youngest child who
took the longest to start sleeping through the night.)