How to handle sleep when your little one is unwell.
Babies and children get ill………..a lot! I’d say I have to pause my support with at least 75% of families I work with, due to their little ones becoming unwell.
It’s not always a bad thing - when infants are unwell, it builds their immune system. However, it can really disturb their sleep!
I’m Katie, founder of Snoozie Wonderland Infant Sleep Coaching and here are my top tips for handing sleep when your little one is poorly...
1_OFFER MORE COMFORT & SUPPORT
Your little one won’t settle to sleep unless being held? Then hold them!
They want to sleep next to you rather than alone? Let them!
Being unwell can make babies and young children feel unsettled and insecure. They also might need the physical support - e.g. being held upright to fall asleep if they have a cough.
Offer them as much extra emotional and physical support you feel they need.
2_OFFER MORE DAY AND NIGHT FEEDS
Jut like adults, little ones will often need more fluids when they are unwell. Even if your little one doesn’t normally feed through the night, if they are unsettled, offer them a milk feed or water.
If you are breastfeeding, the breast milk can help fight illness (it’s so clever!) so giving extra feeds can help them recover more quickly.
3_RELAX WITH ROUTINE
Again, just like adults, babies and children often need more sleep when they’re poorly. Sometimes they sleep a bit less during the night, but will catch up during the day.
Take their lead for naps. You might need to shorten wake windows, let them sleep for as long as they will for naps, and just go with the flow until they’re better.
4_DON’T WORRY ABOUT CREATING BAD HABITS!
Often parents I speak to are worried about creating bad habits by doing these things. This is especially the case if they were in the middle of working to move away from holding or feeding an infant to sleep or creating a more consistent routine.
But please don’t worry about this!
Yes, it might take you a step backwards, but your priority is for your little one to get better. You can always get back on track with sleep once they’re well again.
Do you have any questions, or do you need help getting sleep back on track after your little one has been unwell?
Click below to arrange a free 15 minute discovery call with me. I’d love to chat!
