Transition settling

Transcript

This video provides general advice about Transition Settling. If you have any questions or concerns about settling your baby, please contact your child health nurse or GP.

Narrator: This video describes a Responsive Settling method called Transition Settling. This method encourages your baby to become familiar with going to sleep in their cot. It is suitable for babies of all ages.

Transition settling can be defined as a settling method in which the baby falls asleep with the parent in the room. Transition settling involves the parent moving gradually away from the cot as baby settles themselves to sleep. During the settling process, parents can still provide physical and verbal reassurances if needed to get their baby to be calm enough to fall asleep.

Nurse: Hi Sophie. Hi Edie. Oh it looks like you're getting tired.

Narrator: As with every responsive settling technique the first step is to look for your baby's tired signs or cues. Some examples are listed here on the screen.

Rubbing eyes

yawning

Glazed expression

Clingy

Crying

Engaging in a quiet activity before bedtime can help your baby to relax. Your baby will enjoy this time with you and when it becomes part of their sleep routine, it will let them know it is time to go to sleep. It is important to create a calm and comfortable sleeping environment as well as ensuring that your baby's needs have been met before attempting to settle them.

Let's begin transition settling

Nurse: All right well let's make a start so we'll say night night.

Mum: Good night Edie.

Narrator: It's important to put your baby on their back to sleep. When they can roll themselves both ways it is okay to let them find their preferred position when sleeping. If your baby is used to being held, rocked or fed to sleep it is common for babies to initially show some resistance or fussiness. This is because you are changing the way they usually go to sleep. It is also common for them to initially need some hands-on settling techniques to soothe them such as gentle rhythmic patting. Other strategies that you can use to calm your baby include gently patting the mattress or your leg and making a "shushing" sound. As they calm and relax you move gradually towards the door. Older babies may stand or sit when placed into the cot. In this instance try gently laying them down again and give them a calm short message such as "lay down, time to sleep". Your baby is unlikely to stay laying down initially. Give them some time to respond to your instructions before trying again. If you have tried different hands-on settling techniques and your baby's cries are still escalating, pick up your baby to calm them before laying them back into their cot.

Sometimes getting your baby to sleep and staying asleep won't go to plan. This is common especially in the early weeks of learning how to sleep independently. Your baby may need your support to sleep if they are unwell, or they are sleeping in a new environment. If your baby isn't falling asleep or they keep waking, stay calm and respond to your baby. Remaining calm when your baby is upset can be difficult. Strategies you can try include taking ten slow deep breaths, repeating a positive self-talk mantra, counting in your head, progressively tensing and relaxing different muscle groups. Parents and babies often find change difficult initially but it will become easier as you persist. Your baby will begin learning to settle with less support. They will learn that they are capable of settling themselves to sleep. If you have questions or difficulties implementing this method at home make an appointment to see your local child health nurse or GP. if you live in Queensland you can ring 13 health and ask to speak to a Child Health Nurse for advice.