Marc Weissbluth Quotes.

11. "Your child utters a piercing scream, and you rush into his room. He appears wild-eyed, anxious, frightened. His pupils are dilated, sweat is covering his forehead, and as you pick him up to hug him you notice his heart is pounding and his chest heaving. He is inconsolable. Your heart is full of dread, and it almost seems as if some evil spirit has gripped your child. After five to fifteen minutes, the agitation and confused state finally subside. This is night terror."
- Marc Weissbluth, Healthy Sleep Habits

12. "The magic moment is a slight quieting, a lull in being busy, a slight staring off, and a hint of calmness."
- Marc Weissbluth, Healthy Sleep Habits

13. "Crying is the consequence of becoming overtired. At this particular time your efforts to soothe—hugging, rocking, talking—may be stimulating and interfere with the natural surfacing of the sleep process."
- Marc Weissbluth, Healthy Sleep Habits

14. "When parents are too irregular, inconsistent, or oversolicitous, or when there are unresolved problems between the parents, the resulting sleep problems converge, producing excessive nighttime wakefulness and crying."
- Marc Weissbluth, Healthy Sleep Habits

15. "Here is a report by a parent who usually had good timing, so most drowsy cues were absent: Drowsy in this context doesn’t mean about to fall asleep (half closed eyes, barely able to keep open). When my son was a baby he would become very still about 10 minutes before he fell asleep—he is a wiggle worm, so it was noticeable. He would also gaze for long periods of time at something. This was the window when he needed to be put down for his nap. If I waited until it passed and he was really tired, he would fight sleep. So when the stare appeared, I would check his diaper, swaddle him, and put him down. He would gaze at his mobile for a while and then fall asleep. The baby should be awake when you put her down for her nap. You aren’t trying to ease her down and then sneak out—you want her to be able to fall asleep on her own, without rocking, patting, and so on. Try to catch her in that drowsy pre-sleep period—for many babies it is right around one to two hours after waking for the day. Start watching for signs at around thirty to ninety minutes, and I bet you will soon be able to tell when she is ready to go down. Good luck! DROWSY SIGNS Drowsy Cues or Sleepy Signs as He Becomes Drowsy: Moving into the Sleep Zone Decreased activity, less animated, becomes quieter Eyes less focused on surroundings, appears glazed over Eyelids drooping Pulling ears Slower motions, less social, less vocal Less interested in toys or people Sucking is weaker or slower Yawning Past Drowsy: Short on Sleep (SOS) Distress Signs Begin to Appear Fatigue Signs: Entering Overtired Zone. Becoming Overtired Mild fussiness, irritability, cranky Crying upon awakening Rubbing eyes Think of these symptoms of overtiredness as signaling the distress of being short on sleep (SOS): Help me, I need sleep!"
- Marc Weissbluth, Healthy Sleep Habits

16. "My third son banged his head against the crib every night after we moved into a new house. Actually, he struck his shoulder blades more than his head against the headboard of his crib. My solution was to use soft cushions to pad both ends and both sides completely. Now when he banged away there was no racket, no pain, and no parental attention. After a few days he stopped. Other parents are not so lucky. About 5 to 10 percent of children will bang or roll their heads before falling asleep during their first few years. This usually starts at about eight months of age. Boys behave this way more than girls. No behavioral or emotional problems are seen in these children as they develop, and they certainly have no neurological problems. Body rocking before falling asleep also occurs in normal children."
- Marc Weissbluth, Healthy Sleep Habits

17. "When you put him down drowsy but awake and he cries hard, immediately pick him up for more soothing and try again some other time that day or the next day. If he makes very quiet sounds, wait and see. He might drift off to sleep or begin to cry hard. If he now begins to cry hard, quickly pick him up. Don’t be disappointed if he does not fall asleep when you first start to practice putting him down drowsy but awake; it just takes practice. Expect to become frustrated, because initially you may be successful only about 10 percent of the time during the first week. But by the end of the second week, you may be successful 20 percent of the time. This percentage may double each week, so after a few more weeks it becomes much easier. Be optimistic! After a few months of practice and the maturation of sleep rhythms, you will develop an anticipatory sense of when he will need to sleep. Later, when he is completely well rested, don’t be surprised if drowsy signs disappear altogether because you have successfully synchronized the timing of your soothing to sleep with the beginning of his emerging sleep wave. It’s like being good at surfing; you catch the wave for a long ride. Patience, practice, timing, and trial and error will guarantee success."
- Marc Weissbluth, Healthy Sleep Habits

18. "THE ONE- TO TWO-HOUR WINDOW Think and plan how you want to soothe your baby, but know that when you soothe your baby is more important. • Babies quickly become overtired after only one or two hours of wakefulness, and some cannot comfortably stay up for even one hour! During the day, note the time when your baby wakes up and try to help her nap by soothing within the next one or two hours before she becomes overtired. Try to keep the intervals of wakefulness brief. • Babies less than six weeks old fall asleep at night very late and do not sleep very long during the day or night. Try to soothe your baby to sleep during the day before she becomes overtired. Always respond to your baby. Avoid the overtired state. • Eighty percent of babies more than six weeks old become more settled at night, sleep a little longer at night, and begin to become drowsy for night sleep at an earlier hour. Try to soothe your baby to sleep at an earlier hour if she shows signs of drowsiness earlier. Do not let her cry. • Twenty percent of babies more than six weeks old do not appear to become more settled at night, do not appear to sleep longer at night, and do not become drowsy at an earlier hour. Nevertheless, try to soothe your baby to sleep at an earlier hour even if she does not show signs of drowsiness earlier. Spend extra time soothing: prolonged swinging, long luxurious baths, and never-ending car rides. Fathers should put forth extra effort to help out. Do not let her cry."
- Marc Weissbluth, Healthy Sleep Habits