Developing Circadian Rhythms

Dealing with infants needs a great deal of patience for it is the start of more months of sleepless nights. Sleep deprivation is not uncommon to new parents with newborns but don't make this as an excuse not to take a rest and sleep for it will just haunt you back in the end. And the most common question we often hear is when will my baby sleep through the night?
Sleep when your baby sleeps is often the words we get from anyone else, even from experts and that make sense after all. But newborns sleeping pattern is erratic and not fixed until by age 3 months or so yet this doesn't mean you should impose a sleep/wake pattern for your baby for it is just natural that they are awaken frequently.

In the first two or three months, you should stretch your patience to adjust with your baby's sleeping and feeding pattern. That would mean getting up every couple of hours and putting baby to sleep sometimes (if not often) is a daunting task. So parents should nurture and cuddle your baby to help them fall asleep because at this stage, they simply don't know the difference between day and night. And their sleep isn't controlled yet by circadian rhythms but you should also start establishing your baby's sleep pattern by starting to develop a bedtime routine.

Typically, by age 3 to 6 months, babies are capable of sleeping through the night but we are not talking of 8 hours, though. It seems plausible to say that sleep habits vary greatly in the amount of time and different individuals have different needs which may be true for baby's sleep requirements. Keep in mind that every baby has their own unique developmental pattern and if your baby isn't sleeping a stretch of five to six hours, don't worry you're not alone.

Understanding Coeliac Disease

When it comes to consuming foods, the human digestive system is an expert but it follows a complex process to break down the food so the nutrients will be absorbed and waste products are excreted. Any disruption along the way or in any part of its process may lead to deficiencies or disease. There are a lot of disorders and diseases throughout the digestive tract and one of it is Coeliac disease (spelled as Celiac in North America).

Coeliac disease, also known as gluten intolerance or gluten sensitive enteropathy, is an autoimmune disorder that damages the lining of the small intestine, thus interfering in the absorption of nutrients from food resulting in various deficiencies and health complications. It is genetically predisposed, meaning it runs in family. It affects each person differently: one might have diarrhea, abdominal pain and weight loss while others may have fatigue, bone/joint pain, tingling numbness in upper and lower extremities and unexplained anemia. Because of the broad range of symptoms, it can be very difficult to diagnose them and the longer that the person remained undiagnosed and untreated, the higher their chances of developing long term complications.

A lifelong gluten free diet is the only known effective treatment. It is imperative that strict dietary gluten elimination is to be followed to control coeliac. Food with any gluten that you ingest even in the smallest amount will cause the damage to reoccur or cause further damage. A gluten free diet means eliminating all products that contain wheat, rye and barley or any of their derivatives.

Putting Baby to Sleep: Grave Mistakes Made by Parents

As first-time moms and dads, it's really hard to put on a firm grip of a good night sleep especially with your bundle of joy around. Doctors would say that babies sleep most of the day, but the thing is it's actually a broken sleep. Several parents believe that teaching babies to sleep early are for toddlers not for babies. But I beg to disagree.

Newborns, even during the early weeks of life can be trained on how to go to bed early by setting a sleep routine at a regular pace like cleaning the baby's face, arms and legs with soft, damp cloth, breast feeding and helping him burp afterwards or chanting nursery rhymes until he goes to slumber land. Putting up these bedtime rituals signal the little ones that it's just about time for them to rest.

Conversely, western cultures roughly advocate the need for the baby to sleep alone inside the crib in his own room during night for it boosts self discipline and independence as the little tot grows. Caregivers, more often than not, adhere to the practice of allowing the child to lie on their tummies rather than on his back for it was believed to facilitate eternal rest. But did you know that putting baby to sleep on his stomach particularly in the crib may actually cause him to die?

SIDS, or the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is the main cause of mortality in infants who were left alone sleeping prone, since their entire face are being blocked making it hard for them to breathe. Also, the lungs cannot fully expand because it bears most of the infant's weight when lying down.

Cosleeping, on the other hand, has been highly acclaimed by La Leche league International, the foremost breast feeding organization in the world. Studies revealed that cosleeping has been proven to strengthen the bond not only to mothers, but also to the fathers as well. Consequently, it provides a strong emotional security to your little angel when he is around with mommy and daddy. It also favors constant nursing especially at night, thus, decreases the urgency for the baby to cry for his personal needs.

During sleep, the body restores lost cells, elicits growth of hair follicles, toenails, fingernails and skin, and most importantly, recharges the brain. Sleep is indeed crucial in nurturing the youngling's developmental progress. Ergo, with parents' proper guidance and moral support, children will grow with autonomy and self - reliance later in life.