Sick Season & Sleep
Having a baby born in December 2019 while having an older sibling in preschool, brought a whole new meaning to sick season! December is known to be one of the “most wonderful times of the year” but it is also by far the most GERMIEST!
During this season of life, my PPA took over and I did not want Liam to go to school or any birthday parties!
But, that wasn’t realistic and I quickly accepted that children are walking germs and getting sick isn’t always avoidable!
In this blog post I will share some of my tips to PREVENT illness and how to navigate sleep and sleep schedules while your baby is sick.
Help Preventing Illness:
boost immune system with foods: fruits, vegetables, vitamins, probiotics and / or breast milk
Frequent hand-washing for caregivers and baby
Clean toys
Stay away from sick people
Teach our little ones to cover their nose and mouth when they cough/sneeze and wash hands afterwards
Clean regularly use and touched surfaces
Remove shoes inside and consider changing clothes before being around your kids when you’ve come home from work or an errands
And the last and very important one is SLEEP…. Sleeping is the best medicine for your sick little one! Their body needs a lot of sleep to fight off any infection!
Some babies tend to sleep MORE when sick, but in shorter chunks…
Disclaimer: There are no rules around sleep when your baby is sick!
BUT! I always start with less support and work my way up with more support if needed. For example, if my baby is sick, I don’t immediately rock him to sleep, I will start off with some extra cuddles before bedtime and put down awake and see how he does! Remember, you know your kid and what they’re capable of doing.
The things we use to survive sick season include:
Nose frida
Saline spray or drops
Cold mist humidifier
Chest rub
Sleep & snuggles
Ice pops and Gatorade (older children)
When they’re sick and you’re worried about sleep:
stay consistent with your sleep routines and times for naps and bedtime! If your baby is independent in their crib, keep them independent!
More sleep the better! If you typically wake your baby from naps or in the morning - consider letting them sleep longer! However, during the day be mindful of their nutrition and hydration! Make sure they are offered the same amount of food/bottle/breast at the same time!
If baby is already in their room, keep them in their room! If you want to sleep on the floor or in the chair - that is fine, but keep them in their same space!
Sleep schedule: keep it the same but offer more check-ins to keep them hydrated and check for fevers, vomiting or diarrhea!
Your baby may have more night wakings even if they have mastered sleep training, it is okay to rock or soothe them back to sleep if needed. When my boys are sick, I typically comfort them but put them down awake. The only times I had to help them to sleep was when they had an ear infection and the antibiotics did not kick in yet! (The laying down made them extremely irritable).
Once your baby is feeling better, you’ll want to immediately get back to your normal routines. It may take a day or 2, but stay consistent! You will also want to go back to limiting their sleep if needed! If your baby is giving you a hard time getting back to their normal routines, use your sleep training method or set up a basic chat with me!
