EVERY NIGHT (AND every afternoon), this is the line that effectively makes my four-year-old son, Basti, head for the bedroom. Somehow, Basti understands that "growth is at its peak while he sleeps" (pardon the pun) and that good sleeping habits make children taller, stronger and healthier. And so each time Basti wakes up, he comes to me and tells me,

"Mommy, measure my height, tumangkad na ako konti."

He’d be motivated and glad that he slept on time and that he slept well.

But things weren’t always like this with my son. It took time, effort and a lot of love to instill discipline on him. I didn’t want him to grow up a "late-waker" like me. Why? Because I want him to get more out of life, by being able to appreciate and maximize each waking moment he has during the day.

Preventing Early Problems

"Preventing sleep problems in infants is easy, if you know what to do," says pediatrician Rio Ordonez. "You just have to have the good-sleep-habits-plan."

We all know that newborns cannot go without a feeding after a certain number of hours sleeping.

"The good news is that, by 2 months, around 50% of bottle-fed infants can have uninterrupted sleep," says Dra. Ordonez. "By 4 months, most of these infants can sleep through the night."

Dra. Ordonez adds that sleep-problem-prevention is easier before the baby turns six months old. You can teach him about nighttime as the special sleep time and about his crib as the wonderful sleep space. This early, he should also start going back to sleep by himself if he wakes up. Sleep-deprived parents may now possibly start sleeping again for seven to eight hours. Hurray!

1. Place your baby in the crib when he is about to go to sleep.

"Right before going to sleep, your baby should remember how his bed looks, feels and smells like, not of you giving him milk. This would help him learn how to put himself to sleep.

2. Don’t hesitate to hold or comfort your baby when he cries or is restless and fussy.

"Always respond to your baby when he cries. Soothe him through gentle rocking and cuddling. Crying during the day or night is a normal behavior for all babies, but if your baby cries too much, he’s probably colicky. In this case, burp him or let him sleep on his tummy or nakadapa to enable the air in his tummy to be expelled."

(Writer’s note: Based on my experience, there’s no such thing as over-spoiling your kid with touch. The Filipino belief in "huwag sanayin sa karga" contrasts to the belief in touch therapy and its benefits to the baby’s health and his bond with his parents. Trust me, soon enough, your baby won’t want you to carry him anyway, so take as much cuddle time as you can! You’ll have a more solid relationship with your kid when he grows older!)

3. Do not let your baby’s daytime nap run for more than three hours.

"Try to awaken him gently and entertain him by playing music a little more loudly but not to the extent that it is noisy. Keep in mind that your infant should sleep longest during the night."

(Writer’s note: Yolly Masangkay, a nanny of three in London, once told me that if the kid is not asleep for his nap by 1 PM, don’t let him sleep anymore and just let him sleep as early as 7 PM at night. According to her, letting him sleep beyond 1 PM destroys his schedule and starts the vicious sleep-late-wake-late cycle.)

4. Feed your newborn at healthy intervals.

"This ‘healthy interval’ is equal to two hours. Frequent daytime feedings lead to frequent small feedings (and awakenings) at night. Just keep in mind that even for adults, the healthy interval is at least three hours, too."

5. Don’t always assume that a crying baby is a hungry baby.

"Crying is the only form of communication newborns have. He may be uncomfortable, sad or bored. During these moments, hold your baby first or soothe him in bed. Don’t automatically feed him. Feeding should not be his pacifier."

6. Make middle-of-the-night moments quiet and short.

"You want to instill in your baby the value of sleeping well at night. When he wakes up at night (whether to have a feeding or not), don’t turn on the lights, talk to him or play with him. Give him his milk quickly and quietly."

7. Don’t interrupt your baby’s nighttime sleep with diaper changes.

"Unless your baby defecated or has a really bad rash, don’t wake him up for a nappy change. But if you must, again, don’t turn on the lights, talk to him or play with him. Soothe him and do it quickly."

8. Play wonderful bedtime music.

"By ‘wonderful,’ it doesn’t mean that the music should be cheery or jumpy. Invest in classical music mixed with soothing nature sounds, or soft music such as Chopin’s piano music. Not only will this enhance his love for music, but it will also help him establish his own sleep-time bedroom ambience."

Let’s review some of the effective bedtime tips we always hear:

1. Provide a friendly soft toy for your child to hold in her crib.

2. Establish a pleasant and predictable bedtime ritual.

3. Once put to bed, your child should stay there.

4. Don’t worry about the amount of sleep your child is getting.

5. Go to bed at the same time every night.

Trivia: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that sleeping on the back is healthy for infants.

1. Let your child get rid off his remaining energy through rowdy play. Follow this up with a bath (that includes brushing his teeth) and a bedtime story and you’re both good!

2. Play a quiet bed game or have a relaxed chat with your kid. Help him develop his communication skills by letting him talk about his day. Stay quiet and avoid interrupting him.

3. Read a bedtime story or recall the songs that he learned in school. Let him relax by listening to your voice or by letting him listen to his own singing voice.

4. Lastly, say, "Goodnight, Moon!" This is like a signal that your child should close his eyes, stop talking, stop thinking and go to sleep.