The E.A.S.Y Method For Improving Sleep!
Every family, couple, and individual has some sort of predictable routine that happens during their day. For example you wake up in the morning, you eat lunch around noon and supper in the evening, and then you go to bed in the late evening. These daily similarities or routines help our bodies create structure in our day. It allows us to feel safe and in control when we have some predictability in our lives.
Infants and children also like having this predictability. It allows their body to create structure that encourages healthy well-being. Having routine allows an individual to thrive when they are able to anticipate how and when their needs are going to be met.
At birth it often seems like there is no way we can implement any type of “routine” as our little ones seem to just sleep and eat all the time. One type of routine that will help your infant develop the tools he/she needs to learn healthy sleep patterns is called an “E.A.S.Y” routine. This routine can begin right from birth until childhood and you can begin at any time if you have not already.
E.A.S.Y is an acronym that stands for a sequence of events that is very similar to how adults live on a daily basis. As infants this order of events only happens in shorter chunks as they have more sleep periods in a day than adults do.
E – Eat
A – Activity
S – Sleep
Y – You Time!!
This daily routine is one that repeats itself throughout the day. When your child wakes up you begin with E which is the beginning of the routine. They will nurse/bottle/eat as soon as they wake up. After they are done their food they will have “A”, some activity. The activity is followed by S, a sleep period and last but not least, what comes with your little one sleeping is some YOU TIME!!
This routine can help take the guess work out of “what does my baby need right now!?” For example, if your baby wakes up, has a good feed, and is playing and then they get fussy, you will be able to predict that they are most likely ready for a sleep period. When your baby goes to sleep and wakes up upset or content, it will be safe to assume that she is hungry.
Applying this routine is not always “easy.” It does take consistency and it involves a lot of baby watching. You want to be watching your babie’s cues and not the clock. It doesn’t matter what time of the day they wake up that feeding will always come at that time versus before going to sleep. Or even if they have a shorter activity period than the day before, fussing may be a sign that they are ready for that next nap. As much as you set the series of events, for the most part your baby will be setting the timing of events. Using their cues and working with their natural rhythm is a great way to find balance for the two of you. At the beginning after first starting the new routine allow a few days for everything to sink in. After all this may be different from the routine you are working with now even if just slightly.
As your infant gets older then you will begin to see that the E.A.S.Y routines begins to happen on a more set timing schedule. Morning wake-ups will generally happen around the same time, Naps will begin to take shape and become more consistent and so will bedtime. This will allow for the periods of E.A.S.Y to happen close to the same times each day.
This sequence of events can often help improve short naps and frequent night wakings. Many times infants will wake in the night because they will want milk to put them back to sleep as this is what put them to sleep in the first place. It is not bad it is just a natural body response. They remember when they wake up the last thing that was happening when they fell asleep. Using E.A.S.Y moves the milk and feedings to at wake up versus going to bed and so should help to eliminate wakings for food unless age appropriate feedings are still necessary.
Another advantage of this sequence is that it may lead to more milk intake during the feeding times. The body is learning how to set feeding times based on their age. As they get older the space in between feeding times lengthens which leads to the E.A.S.Y routine pattern lengthening as well. When your little one is feeding when their body is hungry and ready to eat then you may notice your feeding times becoming more productive.
E.A.S.Y is a DAYTIME routine. This routine should not be implemented at night. I think it is safe to conclude that no mommas out there want to have an activity time in between the feeding and back to sleep at 3 a.m.!! If you baby wakes from hunger during the night you feed them but then allow them to go right back to sleep. With the help of optimal sleep environments, see my healthy room environment blog, your little one should drift back into dreamland in no time!
Depending on the age of your infant each E.A.S.Y routine will differ in length. Newborns are usually on a 2-3 hour feeding schedule which means that from one E to another E should be a max of 3 hours. Consider your infants age to determine about how long your daily routine should be.
So, why would you consider using this routine?? Well, it is a healthy way to get you and your child through your day! All of the letters are interrelated so changes in one can affect the others. Your baby will be developing very quickly as time goes but the sequence of E.A.S.Y stays the same allowing for that constant predictability.
Some benefits from E.A.S.Y include:
- Your child is less likely to over or under feed if on a routine
- The routine can help prevent your child from becoming overstimulated with too much activity which can lead to disruptions in sleep.
- The routine helps encourage healthy sleep patterns which helps your baby grow.
- A structured routine allows for you to be able to plan your day and anticipate some quiet time for yourself.
If you are thinking that this daily routine might help to add some structure and predictability in your day and you have some questions please feel free to contact me! I would love to help you in your journey to better sleep!
**Remember that all families are different and that you ultimately know what is best for your family**
This information was taken from "The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems" by Tracy Hogg.
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