Sleepy time

As a user experience researcher by trade, part of my job is to figure out why people don't do things that the web designers are hoping they'll do.  (Find or enter a certain piece of information, sign up for something, buy something, etc)  And we try to help designers create conditions where users will find what they need intuitively.

Now mother to a 10 week old, I spend most of my days figuring out why little H doesn't nap when I'm really hoping she will.  So I've started to look for conditions that tend to go along with sleeping.  

It turns out that you basically can't force a kid to go to sleep.  All you can do is look for opportunities that are conducive to sleep, and seize them to make it overwhelmingly likely that kiddo will want to sleep.

So, here are the things that seem to work for us (to varying degrees):

• Front pak - I guess it mimics being snuggled up in the womb and for a baby with reflux it helps to be kept upright 
• Bouncing on a yoga ball - our "go to" in the house
• Car in motion - duh
• Stroller in motion - this took some growing before it worked; as a newborn it just ticked her off to be shoved curled up into a ball
• "Shh-ing" and white noise - seem to help to fall asleep and stay asleep, though they aren't enough by themselves
• Swaddling - seems to help her stay asleep at night, though it really ticked her off when we first tried it at night and still ticks her off during the day

Turning her on her side (a la one of the "Happiest Baby on the Block" steps) never did work and usually just made her scream harder.  Turns out H had reflux.  Oops!


We're still working on the "going to sleep while still sleepy" bit.  Hopefully that'll work out at some point soon.  Mommy's back is about to give out with all the bouncing and walking!!