A PSP parent writes:
"My 5 month old is a light sleeper and napper and we live on a busy street. She wakes up during naps every time there is a jack hammer, car horn, or ambulance. Between construction on all 3 sides of us, and kids walking down the street yelling, she cannot nap for more than 15 minutes before she wakes up. I have lullabies on plus a sound machine and have her in the exact middle of the apartment, which is no match for the garbage truck. We are gonna have even more problems when I move her into her room which faces the street. Anyone go through this and have ideas? There must be things I am not thinking of."
Responses:
Move the baby's room:
"We had a similar problem with our first baby, and solved it by putting her in the middle of the apartment with an air filter that put out high levels of white noise. It sounds like you've already done that, so maybe sound cancellation devices are the next step. They're new, expensive, and experimental without solid track records of proven results, but maybe your circumstances warrant being an early adopter."
Experiment with white noise machines:
Here are some of the suggestions/recommendations:
- Homedics: "from Rite Aid in the baby section (the one on 7th ave and 5th). It's a small roundish model and it comes in blue and pink. It works just fine and it has a timer that can turn it off."
- Sleep Sheep
- Munchkin Nursery Projector and Sound System
- Brookstone White Noise Machine: "the sounds are great and the volume is higher than sleep sheep plus it can play for longer but is pricier.
Play soothing music:
Here are some recommendations
- A lullaby CD of classical music: "for example, Julian Lloyd Webber titled "Lullaby" Sweet Dreams for Children of All Ages."
- Sweet Pea MP3 player: "you can program 3 playlists (maybe one white noise, one lullabies, and one "awake" music)--for now , you can use it as a white noise machine, and when your kids get older, they can use it for music or audio books on car trips and such."
And remember:
One mother shares: "more sleep during day makes night sleep better. Well rested babies have an easier time falling asleep (and self soothing) and staying asleep. Why? Overtired infants have adrenaline in system and that makes sleep physically more challenging."
Related Reading on Park Slope Parents:
Noise & Kids - Apartment Living
Read more sleeping advice from Park Slope Parents members
