1. Give the baby a five-minute relaxing warm bath for an initial exciting activity for the baby.

2. Give the baby a two-minute oil massage applied with downward strokes for her limbs, clockwise circles on her tummy, outward sweeps on the chest, small circles on her head and face, and sweeping downward strokes on her back and feet.

3. The third would be quiet bonding time, talking to baby with a soothing voice in a dimly lit room. This will allow you both to wind down and welcome sleep.

Shortest nighttime sleep

A global sleep survey revealed that Filipino babies ranked in among those who has the lowest number of nighttime sleep hours (an average of 9 hours and 9 minutes) compared to the Caucasian babies who were registered to have the longest duration of nighttime sleep (10 hours).

The study was conducted recently among 30,000 respondents, 1,100 of which were Filipino moms with babies, Filipino and Asian babies woke up several times during the night-an average of 32 minutes every night-compared to the 24 minutes registered by babies in Europe and the US.

Good sleep

But what really is a baby good sleep? It's a known fact that good sleep is essential to a baby's growth and development. It is expected that on their first year of life, babies should sleep between 11 and 18 hours a day, and during this time have growth hormones actively working on their physiological and emotional development at three times the normal rate. A baby who doesn't get enough good sleep will exhibit very real developmental problems that may include hyperactivity aggression and learning difficulties. His physical and mental growth may also be impeded, and he may experience more behavioral problems and a reduced ability to pay attention and concentrate.

According to Dr. Luis Rivera, a Diplomate of the Philippine Pediatric Society Fellow of the Philippine Society of Sleep Medicine and a Pediatric Consultant for Makati Medical Center and Asian Hospital, "Sleep for babies is not just rest for the body. It assists in brain development proper learning and to a certain extent, social adjustment. And since our growth hormones are released during sleep, the child is given developmental and growth values as well."

Nighttime sleep

Dr. Rivera further explains, "What a baby really needs is good sleep, which is really nighttime sleep." Quality and duration of a baby's nighttime sleep has a greater impact on overall growth and development than daytime sleep according to studies. At night, a baby's brain development kicks in at full speed, as neurons grow and develop at an accelerated pace. This allows the child to develop cognitive and organized thoughts that allow him to learn and unlearn all the sensory input he encountered during his waking hours.

Dr. Rivera cites that the lack of good nighttime sleep for Filipino babies may be primarily attributed to the absence of a consistent bedtime routine. In fact, the survey showed that only 52 percent of Filipino babies were subjected to a bedtime routine on a regular basis, as compared to 71 percent of babies in the West. This practice, or lack of, is inconsistent with what medical sleep experts already know-that one of the best treatments for sleep problems in children is to adapt a regular bedtime routine that will signal the transition from wake to sleep for the child.

In line with this study spear headed by Johnson's and Johnson's, a website was created. www.bedtime.com.ph, an online interactive tool that has all the valuable information on baby sleep.