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Home › Articles › Sleep Issues › Sleep, Baby, Sleep

Sleep, Baby, Sleep

When Pre-adoption Experiences Make Slumber Difficult

By Yvette Pompa

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The yearning to get into a warm, comfy bed, snuggle and go to sleep is always a wonderful feeling. Often, though, once we've gotten into our bed, we may experience the now-I-can't-sleep state of mind. We roll over and roll over, play one of our many nature sound CDs or take that little pill that sends us into the land of nod.

It is comforting, though, to know that as adults, we usually know what is causing sleep angst, and as difficult as it may be we are able to adjust the difficulty and attempt a sound sleep.

Toddlers who have experienced foster care or other pre-adoption movement will often have difficulty getting to sleep. While some in the child development profession will state that it can be due to a development stage process, those of us who are privy to the experiences of post-adoption issues state otherwise.

Soothing Slumber
Joyce Carbery-Scott, an adoptive parent of three and an adoption specialist from Milton, Mass., reminds us of the important touches of helping young children at bedtime. "The most important thing for helping children get to sleep is to start a ritual around bedtime," says Carbery-Scott. "A warm bath soothes even the most savage beast. Some toddlers, having missed the nurturing 'baby time,' really love to have baby lotion rubbed on their arms and backs. A dash of baby powder is also soothing."

It seems that even the most minimal of routines have so much meaning. This warm and fuzzy feeling before bedtime will become part of the nightly ritual. Children need to know what to expect and when. "Most will tell you never to let your child sleep with you," says Carbery-Scott. "There are times when your child needs to sleep with you – whether your child is 2 or 10."


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