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out." The first night, he cried for nearly an hour; the second night, less than five minutes. Within a week, he was able to fall asleep without tears and go right back to sleep whenever he woke. It felt like magic, but I still wasn't happy about the way we'd accomplished it. As a teacher, the idea of letting a child cry until he figured things out on his own seemed abhorrent to me, as ridiculous as giving a kid an advanced math problem with no guidance to help her solve it. I am grateful, however, to have finally achieved a consistent good night's sleep for everyone in my family. There are many options for building healthy sleep habits, and it's important to take time to understand your baby's personality before deciding on a sleep system. Consult an expert For those who feel overwhelmed by all the conflicting information on infant sleep, or simply don't have time to read it all, hiring an expert is another possibility. "You're not born knowing how to sleep. You have to be taught, and we as parents need to learn the tools," says Karin Masina, a mother of two from Hurley who is a certified Gentle Sleep Coach. Masina trained with Kim West's "Sleep Lady" system, which she describes as "a middle-of-the-road approach." One of the many things Masina learned during her training is that babies go through shorter REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and nonREM sleep cycles than adults do. Children with sleep issues often wake up fully between cycles and are unable to put themselves back to sleep without help from some sort of "sleep crutch," whether it be a parent, a pacifier or her own thumb. As a sleep coach, Masina works with the family to decide on an appropriate plan and how to implement it, and then guides the parents through the process. "We all need support," she says. Leanne Sowul is a freelance writer living in Poughkeepsie. Find her blog at leannesowul.com. register today "Mommy and Me" artistic adventure For kids 2 to 5-years-old CLASSES ENROLLING NOW Call for FREE Trial 845-399-9918 Looking for an Affordable, Loving Environment? Here is the perfect preschool locale. school miss tracy's family daycare childcare Peace of mind for new moms! Infant Specialized Au pairs For peace of mind: NYS licensed/CPR/FIRST AID certified 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. M – F • Meals provided 6 weeks school age Experienced, well-trained au pairs from around the world Affordable at about $8.00/hour 800.428.7247 hour Apply Today! www.aupaircare.com Call now: 845-392-8323 Lagrangeville Superior Childcare. References. Youth and Family Services Orange County youth Bureau youth program ride year round at Gardenertown Farm Training for horse and rider hvparent.com n Hudson Valley Parent 15