Baby's Sleep

By: Sweet Slumber Are you thinking of ways to sleep train your baby so you can get good sleep yourself? If the thought of making your baby 'cry it out' scares you and hurts you, you might want to keep reading to learn about a gentle approach to sleep training your baby based on the baby's temperaments.  We asked sleep consultant Meredith Brough from Sweet Slumber who specializes in gentle sleep training methods to provide us her thoughts on how you can do this! A Gentle Approach to Sleep Training Suited to Your Child’s Temperament One of the common questions in the parenting world of sleep is “how do I get my child to self-soothe?” When children self-soothe or calm themselves, they become independent sleepers and sleep through the night in their cribs. But, if babies or toddlers have a hard time learning this skill, it can leave parents feeling burnt out and hopeless. “Self-soothing” is the ability to calm oneself without assistance from another person. Sometimes self-soothing happens naturally. For example, when babies suck their thumbs or hands, they can often fall asleep and go back to sleep without parental assistance. Some parents quickly find that their children respond well to pacifiers or “loveys”, while other parents buy several items for months, only to throw in the towel. These are the babies and toddlers that get worked up and feel very upset when they are left alone in their beds, because they rely heavily on their parents to comfort and soothe them. If your baby or toddler isn’t making progress in this area, there is nothing wrong. Your child is normal and is developing emotional regulation on time. Babies’ brains aren’t developed enough to calm themselves down for a few years. Most of the progress in this area occurs between 2-5 years old. That means a large number of children depend on their parents to calm them down, so, you are not alone! But, there is hope for your child, too. Why do some babies relax and calm themselves naturally and sleep well so easily? There are babies who are born with an innate ability to relax and settle themselves. They aren’t taught this skill, it comes from inside; like an inner sense of security and peace. Babies like this have “textbook” or “angelic” temperaments, according to the author of “Secrets of the Baby Whisperer”, Tracy Hogg. Babies and toddlers with personalities that are relaxed and laid back, naturally “go with the flow.” They are predictable and fuss only when they are hungry, tired or need their diapers changed. They can calm themselves quickly or with a little assistance from their parents, and may even be taught to fall asleep applying the “drowsy but awake” rule. Relevant Read:  How To Established A Bedtime Routine How to Dress Your Baby For Bedtime Online sleep advice and sleep books are geared towards helping “angelic” and “textbook” babies and toddlers. Since this description only fits a portion of children, a large number of parents get left in the dark, battling their children’s sleep problems alone.  It might be exciting to learn that children have other types of temperaments and traits, such as “sensitive,” “spirited,” and “grumpy.” I find that most children have a combination of temperament types. It’s important to identify their challenging traits to understand their needs. Even a few traits that are challenging will affect independence, the ability to self-soothe, and produce poor sleep habits. Some examples of challenging traits are: very physically attached, high energy, demanding, opinionated, fussy, sensitive, and intense. When there are several challenging traits present, babies and toddlers are categorized as “high needs” or “spirited” children.  Little ones with challenging traits and those who depend on their parents to soothe them, respond well to “thinking outside of the box” instead of traditional ideas. The sleep consultant Meredith's creative approach develops strong sleep habits, permanently, for all types of children and babies. The methods are gentle and effective, so parents enjoy the process instead of dreading it. This is the Successful Sleep™ system process: 1. Listen to your instincts/intuition always.  You know your child best and have intuition about what he or she needs. If you feel something will not work, or something is not right for you or your child, don’t do it. If you feel that your child needs you, respond and don’t worry about bad habits and messing things up. The process you are following and the skills you are building will cement these habits into lasting ones. Meeting your child’s needs means building security, forever. At night, when children are going through regressions, acting fussy and not wanting to be put down, there is a reason. You are the main source of comfort, because your child cannot calm down alone (all children need to be comforted at times). When your baby or toddler struggles to sleep, it is almost always because of pain, discomfort, separation anxiety, or restlessness from developmental changes. 2. Conform the approach to your child’s temperament and needs. Find methods that mesh well with the way that you are doing things now. You will understand what this looks like when you read #5. Worry about what works for your child and what he or she needs, and it will be right for both of you. 3. Offer comfort and reassurance. Babies and toddlers who can’t regulate their emotions need their parents to do this for them. Identifying what helps your child relax and settle is an important step towards helping your child fall asleep on his or her own. Relaxing is what you want your child to do. Right now, your baby needs help through motion, being held in your arms, feeding, or having little to no contact (for sensitive temperaments). Pay close attention to what brings comfort to your child while falling asleep. Some babies get worked up quickly because of their sensitivity, fussy dispositions, or FOMO. Do what will help him or her feel at ease going in the crib, so that you can progress! 4. Create a sense of trust and security. (One of the most important steps!) Make sure that your child feels secure in the room and bed that is used for naps and bedtime. You will want your child to spend a lot of time there to create familiarity and peace. Teach your child to trust you! Make sure you respond when your child calls (or soon after). Teach him or her about object permanence to help with separation anxiety. Continue to build trust and security while you teach independent sleep skills.  5. Teach your child HOW to fall asleep. The way that you have been helping your child slow down and fall asleep up to this point, has been facilitating sleep in every way. Babies and toddlers become very reliant on their mothers when it comes to falling asleep, so they sleep lightly, wake up as they change sleep cycles, and feel upset when they find that they are alone. They expect and demand your reassuring help to go back to sleep. When it comes to changing this dependency, putting little children down in bed, happy or not, is not enough to help them fall asleep. This is a huge problem. MOST of them need help figuring it out!  They need to learn HOW to fall asleep without rocking, holding, feeding, bouncing, driving, walking, etc., by slowly getting used to going in their beds, with your assistance and comfort, and keeping them calm. Later, they need to be weaned off all of the support, gradually. Here are some examples to get you thinking.  A. One gentle independent sleep method is to transition out of one crutch into the next and work towards falling asleep in the crib, one step at a time, changing your method every day or two. This can work for some mothers and babies, is worth a try, but takes patience. It can also be stressful. For example, if you are rocking, slow down first, then the next step is to stop rocking. Follow that by standing in place, and finally, lie your baby in the crib and pat him or her to sleep. This could take too many steps and you may get burnt out or your child may begin to fuss a lot at bedtime. It works best for textbook/angelic babies. B. Modified “Pick Up/Put Down” Method by Tracy Hogg. This one works well for easy-going babies in its original format. But many babies may get overstimulated and upset and will not settle down, following the traditional way. Meredith's approach to this method is:                          Use this method for naps and bedtime. Lay your child in the crib. When he or she is not content in there anymore, pick up and hold him or her to settle. Lay your child back down. Use this plan for a few minutes for a couple of days to get your child used to it. After a few minutes, put your child to sleep the old way. If your child is not in the right mood, don’t push it. Stop. Listen to your instincts. Use the method for a few minutes longer every 1-2 days. Then, put your child to sleep the old way at the end of the process.  Repeat, extending the time by 1-5 minutes every day or two, depending on how the child is handling it.  As the process gets longer, your child will relax and learn to fall asleep in the crib. The old way of falling to sleep will be phased out. This works for little ones who only calm when held (and fall asleep in your arms or feeding). It is a sensitive method, unless your child gets upset every time you lay him back in the crib. Progressing slowly could help a child like this. When your child is falling asleep on his or her own, walk out of the room often, coming back to comfort as needed. This will help you wean your baby off of your presence. C. Lastly, the “Chair Method” by Kim West, can be effective for easy-going toddlers and babies, too. The way it is written is not effective for children who need to be held or touched to calm down, or if they are grumpy or sensitive and get worked up too quickly and intensely to be able to sleep. Some kids hate their cribs (implementing crib/bedroom playtime will make a big difference here). High energy toddlers won’t sit still or relax and fall asleep without being held. There are children who scream and cry because they can see their parents but they aren’t responding. To make this method effective...  Do this method for naps and bedtime.  Put the chair next to the bed instead of moving it gradually towards the door (do that part later, after your child is falling asleep in the crib). Offer reassurance through gentle patting, the weight of your hand, and closeness. Get up and calm your child in your arms and put him or her back into bed. Use your voice to shush and hum to invoke sleepiness. Limit the method to short periods that get longer every day or two, for example, Start at 5-10 minutes. If your child is not in the right mood, don’t push it. Stop. Listen to your instincts. Repeat this every day, and at appropriate times when your child is handling it well, add 3-5 minutes at a time. Go back to what's familiar at first, and when your child falls asleep doing this, he or she will eventually phase out the old way of going to sleep. These are just a few ideas for building independent sleep skills, based on popular gentle methods.  If these suggestions don’t work for your child after trying them for about a week or so, listen to your instincts and follow the guidelines to come up with a method of your own! I have seen many wonderful approaches to building sleep habits from mothers like you.  Consistency is important in making progress, but you don’t have to be perfect to successfully teach your child sleep habits. Do your best and be positive towards yourself and your child to move the process along smoothly. Depending on the temperament of the child, it usually takes 1-2 weeks to build security and trust (step #4), and 1-2 weeks to teach babies and toddlers to put themselves to sleep (step #5). It can take longer, especially if teething or mental leaps affect moods and cause separation anxiety. If this occurs, you may have to wait it out and try again later. Meeting your child’s needs during this time will continue to build security, and taking a break will prevent burnout and added stress for you. When you form sleep habits by following this gentle and responsive approach, you will find that your child has learned to self-soothe. Babies, toddlers, and children can be taught strong sleep habits for a lifetime, applying these principles, no matter the rate of their emotional development, age, or temperament.  About Author Meredith Brough, Sweet Slumber: Sweet Slumber, LLC was founded in 2017 by Meredith Brough who, over the course of 15 years,  succeeded in establishing strong sleep habits for her own children and several of her friends and daycare clients. Meredith has now supported over 350 families professionally and has served countless others worldwide in her Successful Sleep Facebook Group. She is devoted to using her own gentle, “no-cry”, methods that support intuitive parenting practices to meet children’s needs. Meredith specializes in supporting mothers of children with high needs or challenging personalities, and women with postpartum mental health disorders.

You survived the first month with the baby! First month is always the hardest, as you are recovering from giving birth and adjusting to the new life with the baby.  As you enter your second month with the baby, there may be slight changes to baby's sleep patterns.  While first month's sleep may have been sporadic and not regular, the second month's sleep might be similar until you start to add more consistency to their nap schedule. Babies at this age will be more awake than during their first few weeks.  Baby's Second Month Sleep Schedule and Feeding Guidance Few Tips on the Second Month With the Baby Babies should be fed every 2.5-3 hours  Feed 8-10 times during 24 hour span  Naps should be around 1.5-2.5 hours long each time Let the baby sleep and don't make them overtired as overtired babies have more difficulties settling down for sleep It's okay to wake the baby up for feeding to maintain the routine Baby can be allowed to sleep longer stretches at night around 6 weeks old, but many babies don't do this until later You can review our first month sleep schedule and feeding guidance here, since maintaining EASY routine and 2.5-3 hour routine during the day will be the same as the first month.  The only difference might be that the babies can drink more and as a result has the ability to sleep longer stretches at night time.  At this stage, babies can drink up to 4 oz of milk as shown in the schedule below. However, babies vary in sizes and weights so their intake may vary.  Using the guidance that 2.5 ounces each day for every pound the baby weighs should be given to the baby, if the baby weighs 10 pounds, 25 ounces of milk should be given in a day. If you feed the baby over 8 feedings, then, the baby should drink about 3 oz each feeding.  Here's a sample schedule of what 2 month old's sleep schedule looks like. Each cycle will start off with Feeding, Activities, and Napping.  7am 10am 1pm 4pm 7pm - Bedtime 10pm - Dreamfeed 2:30 - One night feeding Remember that above is a sample schedule and your baby is not a robot! They may wake up early from naps or may get hungry before the next 3 hour cycle. You may have to adjust your schedule but try to maintain the consistency. Striving to keep the first wake up time and bedtime will help you greatly in maintaining consistency to the routine. RELEVANT READ:  Real Life Story About Adopting A Babywise Routine - What I learned in the first 6 weeks The difference between the first month and the second month is that the baby might drop two night feedings to one, and may be awake for a longer period of time. When putting the baby down for a nap, ensuring optimal wake time before the nap would help you and the baby to go down for a nap easily.  While the wake-time varies for babies, babies at this age usually cannot stay awake for more than an hour. Putting the baby down after an optimal awake time will do the trick in making the baby sleep long stretches of time and also make them fall asleep without much fussing or crying.  RELEVANT READ:  How To Put Your Baby To Sleep - 3 Steps Why Do Babies Wake Up So Often? Baby Sleep Schedule During the second month, you will start to notice that the baby is more active and alert, but their sleep pattern may still seem irregular. Remember that instead of stressing out about your baby not sticking to the schedule or not doing things the books say or your other friends' babies are doing, use flexibility and work towards establishing a good routine.  RELEVANT READ: How To Establish A Bedtime Routine If you stay consistent on how you put your baby down, you baby will quickly learn that once the routine starts, it's bedtime, and go down for naps much more easily.  Hope this was helpful! Leave a comment below and share your experience with your baby during the second month! 

Real Life Story About Adopting A Babywise Routine

Baby's First Month Sleep Schedule and Feeding Guidance - Few Tips on the First Month With the Baby

Simple and Easy Sample Daily Sleep Schedule from 4 Months to 3 Years

Having a baby is the most exciting experience moms, and dads alike get to experience.  You and your baby are both going to spend a lot of time in the nursery, especially when you first bring your baby home. But before you bring baby home, you want to make sure that you’re prepared for that special day. Since you and baby will be spending so much time in the nursery, it is essential to make it a calm, comfortable, and most importantly, a safe place for you both. We want to share with you some very simple tips on how to prepare your nursery for your newborn.   Don’t Procrastinate It is essential that you don’t wait until the last minute to get the nursery ready for baby.  Babies have a mind of their own, and they may want to join the world a little sooner than expected.  Not to mention, you don’t want to be 7, 8, or 9 months pregnant and trying to set a crib up, hanging the curtains, or getting the nursery organized.  Some say that you should have the nursery ready to accept the newborn by the time you are six months along. Nursery Temperature Since babies can’t tell us when they’re too hot or too cold, it’s up to us as parents to know the proper baby sleep temperature guidelines to keep them comfortable and safe.  Experts say that the nursery should be between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit (20-22 degrees Celcius).  If the nursery doesn’t have its own thermostat, you can get an indoor thermometer so that you can closely monitor the nursery.     Crib All babies need a crib.  The newborn may not sleep in the crib right away, but you want to make sure that the crib is in the room, assembled, and ready to accept baby when you and baby are ready. And again, you don’t want to procrastinate.  It is recommended that the crib assembled by the time you are 6 or 7 months pregnant.   When it is time for your baby to sleep in the crib, you need to remember that less is more.  You want to make sure that the crib is free of toys, stuffed animals, and extra blankets. If the temperature tends to drop below 68 degrees during the overnight hours, you want to dress them warmly. See how to dress your baby for sleep based on the room temperature in this post.  The only things that should be in the crib are the fitted crib sheet, the bumper pads for when they start to roll around, and the baby Diaper Changing Table Some people may choose not to get a diaper changing table; however, you have to remember that you are going to be changing diapers for several years.  Having a diaper changing table, or using the top of a dresser with a changing pad, will help save your back for the many years of changing diapers. You will not always be able to use the changing table, so you might want to take advantage of it as long as you can.   Thoroughly Clean the Nursery Clean all of the surfaces in the room. Newborns are especially susceptible to allergens like dust, mold, and pet hair, so you should get the room as clean as possible. Use a sponge and soapy water to sweep and mop hard floors, and shampoo the carpet if you have carpet. Do not use harsh chemicals to clean the nursery. Stick to plain soap and water, homemade cleaners like baking soda or vinegar, or green cleaners made with non-toxic ingredients. If the carpet has a lot of ground-in dirt, consider replacing it if you can. The expense will be well worth your baby’s health.   Comfortable Chair If you are going to be nursing your newborn, it is essential to make sure that you are comfortable during feeding time.  Being relaxed and comfortable with help ensure that your milk flows; not to mention you will be spending a lot of time in this chair for the first few months.  Some moms prefer a rocking chair with arms and a padded back and seat, and others prefer a rocking recliner. The choice is yours, and you just want to make sure you and baby are comfortable.   Supplies To be ready for the baby, you need to make sure that you have all of the supplies you will need right away. Diapers, wipes, diaper rash ointment, crib sheets (several!), burp towels, and pacifiers (if you’re so inclined to use them).  You can never be too prepared! When you think you have enough diapers and wipes, you probably don’t - trust us, we've been there and there is never enough! It is also essential that you remember your baby will be growing super fast, so don’t worry about stocking up on too many newborn or size one diapers. Lifetime of Memories No nursery is complete without love and the start of a lifetime of memories.  Remember to cherish every minute you can with your baby in the nursery! They grow up too fast...

We've made a handy dandy infographics on baby sleep facts. From the nap schedule to how to dress baby for sleep, the infographics will provide guidance on baby's development. Share it with your mama friend or mom-to-be who would appreciate learning more about baby's sleep! 

It's easy to get overwhelmed by all the "must-have" recommendations for your new baby. It could cost a small fortune to equip your little one with all of these items, not to mention the amount of space required to store everything. Instead of falling into this trap of baby consumerism, we recommend you focus on the essentials. Below is our list of the top 10 things we view as true must haves, culled from our years in the trenches of mothering newborns. A portable, easy-to-use, rear-facing car seat. This is a must have! In fact, you won't even be able to leave the hospital without a proper car seat that you can demonstrate you know how to use. This is an item that you will use A LOT, and you need to be comfortable with the mechanics of getting baby in and out and strapping into and out of the car. Definitely, spend some time testing out various options! A safe place to put the baby for play time. Whether you opt for a bouncy seat, a bean bag-style lounger, a floor play mat, a jumper, or something else, you'll definitely want at least one "safe play time" location on hand for baby. When trying to select which one or two you really want, think about where and when you'll use them as well as how long you want to be able to use them. A stylish and comfortable baby carrier. Trust us...hands free time is as much of a necessity for moms as a happy and safe baby is. When you can combine the two you've got a winner for sure. That's exactly what you'll get with a carrier. Test out some different options though so that you can find the one that will be most comfortable for both you and dad to wear without adding any additional physical stressors to your body. Also, be sure to consider how long you'll want to use the carrier and make sure your carrier of choice will work for that time frame. Diapering necessities, including diapers, wipes, and rash cream. This is a no-brainer. Stock up before the baby's born, and then stock up again once you figure out which items are best for your unique baby. Cozy and safe day-to-night outfits and sleepsacks. You'll find that the outfits you choose day in and day out are those that are easy to take on and off, easy to wash, and cozy for the baby. A lot of times, the baby will spend most of the day in what you'd traditionally consider pajamas. Seeing as how much time baby will spend sleeping, this only makes sense! Tealbee sleepsacks are the perfect option for your newborn's daily, day-to-night wear. A perfect place to sleep. At this age, you've got lots of sleep options for baby - from bassinets to Moses baskets to cribs, and several other choices in between. Which one you choose is really a personal preference. With luck, baby's sleep habits will coincide with your choice! See our articles here about baby's sleep! Extra bottles. Even if you plan to breastfeed exclusively, having some extra bottles on hand is imperative because you just never know what's going to happen. You don't ever want to be in a situation where mom is running late from an appointment, the baby is fussy and hungry, and dad is left without options because he can't find a bottle to feed the baby that emergency pumped milk that's been hanging out in your freezer! Comfort items, including at least a spare or two. You'll quickly realize which items baby uses to comfort him or herself. It could be a pacifier, the silky smooth corner of a special blanket, a teething ring, or a little stuffed animal. That item will then become one of the most important things in your life! Misplacing it will cause all kinds of heartache for both you and baby. Make sure you have a spare available, just in case. An abundance of onesies. This is one of those items that baby will wear every day. It's also one of the items that will take the most abuse and likely require frequent changes after blow outs or spit up instances. Unless you plan to stay on top of the laundry every single day, you'll want a good supply of these. Blankets, burp cloths, and bibs. Just like onesies, these are items that you'll go through quickly as they'll require a lot of laundering while also saving other loads of laundry. You'll use each of these at various times to protect baby's clothes, your clothes, and your furniture and flooring.  We hope this list helps you get prepared for baby without going overboard. Did we forget anything that you'd consider essential? 

One of the best ways to help ensure little ones (and mom and dad!) get a good night's sleep is to establish a consistent bedtime routine. This helps to make the daytime to nighttime transition seamless while also helping baby know what to expect next. A comfortable and secure baby is a better sleeping baby! Sooner is definitely better than later when it comes to establishing a bedtime routine with baby. According to BabyCenter "When your baby is as young as 6 or 8 weeks old, start following a set pattern every night. She'll quickly come to appreciate the consistency and predictability." (source) Follow these below tips and get started on creating your own unique routine right away. Watch for baby's sleepiness cues and use those as the starting point for your routine. If baby consistently starts to doze off around 7:00 pm each night, plan to start your routine by at least 6:45 pm each night (or earlier, depending on how involved your routine is). Don't fight baby's natural tendencies; use them to your advantage! The consistency of your routine is much more important than the "what" of your routine. You don't need to squeeze in a bath, a massage, listening to quiet music, cuddles in a glider, a favorite book, and saying goodnight to each stuffed animal to have a perfect bedtime routine. Maybe what works best for your family is dressing your baby in their comfy Tealbee sleepsack followed by some special cuddle time, a good book, and a song. Well, then that's the perfect routine for your baby! Now repeat that every night. Be prepared for bumps along the way, especially as baby grows. As Parents.com says, "as your child gets older, you will experience more woes that accompany bedtime. Every child has her hang-ups when it comes to the bedtime routine: Whether it be stalling for more time reading, not wanting to brush her teeth, or complaining about her pajamas. The best way to deal with these problems is to simply know they are coming. By anticipating her protest, you will be able to maneuver around it smoothly in a manner that suits your child best." (source) Use a similar, albeit shorter, routine for daytime naps. What To Expect recommends that you "take advantage of the sleep cues your baby knows and incorporate them into her before-nap pattern. While you probably don’t want to take the time or the effort to do a major bath or full-body massage, you may very well want to read a story or two or sing a song to help your cutie transition to naptime more easily." (source) The bedtime routine you establish with baby will become a special, favorite part of each day. It will help you bond and will build cherished memories for you both.  

Bamboo fabric is a uniquely breathable material that wicks moisture away from the body, keeping your baby cool and dry in the summer and warm and cozy in the winter. Often compared to silk and cashmere, bamboo fabric’s luxuriously soft and silky texture will allow your baby to nap comfortably in the day and sleep soundly through the night. Softer than Cashmere: Bamboo fabric is incredibly soft, luxurious and warm, perfect for baby’s sensitive skin. Thermo-control: Because bamboo fabric is both breathable and moisture-wicking, it is naturally thermo-regulating, keeping baby warm in winter and cool in the summer. Moisture Wicking: Bamboo fabric absorbs moisture away from the skin, preventing clammy and sore skin in hot temperatures. The natural agent, often referred to as “bamboo kun,” also helps bamboo clothing to resist harbouring odours, keeping your baby smelling clean and fresh! Antibacterial: Bamboo naturally blocks the growth of bacteria and therefore does not require the use of harmful chemicals and pesticides during its growth process. There is a natural agent in the plant itself that makes it hypoallergenic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-static.  Bamboo clothing is ideal for babies with sensitive or allergy-prone skin, especially newborns, who can be particularly vulnerable at such a young age. Easy to Wash and Highly Durable: Our sleep wears are designed to last, wash after wash, and to be passed down between siblings over many years. Kind to the Environment: Bamboo is the quickest growing plant in the world. It is an extremely sustainable and renewable resource and can grow up to 4 feet in just 1 day! Unlike cotton, bamboo crops grow naturally without any pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers and without the need for agricultural tending and large diesel tractors to cultivate the soil. Additionally, bamboo crops absorb 5 times the amount of carbon dioxide and produce 30% more oxygen than comparable trees, thereby reducing greenhouse gases and cleaning our air! Bamboo is also 100% biodegradable. Talk about eco-friendly!   A Look Into Bamboo Fiber  Is bamboo a natural fiber? No, it’s a regenerated cellulose fiber, which means that a natural raw material is converted into a fiber that falls into a category between naturals and synthetics. It is categorized as viscose rayon and luxury fabrics such as modal or tencel which is known for its soft and luxurious feel and breathable and moisture-wicking functionality, are also in this regenerated cellulose fiber cateogory Due to its softness, sheen, and moisture-wicking functionality, rayons are often used in inner clothing. Tealbee's Bamboo Fabric  Tealbee uses only the bamboo fabric that is certifed by OEKO-TEX® Standard 100. OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 is an independent testing and certification system for textile raw materials, intermediate and end products at all stages of production chain. All our products are also 3rd party tested for safety.