Before I became a mommy, I read so many books and articles on how to sleep train my baby. But after this baby came in this world, all that knowledge went into the drain. There were no baby sleep tips in those books that helped me.
I was so worried about the sleep schedule of my baby that I tried every tip I found. I tried so many new methods and guides and finally, our baby started to sleep peacefully. My relationship with my husband improved and I want yours to improve too.
Here are 7 proven tips to get your newborn to sleep at night. Some of these tips may work for you and some may not, so be patient and try your luck.
1.Swaddle your newborn
Keeping a tight swaddle helps babies in sleeping for a longer time. From the time of their birth to around 4 months, kids feel the sensation of falling and that is the main reason they wakeup while sleeping. Swaddling helps in reducing this sensation. Hence your baby sleeps better and longer.
Here is a bonus tip, if your baby doesn’t like being swaddled, don’t worry. You have to keep trying and make him used to it.
2.Dreamfeed
The dream feed is the feed your baby takes just before sleeping. It helps in making your baby sleep for longer times as his little tummy would be full and he will not get up hungry.
3.Don’t let your baby sleep much during the day
This is tricky because keeping a baby up during the day is hard. Let the baby sleep but not for too long. If your baby is having all his sleep during the day, he will not sleep during the night. That doesn’t mean you just don’t let your baby sleep at all. Let him, but not near the bedtime.
4.Use white noise
Getting your baby used to white noise is one of the best ways to help him sleep at night. You wouldn’t have to worry if you have guests or if you are watching a movie, your baby will be sleeping peacefully. You can use a fan for this purpose or get a white noise machine. You can even download a white noise application on your phone.
5.Feed the baby after he wakes up
Usually, mothers feed their babies before they sleep and delay the feed after they wakeup. This is wrong as if you feed your baby after he is awake, he will stay awake for a while and play. This cycle is good for the sleep routine. If your baby is eating after his sleep, he will have enough energy to play, and then later when he sleeps, he will sleep longer. Makes sense?
There is another reason why you should feed your baby after he is awake and that is breaking the association between feed and sleep. This cycle will help your baby sleep even without a feed. Later when you want to avoid late-night feedings, it will help you too.
6.Have a bedtime routine
Baby sleep experts emphasize on having sleep time routines. Having a routine helps babies to settle down easily and have some consistency in their behavior. A pre-nap routine may include taking the baby to his crib, white noise, putting the baby in his sleep sack, changing the diapers, a few hugs and kisses, and maybe a lullaby too.
You can also include a bath, a little massage, storytime, little feeding time, swaddling the baby, turning on the heat, cuddles, and a baby song. Try to follow the same routine every night. Your baby will learn that after this routine he has to sleep and he will settle easily.
7.Lay the baby down when he is drowsy
Among all the baby sleep tips, this is the trickiest one. Many moms make their babies sleep in their arms and when they transfer the babies to their cribs, they get up and start crying. If you want your baby to sleep for long, you have to teach him how to fall to sleep independently.
Babies get up during the night multiple times, if they don’t know how to get back to sleep, they cry without any reason. So the best thing is to teach them. You can do that by putting your baby to his crib when he is drowsy but awake. Place your hand on the baby gently if needed until he sleeps.
So these are 7 practical baby sleep tips every mom should apply. But keep in mind that all babies are different so always do what works for your baby.
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