The Advice Every Parent Could Use To Help Their Baby Sleep
Getting enough sleep can be challenging as a new parent, there’s no doubt about that. Especially when you’re up, worrying about whether your baby is getting to sleep, as well. A lot of parents simply accept their lot that they’re going to be working by the baby’s routine for a while, and that’s likely. However, you don’t have to leave it up to the whims of fate. There’s a lot that you can do to help your baby get to sleep and to help them sleep through the night. Here, we’re going to look at a few recommendations worth keeping in mind.
Sleep when your baby sleeps
It’s an age-old piece of advice, but you should expect, at the start, that your baby is going to have a very loose sleeping pattern if they have one at all. Initially, they’re just going to be waking up to feed and then going back to sleep after. As such, you should get used to catching naps on the fly. Don’t worry too much about sleeping too long, you’re not very likely to sleep through your baby waking up and crying out for a feed. It’s better to catch up on sleep where possible than to become an overly tired parent, prone to making mistakes.
Don’t neglect the swaddling method
If you’re looking for ways to get them to start drifting off, then it can be a case of trying a few different things to see what works with your baby. A lot of people swear by the swaddling method, assuring that it helps them get to sleep faster and stay asleep longer. The logic is that babies can twitch and move their arms and legs a lot when sleeping since they don’t have fully developed control of their bodies, which can disturb them and wake them up. If you do try swaddling, make sure that you have a real lightweight swaddling blanket. You don’t want them getting too stuffy or constrained.
Should you try different sleeping positions?
If swaddling doesn’t work for you, then you might want to look at what kind of position your baby is sleeping in, as well. However, if your baby is under 12 months old, then the number of safe baby sleeping positions is going to be fairly limited. Doctors are confident that back-sleeping is the only safe position for a baby to sleep, reducing their risk of SIDS. You might hear an older relative encouraging you to try a different position, but that might be because our current advice was only understood and started to get implemented in 1992. If they’re over 12, then you might be willing to try coaxing them into different sleeping positions, but they can also be a lot more willful about how they sleep, by then.
Let baby sleep in your room
When they’re younger, it’s a good idea to keep your baby in the same room as you. It might mean that you’re a little sooner to wake up if they stir or cry, but it also means that you can get to soothing or feeding them as soon as possible to help them get back to sleep. Just do not let them fall asleep with you in the bed where possible. You might think you’ll be able to keep yourself awake, but this has led to too many accidents that could result in serious harm to the baby if you’re not careful.
Establish a clear difference between day and night
Your baby is going to wake up in the middle of the night and sometimes you might have to feed them, especially earlier in their life when feedings are supposed to be a lot more regular. However, when it’s nighttime, you should try to keep things low-light as best as possible. Use a dim nightlight to make sure that you have the visibility that you need to stay safe, but try to keep things as peaceful as talking, which can mean less talking and less playing. Babies are developing their body clock, and are more likely to get back to sleep at night if their sense of time is undisturbed.
Give plenty of attention during the day
Just as the nighttime should be when you try to keep things cool, dark, and peaceful, you should make the most of the daylight when you have it, too. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t let them have naps when they want them, you should definitely take advantage of that. However, they’re more likely going to be looking for attention, as well as stimulation during the day, so you should take the time to play with them, hold them, and talk to them. You specifically want to avoid doing this when it’s nighttime and they’re starting to slow down. Reinforcing the role of day and night is one of the most important elements of establishing a real sleep schedule.
Keep things a little cooler
When your baby is starting to drift off or falling asleep, then you should turn the temperature on the thermostat down a little and make the home a little cooler if you can. While you might think warm is equal to comfy for your child, we all sleep better when it’s cooler. That goes for babies, as well. If you’re worried that they might get a little too cold, you can gently place your hand on their chest. If their chest feels warm, then they are warm enough. Keeping their sleeping environment too warm not only is more likely to make things uncomfortable for them but may also increase the risk of SIDS.
Take advantage of sleepiness as soon as you see it
Sometimes, babies can be very difficult to get down and settle. If you’re seeing the signs of your baby being drowsy, then their body is preparing them for sleep, and you should take advantage of it. Getting them in their crib as soon as possible is usually the best way to ensure that they drift off before too long. Otherwise, you might see them becoming overtired, instead, which can make for a few hours of difficulty and fussing. This drowsiness becomes a lot more pronounced when they’re roughly 3 months old, which is when their body starts producing melatonin, the sleep hormone. That’s when you really want to be on the ball with getting them settled as soon as you see those signs.
Should you try an infant massage?
If you’re seeing the signs of sleepiness, as mentioned above, then you might not want to interfere with your baby too much. For instance, if they’re on top of you, then letting them contact sleep a little before putting them in their crib could be a good idea. However, if it’s getting to the point where they certainly should be sleeping, and they’re not showing the signs of drifting off, then trying out a baby massage might be just the trick. However, not all babies respond to massage in the same way. For some, the touch of a parent may well help them relax and start drifting off but, for others, it might serve to do the exact opposite.
Keep their environment closed off
As mentioned, you want to make sure that your baby’s sleep clock is working properly, and being able to establish a sense of “nighttime” and “daytime” can help them start sleeping more consistently in the evenings. However, you need to make sure that you’re able to keep their sleeping environment closed off from any light or noise from outside as best as possible. Otherwise, external sources can become distracting for your child, making them more alert. To that end, you might want to invest in some blackout blinds and maybe even a draft excluder to seal the door, so that no noise or light is able to make its way to where they’re sleeping. Just make sure that you’re able to hear them easily, be it by baby monitor or other means.
Take the time to destress
Any parent will tell you, that babies can sense and feed off of a parent’s energy, even if they don’t have the mental capacity to understand moods or the like. As such, if you come to your child at night with a lot of stress, then your child can start to respond to it. Babies can feel stress, and it most often comes from their parents. If you’re feeling too stressed to cope, then you might want to talk to your family or close friends about getting a little help, even if it’s a break for a day. Otherwise, you should also look into the possibility of post-patrum depression. A healthy parent makes for a healthy baby.
Parting Thoughts on Helping Your Baby Sleep
Every baby is different and, as such, their sleep can be affected by different minor or major issues. The tips above can help you improve your sleep quality and routine a lot, but if you’re getting really concerned, it’s always a good idea to talk to a doctor about it.
