Set A Bedtime Routine
A study of 405 mothers — with infants between 7 months and 36 months old — showed that babies who followed a nightly bedtime routine went to sleep easier, slept better, and cried out in the middle of the night less often.
Some parents start their baby’s bedtime routine as early as 6 to 8 weeks old. Your baby’s routine can be any combination of regular bedtime activities. The keys to success:
- Play active games during the day and quiet games in the evening. This keeps your baby from getting too excited right before bedtime but gets them tired from the day’s activities.
- Keep activities the same and in the same order, night after night.
- Make every activity calm and peaceful, especially toward the end of the routine.
- Many babies enjoy bathing right before bedtime, which calms them down.
- Save your baby’s favorite activity for last, and do it in their bedroom. This will help them look forward to bedtime and associate their sleep space with things they like to do.
- Make nighttime conditions in your baby’s bedroom consistent. If they wake up in the middle of the night, the sounds and lights in the room should be the same as when they fell asleep. If you need to feed or change your baby during the night, keep the lights low and the talking to a minimum. Too much stimulation can make it hard for them to settle again.
Helping Your Baby To Sleep
Some babies sleep much more than others. Some sleep for long periods, others in short bursts. Some soon sleep through the night, while some don’t for a long time.
Your baby will have their own pattern of waking and sleeping, and it’s unlikely to be the same as other babies you know.
It’s also unlikely to fit in with your need for sleep. Try to sleep when your baby sleeps.
If you’re breastfeeding, in the early weeks your baby is likely to doze off for short periods during a feed. Carry on feeding until you think your baby has finished or until they’re fully asleep. This is a good opportunity to try to get a bit of rest yourself.
If you’re not sleeping at the same time as your baby, don’t worry about keeping the house silent while they sleep. It’s good to get your baby used to sleeping through a certain amount of noise.
References: Baby Sleep Tips
Chonchaiya W, Wilaisakditipakorn T, Vijakkhana N, Pruksananonda C. 2017. Background media exposure prolongs nighttime sleep latency in Thai infants. Pediatr Res. 81:322-328.
Custodio RJ, Junior CE, Milani SL, Simões AL, de Castro M, Moreira AC. 2007. The emergence of the cortisol circadian rhythm in monozygotic and dizygotic twin infants: the twin-pair synchrony. Clin Endocrinol . 66:192-7.
Galland BC, Taylor BJ, elder DE, and Herbison P. 2012. Normal sleep patterns in infants and children: A systematic review of observational studies. Sleep Medicine Reviews 16: 213-222.
Jian N and Teti DM. 2016. Emotional availability at bedtime, infant temperament, and infant sleep development from one to six months. Sleep Med. 23:49-58.
Kaur R, Bharti B, Saini SK. 2015. A randomized controlled trial of burping for the prevention of colic and regurgitation in healthy infants. Child Care Health Dev. 41:52-6.
Lohr B, Siegmund R. 1999. Ultradian and circadian rhythms of sleep-wake and food-intake behavior during early infancy. Chonobiology international 16: 129-148.
Nakagawa M, Ohta H, Nagaoki Y, Shimabukuro R, Asaka Y, Takahashi N, Nakazawa T, Kaneshi Y, Morioka K, Oishi Y, Azami Y, Ikeuchi M, Takahashi M, Hirata M, Ozawa M, Cho K, Kusakawa I, Yoda H. 2016. Daytime nap controls toddlers nighttime sleep. Sci Rep. 6:27246.
Mindell JA, Leichman ES, Lee C, Williamson AA, Walters RM. 2017. Implementation of a nightly bedtime routine: How quickly do things improve? Infant Behav Dev. 49:220-227.
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Practice Some Relaxation Techniques Before Bedtime
This could include taking deep breaths, doing gentle stretches or yoga poses, listening to soothing music, or reading something calming such as poetry or affirmations.
Taking even just five minutes for yourself before bed can help ease any racing thoughts and allow you to drift off into a peaceful slumber.
Lighten Up On Summer Nights
On warm nights, keep it light and breezy a basic short-sleeve cotton or organic-cotton bodysuit or T-shirt with a muslin or cotton swaddle or sleep sack layered on top is fine.
A bodysuit or tee on its own is also OK if its particularly sweltering. Of course, if you have the air conditioner pumping, you can probably stick with cotton long-sleeve pajamas with footies.
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How Do I Make Sure My Baby Gets The Right Amount Of Sleep
Overstimulation during the day can cause your baby to either sleep too little or sleep when they should be eating, due to exhaustion. Newborn babies need to be fed frequently to ensure proper development.
If your newborn baby becomes overtired they will become fussy, and harder to settle for sleep. We’ve given age-targeted tips to help avoid overstimulation and improve your baby’s sleep in the sleep schedules below. For more information on how much sleep your baby needs and how long they should be sleeping at a time read How Much Do Newborns Sleep?
Learning your baby’s sleep cycle
While your baby has your nose or eyes, the two of you couldn’t be farther apart when it comes to sleep cycle! The main reason your newborn’s sleep patterns are unpredictable is because of their evolving sleep cycle.
Adults can easily pass from one sleep cycle into the next without completely waking up. Newborns, however, don’t stay in deep sleep for long periods at a time, so they are more susceptible to frequent wake-ups. Our post, Your Baby’s Sleep Cycle, explains more in-depth about how your baby’s sleep cycle is linked to their sleep patterns.
To learn more about the changes to your baby’s sleep cycle and how to cope with sleep regression, read our post 10 Tips to Surviving the 4 Month Sleep Regression.
Put Baby To Sleep On Her Back
You should always put your baby to sleep flat on her back on a firm, flat surface at naptime and bedtime until her first birthday. Tummy sleeping puts infants at risk for suffocation or overheating and increases the chance of SIDS.
Once your baby is able to roll over on her own while she’s sleeping, from stomach to back and from back to tummy, its fine to let her keep sleeping that way. Babies can typically roll over between 3 and 6 months, but it can happen earlier , so keep a close eye on her.
If it seems like your newborn has rolled onto her side, thats probably her reflexes at work. Shell likely lose the ability to do that by the time shes a month old.
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Consider This Pacifier Trick
“If your baby cries because they’re hungry or wet, that’s understandable, but waking up in the middle of the night because they can’t find their pacifier is frustrating for all. You can teach your baby to find it on their own by placing a couple of pacifiers in one corner of the crib, and every time they lose one help them reach for it themself by bringing to hand to that corner. This shows baby where the pacifiers are, so if one goes missing, they can find another and get back to sleep. Depending on your child’s age, your little one should figure this out in about a week.” Jodi Mindell, Ph.D., a Parents advisor, associate director of the Sleep Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and author of Sleeping Through the Night
Be Mindful Of Television And Other Electronic Media
As already noted, nighttime use of electronic screens can cause trouble because they emit sleep-busting, artificial light. But as I explain in this Parenting Science guide, daytime electronic media use might be problematic as well.
Researchers report links between total electronic media use and late bedtimes . And in one recent study, the effect was strongly dependent on the dose: For every additional 2.5 minutes that babies watched, it took them 5 extra minutes to fall asleep at night .
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Tips For Getting Your Newborn To Sleep In A Cot
Annie Ridoutco-sleeping6 tips for getting a newborn to sleep in a cot
The Importance Of Proper Post
As a result of the texts, we can conclude that: Place your baby on their back to sleep rather than their stomach or side. Since the AAP began recommending this in 1992, the rate of SIDS has dropped dramatically. It is critical to burp your baby after feeding to prevent milk from accumulating in his or her mouth. If your baby has GERD, you may want to keep him upright after feeding for 10 to 15 minutes or longer if he or she spits up or has difficulty swallowing milk.
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Stick With A Snug Fit
Some brands begin to offer flame-resistant pajamas starting at the 9-month mark. These are made with materials that have been chemically treated to decrease the risk of catching fire.
However, some pediatricians question the potential health effects of these chemicals. As an alternative, you can stick with PJs made from cotton or natural-fiber materials that are labeled as snug-fitting. These are not treated with a flame retardant but instead fit close to the body to minimize flammability.
Moreover, snug PJs are always preferable, as loose clothing or materials can ride up and dangerously cover a babys face during sleep.
Dont Feel Pressured To Burp Or Diaper Your Baby If Doing So Will Wake Your Baby Up
When your baby is sleeping or about to doze off the last thing you want to do is jolt her awake with intrusive care-giving. So can you wait? That seems likely.
In a recent study of more than 70 infants, researchers found no evidence that burping was beneficial to babies. It didnt make them cry less, and it actually increased a babys chances of regurgitating after a meal . And an earlier experiment suggests that babies arent awakened by the sensation of a wet diaper .
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How Can I Get My Baby To Sleep Longer
It is perfectly normal for newborns to only sleep for short periods of time however, if you are struggling with their current routine, there are a few methods that may help them to sleep for longer. Keep in mind that all babies are different so these methods may not work for every child. If your newborn is struggling to sleep for longer periods of time you could try:
- Blackout curtains
Look Out For Tired Signs
Babies will show signs when they are getting tired such as grimacing, yawning, grizzling, frowning, sucking, staring, snuggling in, jerky movements, becoming over active, clenching fists, rubbing eyes, fussiness or crying. Responding early to these tired signs prevents your baby becoming distressed and makes it easier for them to sleep.
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Think Your Baby Is Waking Up Be Cautious About Intervening Too Soon Your Baby Might Be Asleep Or Ready To Resume Sleeping On His Or Her Own
As I explain in my article about night wakings, its normal for sleepers of all ages to experience many partial awakenings at night. When parents report that their infants are sleeping through the night, it isnt that their babies are never waking up. Rather, babies are falling back to sleep, quietly, without signaling their parents.
But young infants sleep very restlessly. They frequently vocalize, and sometimes even open their eyes. So its easy for new parents to make the mistake of waking a sleeping infant or intervene too fast with an infant experiencing momentary wakefulness. And that can interfere with the development of mature sleep patterns, hindering babies from learning to settle themselves.
My Parenting Science article about baby sleep patterns can help you understand the stages of baby sleep, and become more savvy about how and when to respond. If you give your baby the chance, he or she may learn to self-settle at an earlier age.
Be Aware Of Food Sensitivities
Exposure to different foods and flavors begins in utero, and your babys ability to process certain foods will develop and get stronger throughout the first year of his life. As your baby grows, he may develop one or more food sensitivity. This is especially true in breastfed babies. For example, a newborn baby may have a difficult time digesting garlic or other spices within breast milk. If your baby is crying, arching her back, and has a stiff belly, then she may be experiencing a food sensitivity. The good news is that these symptoms typically pass after a bowel movement.
Once you identify which food caused this discomfort, you can eliminate it from your diet while breastfeeding. This should ensure that your baby will sleep at night more comfortable and uninterrupted.
If your baby is at least 6 months old, and you have concerns related to how solid foods may be interfering with her sleep, please refer to “How Certain Foods Can Affect Your Childs Sleep.”
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Sleep Habits To Reduce The Risk Of Sids
In addition to following the AAP’s recommendation for baby sleeping positions, you can protect your infant from SIDS by following these simple sleep safety tips:
- Opt for a firm sleep surface. Purchase a safety-approved crib mattress, covered by a fitted sheet, and never place your baby down for sleep on soft surfaces, like pillows, quilts, and sheepskins.
- Keep the sleeping area clean and clear. This means no soft objects, toys, pillows, blankets, quilts, sheepskins or crib bumpers.
- Keep your babys sleep area near but separate. While your infant can sleep in the same room as you, he should not sleep in a bed or on a couch or armchair with adults or other children. Instead, your baby should sleep in a bassinet, crib, cradle or a bedside co-sleeper.
- Monitor the temperature in your babys room. In other words, not too hot or too cold. And never place your infant near air-conditioning or heating vents, open windows or other sources of drafts.
- Skip the blankets. Instead, invest in a one-piece sleeper or sleep sack as an alternative to blankets.
- Consider a pacifier.Pacifiers have been shown to reduce the risk of SIDS, but don’t force it if your baby doesn’t want it.
Week : Look For Sleep Cues
Your cruising into having a 1-month-old! By now you might be feeling a bit more adjusted, recovered, and bonded to your infant.
Newborn sleep might be sporadic but now that you know your baby better, start looking for sleep cues. Take notice of the things your baby does to show that they are tired. Do they cry a certain way? Get fussy and then ratchet up the noise? Get extra snuggly or rub their eyes?
This newborn sleep tip will help you recognize when youre baby is telling you they want to sleep and will help you put them down with success!
Many times an over-tired infant is hard to get to sleep. However, when you see they are ready to sleep and you take action you will get better results!
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Spring Into Action At The First Sign Of Sleepiness
“Timing is critical. Tuning into your baby’s natural biological rhythmsby reading their drowsy signsensures that when they’re placed in their crib, melatonin is elevated in their system, and their brain and body will be primed to drift off with little fuss. If you wait too long, however, your infant can become overtired. Not only will they have lower melatonin levels, but their brain begins to release wakefulness hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. This makes it difficult for your baby to fall asleep and stay asleep and can lead to early wake-ups. So don’t miss these cues: When your little one is still, quiet, disinterested in their surroundings, and staring off into space, melatonin is peaking in their system and it’s time to go to bed.” Jenni June, a sleep consultant in Los Angeles