Tips to Help Your Baby Sleep
It’s so normal to be sleep deprived as a parent… SO NORMAL. But it’s hard to stop yourself from wondering: “How can I get my baby to sleep longer at night!?” Some babies wake up several times at night to feed and the intervals can get exhausting, especially if they are not spaced apart very far.
So I have compiled a list of tips that I have put into action that have helped with our Little Ones. It’s important to remember that all babies are different and that not all babies will sleep through the night for a while and that these tips are not miracle workers and will probably not make your baby sleep through the entire night… at least not instantly.. but they can help to contribute to that down the road, as well as lengthen the intervals that they are currently waking at night. Patience is key.
Help Your Baby Sleep
1. Swaddling– I stand by swaddling for at very least the first three months that your baby is at home. There is a theory that babies should technically be in the womb for a year, however human bodies can not house a baby that long. So mimicking the womb for at least the first three months has always been proven beneficial to our family. After all, the world is a big scary place to little babies…. so why not create the environment they are used to and comfortable in? Babies also have something called the “Moro reflex”, this reflex makes them feel as though they are falling and babies will put their hands up to try to “Catch” themselves, and usually it startles them awake. Swaddling babies helps to prevent the “Moro reflex” from startling them out of their slumber.
2. White Noise– White noise such as: Static, the vacuum cleaner, Hair Dryer, Waterfall sounds etc, all mimic the sounds that your baby heard in the womb as they comfortably listened to your blood rush, your lungs fill with air and your heart beat. We always used a CD with Waterfall sounds playing while they were being put to bed and while they were falling asleep.
3. Routines– Starting a Routine early is important in my eyes. For example our routine always has been the same: Bath Time, Pajamas, Lights out, Turn on CD, snuggles and feeding, In bed. Doing the same thing every night signals to your baby that it is sleep time, and while this part might not work right away, down the road it should help. We also made sure we didn’t talk or play with baby at bedtime (No matter how much we wanted to.)
These are just some tips I find beneficial! I hope they can help you and your baby get some more sleep at night!