Helping baby sleep through the night
Having a baby can be super fun and it will be one of the best experiences of your life. Still… you’re going to experience some difficult nights if you have a baby that doesn’t sleep on your schedule.
We know what it’s like to have baby-related broken sleep – everyone expects it in the first few weeks after birth. To keep it to a minimum, you should try and establish a sleeping pattern as soon as possible.
We’ve put together a few tips to help you navigate the sleep minefield:
Keep the day active
When milking time comes around (during the day this is) try and have an active feed. Talk to your baby, encourage eye contact and have something on in the background (TV or music). This will help them to differentiate between day time and night time. When feeding before bed, make sure that the atmosphere is the complete opposite; dim lighting; soft, soothing music; and gentle rocking. This will help your baby’s growing brain establish a body clock.
Have a routine
Routine is important for everyone and babies are no different. After the hectic first few weeks are out of the way, establish a routine when you feel ready. A nice relaxing bath, soothing music and maybe a very short story or poem, read in a soothing voice. Then feed and place baby on her back to fall asleep naturally. We understand that sometimes routine goes out the window but when you are home and able to, it can really help. Plus, you need some evening time for yourself –take a bath, catch up on missed TV or invite a friend over for a much needed catch up!
Security gift
Some babies find that having something as security is soothing, and can be great for getting them to sleep through the night (or at least wake up less!) A blanket or small soft teddy work brilliantly. You could always sleep with the blanket or teddy before the birth, so that it smells like you and is doubly comforting.
Share comforting
One of the most important parts of parenting is sharing the responsibilities. If you are able to, ensure that you share the night feeds/comforting sessions with your partner. It will give them time to bond and also give you some space to get some R&R (we mean sleep…)
Remember, whilst you are dealing with broken nights, if your baby is napping during the day, you should be too –everything else can wait!
Image credit: http://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2014/07/13/09/12/baby-391755_640.jpg