Tried implementing every Baby Sleep Book’s “tricks” with no results?
Well, worry not, follow these 10 simple but effective methods which will put your baby to sleep for longer stretches.
If done right, your baby can sleep for at least 11-12 hours during the night, with 1.5-2 hours of extended naps.
1- Figure out the way baby sleep.
Thumb rule is, if you want your baby to sleep well, then they need to sleep in a repetitive pattern.
If you keep your baby awake hoping that tiredness would make him/her fall asleep, let me assure you that this plan of yours will backfire.
Prolonged activity will result in over-stimulation. Hence your baby will find it difficult to sleep, and stay asleep.
2- Duration of Day-time naps.
Waking up a sleeping baby is tougher than it sounds, but if you don’t want your baby to stay awake at night, then you have to cut short his/her morning naps.
Furthermore, by limiting the morning naps, you get to feed your baby as much as possible. Which is really beneficial.
3- “Eat, Wake, Sleep” follow this cycle.
Here’s how this cycle works.
Baby wakes up –> Eats right away –> Plays for some time –> Goes back to sleep.
Purposes of this cycle.
Promotes full feedings.
Which helps create a bigger gap between consecutive feedings.
Your baby won’t associate food with sleep if you feed him/her after waking up. (Bedtime feeding being the sole exception)
Note: Feeding them frequently plays a vital role in their development.
4- Incorporate bedtime and pre-nap routines.
“Structure” “Routine” “Predictability” these are the ideals on which babies live by, they practically thrive on them.
If you want to see an order in the otherwise anarchic world of babies, then a consistent routine is the key to it.
Pre-nap routine.
- Take your baby to his/her room, make sure the ambiance of the room is sleep-inducing.
- Swaddle and Cuddle. Employ the white noise (significance of which I’ll discuss in a little while).
- I am sure you have your own sleepy words. That should be your closing act.
Bedtime routine. (it’s longer)
- Same as Pre nap, also includes a massage, bath, feeding, bedtime story.
Consistency of such routines prompts your baby for sleep, with time they become habituated to these routines.
5- Planned Diaper Change Is Key.
Changing diaper after night feeding would hamper baby’s sleep, so it is advised that you do that in the midst of the feeding.
Sometimes when the baby is relatively young, and the digestive tract hasn’t attained the required maturity, due to which they stool right after feeding, in such circumstances, you can change the diaper after feeding.
6- Swaddle.
Startle/Moro reflex (sensation of falling) is an innate response which a child develops during gestation and persists until 6 months after birth.
It creates jerking actions, ultimately waking up your baby. Swaddling is the best way to prevent this.
7- White Noise.
To avoid your baby to get distracted from all the “hustle and bustle” of your home, make use of white noise ( eg, white noise equipment, ordinary fan, etc.)
8- Dreamfeed
The height of sleep deprivation for new parents is when they are finally about to drift off, but their baby wakes up.
To avoid this, dream feed is a reliable option.
Dream feed is when you feed your baby just before you decide to sleep, it also helps newborn to sleep for longer duration.
9- Be patient.
If your baby wakes up in the middle and starts to cry or babble, don’t rush them back to sleep. Instead, wait for 5-10 minutes, they usually go back to sleep by then.
If the crying doesn’t stop and further escalates, then it’s time to employ some extra comfort and affection.
10- Initiate their sleep while they are drowsy.
Lastly, this is important, if you hope that one day your baby will become an independent sleeper like you, then it is essential that you put your baby in his/her’s bed while they are still drowsy, so that they can slowly drift off to sleep.
Doing so will prompt your kid to go back to sleep when they wake up in the middle of the night.
Only if needed, place your palm firmly but gently over your baby’s chest until they fall asleep.
Wrap.
It’s an ever-evolving process, and it’s up to you to innovate and incorporate new things that would help your baby to sleep for longer periods.
Like for instance, try using baby swing with AC adapter, it is convenient and cost-effective.
Because at the end of the day, a well-slept baby is much more complacent, comely and cheerful than a barely slept one.
