Sleep is something that can be different from one baby to the next, making it another learning curve that many parents have to face without much information to go on. Other than what fellow parents have experienced, how well your baby sleeps is often down to luck.
However, there are certainly some helpful tips that can encourage a better night’s sleep for your little one at whatever age they are. Whether you’re in the throes of newborn life, or you’re looking to tackle the toddler stage of disruptive sleep as they leap through their growth spurts, this guide will help you find the ideal solution for your problems.
Newborn Sleep
Newborn sleep is often a time where you get the most sleep because newborns do in fact, need a lot of sleep. More so than they are actually awake, which means you’ll be able to do a lot more yourself whether that’s getting things done around the home or sleeping while the baby is sleeping.
There are a number of things you can do to help with getting your newborn off to sleep. Here are a few tips that are beneficial to know.
Make use of white noise
White noise is something to be mindful of when it comes to newborn sleep because white noise mimics the sounds they would here when they were in the mother’s womb. Therefore, it’s a good way of helping them think they’re still in it!
Even if it’s playing throughout the night, you might want to try it out and see whether it makes a difference to their sleep. Whether that’s helping them fall asleep or encouraging them to stay asleep for longer.
Put them down for naps in a Moses basket or next to me
When it comes to a newborn, the Moses basket or a next to me, which sits by your bed, is the best option before placing them in a crib. A crib can feel gigantic to a newborn who has been used to a tucked-up space inside your body.
Therefore, when it comes to putting them down for naps, make sure you’re doing so in a Moses basket where there’s a small amount of room to make them feel more cozy and confined.
A bath before bedtime helps them fall asleep quicker
A bath is always a good way to help them fall asleep quicker. It’s a routine that you can establish pretty early on and can make a big difference to how well they transition into bedtime.
Therefore, it’s useful to implement a bathtime routine with your little one so that they can hopefully fall asleep quicker.
Toddler Sleep
Once your little one has turned one, they’re officially a toddler – which is hard to fathom. That means you may be in the process of moving to a crib unless you’ve already done so. The challenge with toddler sleep is often that it can be quite disruptive, especially as they find that the world around them is too exciting for them to fall asleep on.
Make sure they’re in their own room and crib
It’s important that you make sure with toddlers, that they’re in their own room and crib. While it’s recommended that most babies are in their own rooms from six months, you may not want to move them into their own room for some time.
Hopefully, though, you can consider moving them into their own room and crib sometime soon, as this can often help with them falling asleep easily.
Create a bedtime routine that is consistent
A bedtime routine that is consistent, is going to help get your toddler into that mindset of bedtime. You want to create a routine that occurs every night at the same time where possible – of course, that can’t always happen – and do the same things to make it a routine.
From having dinner to taking a bath, reading a story, and drinking milk. These are all the steps you want to take in order to establish a bedtime routine.
General tips for baby sleep
To help with babies sleeping, there are some general tips that are worth covering. If you’re struggling with sleep and need some inspiration on what to try next, consider any and all of the following:
- Keep lights dim in the room
- Do baby massages
- Talk in a quiet or hushed voice
- Put your baby down once they’re sleepy
- Don’t over-excite the baby
Hopefully, with this guide, you’ll be able to master the art of sleeping for your baby going forward.
