It’s a common notion that nothing can make up for a restful night. And when you have a crying and aching baby, it’s hard to compensate for the lack of sleep. There are numerous reasons why the baby cries at night, from sheer hunger to the feeling of solitude. If you don’t know how to tuck your baby into sleep nicely, or you just need help to help her sleep better (and get some quality sleep yourself), here are a few rather nifty tips to make that happen.
Dim the lights
The moment you bring home your newborn, you should let the baby know when it’s daytime, and when it’s nighttime. To uplift your baby’s sleep, she should sleep always in her crib, lights out. In this way, the baby will have a sense of nighttime and preferably sleep all night long (or at least 5 hours in a row). Make sure that you turn off all other electronics and small gadgets. Your baby might feel wired to twist and turn, and eventually wake up once the flashing screen impedes her sleep.
Don’t overdress your little one
Baby will undoubtedly have trouble sleeping if she is either over or underdressed. Have in mind that babies don’t prefer wearing too many clothes, they feel most comfortable at night when they are in their onesies and covered with a light blanket. Hence, the most important factor for enabling a restful sleep for your little one is the material of those products. You should always choose organic cotton gauze or knit waffle blankets such as those available at 3 Little Crowns.
Get cozy together
A separate nursery might give parents a chance to rest, but babies love your unlimited attention, so sharing a room for the first 6 months is more than practical. Firstly, the baby will feel your caressing presence, you could get up quickly to address her crying mishaps, and finally, you could implement co-sleeping. Holding the baby tightly, snuggling her, singing her a lullaby, and gently placing her near you will guarantee a long and carefree sleep.
Embrace the “noise”
Once they arrive at this world, babies feel scared and utterly cast off, so you should transform the ambient into a womb-like environment. As babies have only been listening to the mom’s heartbeat and blood flow, it’s only logical to incorporate the white noise to put her to sleep. This special (somehow annoying) sound, which resembles the sound of a vacuum cleaner, hushes the crying baby into extremely fast. You can get a special white-noise machine, play a youtube video, or just start a vacuum to ease the baby before bedtime.
Stick to a clear routine
One of the best hacks of making sure your baby will sleep better, especially for first-time moms, is setting a clear bedtime routine, and sticking to it. No matter the age, kids should know when it’s time to go to bed, and certain routines will ensure they’ll soundly. Try to bathe your baby every single day at the same time, at 8 p.m. for instance, then feed her as usual, and tuck her into sleep. It might take a few days, maybe weeks to establish a steady routine, but the results will be ultra-productive in the long run.
It takes two to tango
Both you and your partner should take turns to tuck your baby into sleep. Avoid being awake at the same time when the baby is, but rather find some productive schedule that works for both. If a mother is awake to nurse or bottle-feed the baby, the father could get up when it’s time to change the diaper and soothe the baby. This will make the baby satisfied, and you’ll both have time to rest.
Happy mom – happy baby
In the end, unless you’re feeling content and in tranquil surroundings, your baby will feel how uneasy and stressful you feel. To improve your baby’s sleeping patterns, you have to be satisfied with yourself, embrace a more mindful state, and unwind from time to time. When a mom is happy, the baby will automatically feel better throughout the day, hence sleep better at night.
Every baby is different, and not every situation with a newborn can be predicted. It takes time, persistence, and diligence to improve your baby’s sleep so look and listen to your baby, and implement the above-mentioned tips.
