The sound of a baby sleeping soundly is music to any mother’s ears. Not to mention, they look so adorable and innocent when they’re sound asleep. However, most parents know too well that babies don’t always go down as easily as they’d like. This could drive anybody crazy especially when you’re also trying to get a good night’s sleep. You can make your baby’s sleep time less stressful for you and for them by creating a conducive environment for better sleep. Here are some tips to get your baby to sleep better.
- Have A Sleeping Zone
Since babies sleep around 17 hours a day, it’s important to have a designated sleeping area. During the night, most parents put their toddlers in the crib for nap time. However, during the day, moms are up and down doing their errands with their babies in their arms or a stroller and they might fall asleep in whatever position they are. You shouldn’t make a habit of this but instead, designate a place in the house for them to rest to establish a pattern.
- Differentiate Between Day And Night
Your baby might still not know the difference between night and day which is why they’re overly active when they wake up at night. Try to wear them out during the day so you can avoid a lot of stimulation during the evening. Keep the lights dim and the talking to a minimum when it’s close to their sleep time or if they wake up in the middle of the night. With time, they will learn that night time is time to sleep and mot play. Therefore, even when they wake up at night, it will be easier to put them back to sleep.
- Limit Daytime Naps
Though your baby has to nap during the day to get the recommended hours of sleep, avoid prolonged naps. This will interfere with their sleep time at night. Limit naps during the day to 3-4 hours so they can sleep soundly for at least 8 hours at night. To avoid long and regular naps during the day, keep your baby active by playing with them and talking to them. However, if they’re really sleepy, let them take a nap as it’s just cruel to keep them up.
- Avoid Eye Contact
Babies are easily stimulated and eye contact could spark their interest. When they start getting drowsy, try to soothe them to sleep while “ignoring” them. Additionally, the more you interact with them, the more they’ll want to get up at night. Avoiding eye contact will make them lose interest in you and fall asleep faster.
- Establish A Bedtime Routine
Pick activities that will soothe your baby to sleep such as bathing them, swaddling, and rocking them. After some time, your baby will associate this routine with sleep time and it will be easier for them to fall asleep. For older children, try reading to them or playing soft music to help them fall asleep. Your baby will associate these positive activities with sleep thus motivating them to go to bed. 6 Sleep Hacks For Children
- Complete Feeding Time
Babies often fall asleep during feeding time. This isn’t a good sign since they’re likely to wake up in the middle of the night to feed again. Try to get them to finish their feeding time before sleeping. It’s recommended that for the first 6 weeks, a baby should feed for 20-40 minutes. However, if they don’t wake up to finish their feed, let them sleep.
Check out A Guide To Surviving The First Few Months With A Newborn Baby
