New parents everywhere are bound by a concern common to them all. How do you get baby to sleep and get her to stay asleep, so you can get some good shut-eye yourself?
Unfortunately you can't anticipate when this is going to happen as you often can with other milestones in your baby's life. You have a rough idea when you should expect her first smile, when solid foods should be introduced and when baby will be able to sit up unassisted. The one thing nobody can tell you with any accuracy is when you expect your child to give you that first good night's sleep.
It is very important to start from day one in developing healthy sleep habits. Once everyone is getting to know the different signals, it will be that much easier to recognize those tell-tale signs that she needs to be put in bed.
At about two weeks you can help your baby distinguish between night and day, and can begin to develop their sleeping schedule. Play or sing with your normal tone of voice during the daytime hours when baby is awake and alert. Don't worry about noises during nap time; your infant will grow accustomed to the fact that during the day there are noises around him.
It's time to change things around when your baby wakes up during the night. Dim the lights and reduce noise as much as possible to avoid stimulation. This will help teach baby that night time is a quiet time. When he wakes up to feed, try not to talk very much, and remember not to be playful. The realization will occur soon enough that day time is play time, and nights are for sleeping.
Routines surrounding bedtime also play their part in parents getting a bit more shut-eye. When possible try to reserve bath time until just before bed. The warm water with soothe your little one, as well as the other parts of bath time rituals. However, if your baby is getting excited or upset during bath time, it is best left as a morning ritual. We are aiming at a calming experience that will facilitate bedtime. Use this time to play some soft music or to start a new routine of family bedtime stories.
Outside of routine, many babies have challenges when it comes to calming themselves to fall asleep and there are different thoughts how to best help baby accomplish this.
One technique you can try once baby reaches about 6 weeks old is the crying down method. After making sure that she is not hungry, or any other possible issue that needs your attention, try letting her cry for a bit until she calms on her own. The initial amount of time for this is normally 5-10 minutes, but in the event that she is over-tired or over-excited it could take longer. Be prepared to wait up to 20 minutes for her to finally drift off into dreamland. If the crying persists and you have trouble ignoring it, try and wait 5-10 minutes before returning to her room. Keep the same procedure in motion until your baby quietly and calmly falls asleep on her own.
Some people struggle with the idea of letting such a small baby crying itself to sleep. If you are one of them, there are other alternatives you may find easier to deal with. An example of this would be when a parent decides to pay closer attention to the actions of the little one and cluing in on the signs that it's time for bed. This method however could mean varying bedtimes each night. Some other parents may opt to lie close to baby, cooing and gently touching them to provide them with some comfort. Little by little, the parent starts moving further away from the infant, thus providing less interaction. This process gently weans your little one from needing you that close to them in order to fall asleep.
No matter what way you choose to approach it, babies are precious to their parents, but sleep is needed to properly care for them. With some handy tips and a lot of patience a pattern will eventually allow everyone to get a good night's sleep. - 20761
Unfortunately you can't anticipate when this is going to happen as you often can with other milestones in your baby's life. You have a rough idea when you should expect her first smile, when solid foods should be introduced and when baby will be able to sit up unassisted. The one thing nobody can tell you with any accuracy is when you expect your child to give you that first good night's sleep.
It is very important to start from day one in developing healthy sleep habits. Once everyone is getting to know the different signals, it will be that much easier to recognize those tell-tale signs that she needs to be put in bed.
At about two weeks you can help your baby distinguish between night and day, and can begin to develop their sleeping schedule. Play or sing with your normal tone of voice during the daytime hours when baby is awake and alert. Don't worry about noises during nap time; your infant will grow accustomed to the fact that during the day there are noises around him.
It's time to change things around when your baby wakes up during the night. Dim the lights and reduce noise as much as possible to avoid stimulation. This will help teach baby that night time is a quiet time. When he wakes up to feed, try not to talk very much, and remember not to be playful. The realization will occur soon enough that day time is play time, and nights are for sleeping.
Routines surrounding bedtime also play their part in parents getting a bit more shut-eye. When possible try to reserve bath time until just before bed. The warm water with soothe your little one, as well as the other parts of bath time rituals. However, if your baby is getting excited or upset during bath time, it is best left as a morning ritual. We are aiming at a calming experience that will facilitate bedtime. Use this time to play some soft music or to start a new routine of family bedtime stories.
Outside of routine, many babies have challenges when it comes to calming themselves to fall asleep and there are different thoughts how to best help baby accomplish this.
One technique you can try once baby reaches about 6 weeks old is the crying down method. After making sure that she is not hungry, or any other possible issue that needs your attention, try letting her cry for a bit until she calms on her own. The initial amount of time for this is normally 5-10 minutes, but in the event that she is over-tired or over-excited it could take longer. Be prepared to wait up to 20 minutes for her to finally drift off into dreamland. If the crying persists and you have trouble ignoring it, try and wait 5-10 minutes before returning to her room. Keep the same procedure in motion until your baby quietly and calmly falls asleep on her own.
Some people struggle with the idea of letting such a small baby crying itself to sleep. If you are one of them, there are other alternatives you may find easier to deal with. An example of this would be when a parent decides to pay closer attention to the actions of the little one and cluing in on the signs that it's time for bed. This method however could mean varying bedtimes each night. Some other parents may opt to lie close to baby, cooing and gently touching them to provide them with some comfort. Little by little, the parent starts moving further away from the infant, thus providing less interaction. This process gently weans your little one from needing you that close to them in order to fall asleep.
No matter what way you choose to approach it, babies are precious to their parents, but sleep is needed to properly care for them. With some handy tips and a lot of patience a pattern will eventually allow everyone to get a good night's sleep. - 20761
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