Getting Baby to Sleep at Night
If you are a new parent you are probably asking yourself the same question asked by parents since the dawn of time. How to get baby to fall asleep, and stay asleep long enough to get some rest yourself?
This is unfortunately one of those things you can't anticipate as you can with other milestones in your baby's life. You have read or heard from others when to expect her first smile, how to introduce her to solid foods and at what age she should roll over or sit up on her own. Ask when you can expect baby to give you that first night of more than two hours sleep at a time, and everybody's answers will likely be all over the map.
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.
Once baby reaches about two weeks of age, it's time to start helping her to distinguish the difference between day and night. This is the first step to begin developing her sleep schedule. During daytime hours, take advantage of play time or singing using your normal tone of voice. Don't stop yourself from daytime tasks. Baby needs to distinguish and grow accustomed to the variety of noises around him during the day.
If your baby wakes at night, it's necessary to reverse the routine. Dimming the lights, reducing noise and other sources of stimulation are all necessary steps in teaching baby that night time hour are quiet. Try to keep a hushed voice, as well as not providing playfulness or animation, and he will soon make the connection that daytime hours are for being awake just as he will connect night with quiet time and 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 a bed time routine, there are still many babies who have challenges in regards to calming down to fall asleep. There are many thoughts and techniques on how to help your 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.
If the thought of letting your little one cry himself out, some other techniques are available to you. For example, you may prefer to watch and wait for the signs indicating clearly to you when baby is ready to fall asleep, but this may result in different bedtimes from one night to the next. Other parents may opt for lying down next to baby while gently touching and talking to them in order to provide baby with added comfort. Over time the parent moves a little further away, providing a little less interaction until baby can fall asleep without having a parent near them.
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. - 20759
This is unfortunately one of those things you can't anticipate as you can with other milestones in your baby's life. You have read or heard from others when to expect her first smile, how to introduce her to solid foods and at what age she should roll over or sit up on her own. Ask when you can expect baby to give you that first night of more than two hours sleep at a time, and everybody's answers will likely be all over the map.
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.
Once baby reaches about two weeks of age, it's time to start helping her to distinguish the difference between day and night. This is the first step to begin developing her sleep schedule. During daytime hours, take advantage of play time or singing using your normal tone of voice. Don't stop yourself from daytime tasks. Baby needs to distinguish and grow accustomed to the variety of noises around him during the day.
If your baby wakes at night, it's necessary to reverse the routine. Dimming the lights, reducing noise and other sources of stimulation are all necessary steps in teaching baby that night time hour are quiet. Try to keep a hushed voice, as well as not providing playfulness or animation, and he will soon make the connection that daytime hours are for being awake just as he will connect night with quiet time and 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 a bed time routine, there are still many babies who have challenges in regards to calming down to fall asleep. There are many thoughts and techniques on how to help your 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.
If the thought of letting your little one cry himself out, some other techniques are available to you. For example, you may prefer to watch and wait for the signs indicating clearly to you when baby is ready to fall asleep, but this may result in different bedtimes from one night to the next. Other parents may opt for lying down next to baby while gently touching and talking to them in order to provide baby with added comfort. Over time the parent moves a little further away, providing a little less interaction until baby can fall asleep without having a parent near them.
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. - 20759
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Get more tips for baby sleep from Insomnia-Gone.com, your source for a better night's sleep for every member of the family.
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