Being awakened in the middle of the night by a newborn can be most difficult for new parents to deal with. Unfortunately there isn't a set rule for getting your baby to sleep well, as we all know, every baby is different and so are their sleeping habits. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Here are some sleep tips you can try that will help. Keep this in mind, don't be stubborn about bedtime ideas that don't seem to be working, keep an open mind and try a few different things to see what 'will' work for you and your baby! As a parent your judgment is utmost important.
A newborn is accustomed to falling asleep with his mother in the beginning of life. Naturally your baby is going to cry when he wakes up and doesn't find mommy there at his side. You will notice a slow transition as your newborn gets older, he will learn to go to sleep on his own as well as fall back to sleep should he awaken in the middle of the night. As a parent your goal should be to try and speed up this transition. This will result in better sleep habits for your child in the long run. You'll also find yourself getting a good night's sleep as well. This is always welcome!
Routine - focus on getting down a consistent bedtime routine, this will help your child to learn to go to sleep on his own. For babies, a routine is something they are dependant on, theirs is a narrow world in the beginning, only focusing on a few things through the entire day. Changing the way in which you present things to your child can create the transition you're looking for.
Some examples of a bedtime routine might be, changing and feeding, giving baby a warm bath, singing and rocking before bedtime. By repeating a certain routine each night your baby will begin to associate this routine with sleeping. If you follow this routine each night it will create a 'sleeping mode' that your child will become familiar with, therefore associating them with sleep. However, if you aren't consistent with the routine you'll create confusion and your child will be confused about what happens next.
Bedtime is a wonderful time to spend quality time with your child. Spend as much time as possible with your child before he falls asleep. Babies learn at a very young age to manipulate their parents. By spending extra time with your child before bedtime your baby won't feel the need to stretch out his bedtime ritual in order to spend more time with you.
Don't worry too much about what you do before bedtime, just be sure to do the same things in the same order every night. You will be delighted with your baby's sleeping habits if you remember these two important elements:
- establish a bedtime routine
- be consistent
It's not always easy to be consistent but you can do it! Not only will your baby have much better sleeping habits, bedtime will be a joy for everyone! |
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