4 Tips For Getting Your Baby To Sleep Better

Newborns need all the sleep they can get. Unfortunately, babies seem to have their own ideas over where and when to catch their sleep. Most first time parents are left frustrated, disappointed and without any option when their baby decides not to fall asleep. Some of the questions they deal with are should the baby sleep in the family bed or crib, let him cry out. Nurse him again? Will the advice suggested work for me?

Babies are unique and there's no one solution fits all when it comes to getting your baby to sleep. Fortunately, some parents have tested and tried some tips that may also work for you.

4 Tips for Baby To Sleep Better

Here are some tips for getting your baby to sleep better.

Turn Down The Lights:

Artificial or nature; light tends to tell the brain that it's during the day and not the time to sleep. When you're starting to sleep train your baby, turn down the lights earlier. You can also invest in blackout blinds if your baby wakes up early.

Have a consistent bedtime Routine

Having a well-planned consistent bedtime routine provides a conducive environment for the baby to sleep. Your baby needs to identify the signals that tell him that it's almost bed time. Once it's time, the child will be psychologically prepared to head to bed.

One of the mistakes most parents make is trying to soothe baby too long. Avoid this and always emphasize that night time should be all about sleep. In case your baby wakes up, let him learn how to fall asleep on his own.

Another myth most moms have is that nursing is the only way to get the baby back to sleep. Unfortunately, sometimes this never works and instead stimulates the baby to keep playing. Research shows that babies of six months are able to sleep through the night without snacking.

When reducing the feeds, do not do it drastically. Instead, if she was feeding on two bottles, do away with one over a three day period. With time, the baby realizes that milk is not part of their nighttime routine and stops angling for it.

Do Away With the Pacifier and any Other Distractions

A pacifier seems like an amazing tool to keep your baby calm, but with time, it can be a distraction as you have to keep going in to put it back every time it drops. You need to wean the baby off the pacifier by letting her cry it out. With time, your child will be able to sleep without ever needing the pacifier.

Also, get rid of the plastic light up fish and those items that hang over the crib. Although the idea is to calm the baby, they end up being a distraction and keeps their visual stimulation on for a long time.

Instead, you can opt for a white noise machine to block out any noise that may wake the baby up. The best thing would be to keep your child's room as boring as possible to stimulate sleep.

Although it's difficult to wake up a sleeping baby, it's important to note that a baby who sleeps too long during the day can rob their nighttime sleep. Ensure that your baby takes short regular naps to help him sleep better at night. Do this as a routine and try to ensure that he doesn't fall asleep when it's almost bedtime.

Getting your baby to sleep through the night is not something you'll achieve in just one day. You'll need to be consistent, practice lots of discipline, and be patient as a parent.

However, practicing and implementing these tips provided should get you some shut eye in a few days. With time, you can stick to a schedule and a routine until your baby can comfortably sleep at night.