Anything happiness is smaller than having a baby. The struggles of parenthood are temporary but the love for babies is permanent. But the temporary struggle must not affect you or your infant. The most struggling time is putting baby to sleep and make them sleep back.
Everything is new for the new parents. The experience of bringing an infant is new and minding their well being is also new. It takes time for the new parents to becomes pros at handling their baby. But it is only with the help of some tips, especially, they need baby sleep tips. Are you also a new parent?
You cant instruct your baby to new born baby. For this you must wait for the your little one to become at least a toddler. By then you can learn the tips and make it easy for you and baby.
Tips For New Parents To Learn All About Baby Sleep
1. Understand your baby’s sleep pattern
The new born babies spend most of the day by sleeping. But they also take breaks in between. What you have to do is, understand when the baby is napping. Watch the time that baby is sleeping everyday and when she takes break from sleep. This makes it easy for you to schedule your day accordingly.
You can be alert about your baby naps and breaks. This is the most crucial trick that new parents must learn and do.
2. Lay down the baby when drowsy
Did you ever experience this? You put the babies to sleep with great difficulty, but while you lay they get disturbed. This is becomes annoying for the parents. So, the best trick is- lay down your baby when she is drowsy.
Babies give you the sleepy signals and you must notice it. If you can lay down the baby drowsy, then slowly go into sleep and it is a restful sleep for them. You can happily carry with your work.
3. Do not keep bright light on
You are trying to put your little one to sleep but she is not sleeping. Then check if the bright lights are off yet. When you are putting babies to sleep, you must keep the lights dim not bright.
Even its the same with us, we don’t feel until the lights are dimmed. It is better you have lamp light on and bright lights off for your baby to sleep.
4. Sleep when baby sleep
Do you want to manage your with any delay even having a new born? Then you must follow your baby’s schedule not your own.
The new born need lot of mother’s attention. So, for that the best way is to sleep along with your baby. You can stay beside your baby when they need in between sleep. You can also manage your work happily when they are happy and awake.
5. Notice the sleep signs
Babies show the signs of sleepiness and parents need to notice it. Some babies cry before falling a asleep. Few babies yawn and keep their eyes half open. This is how infants start sleeping.
These are clear and simple observations that can help you. When you notice your baby sleepiness, it will be alright for you and baby. But you don’t see these signs in days old babies. The behaviourial changes and signs in baby sleeping are after few months. Until work with other tips of baby sleep.
6. Use white noise
What is white noise?
White noise is nothing but a set of sound at the same time. Fan is the best white nose that you can use for babies to sleep.
Yes! You keep the house calm and peaceful just for your baby. But can you expect your family to stay quite even during celebrations? Then, you must be a little wise and use the white noise.
White noise is soothing for babies ears. It covers the main noise of celebrations and loud talks at home.
Again, it doesn’t mean you can use white noise and make bigger noises on other side. As babies are sensitive to anything excess, see that the noise less as much as possible.
7. Set proper bedding
You must set everything for your baby just sleep. Imagine, if your baby is about to sleep and bedding is messy. How can infants have restful sleep in improper bedding.
You cant even set the bedding after baby sleeping on the bed. There are many things that you need to set for baby bedding. Like cushions, a blanket, change the sheets and dusting off the bed or crib. Do not put anything else in the crib that disturbs your baby’s sleep. Lay down baby on flat surface for no disturbance or uneasiness.
Look for this way to to set proper bedding for your new born-
If your baby is falling asleep or drowsy at 7.30 PM, you must prepare the bed watching the sleep sign. Then try to put your baby to sleep. Lets say if she sleeps in 30 minutes after setting the bed, you just did it right. Better to be advanced than keeping it messy.
8. Take your partner’s help
When you want to put your baby to sleep, you can ask your partner to manage the rest work. Sometimes, you can take the turn of completing the work and let your partner make baby sleep.
This is not only to reduce burden but also allows parents to develop attachment with baby equally. Also anyone cant handle baby alone especially when it is sleeping time. You need the one who can support you from other side.
9. Handle everything with care
We place things carelessly and that makes big sounds which can be disturb baby’s sleep. So, you must learn to handle everything carefully.
See that you place things with care. In fact, this comes automatically when you have a baby at home. Still a tip to remind the new parents about baby’s happy sleep.
10. Give a massage before sleep time
The new born babies are not extremely active. As said before more of their time goes in sleeping. So, there are least chances of baby muscles to relax. The best way for babies muscles to relax is massage.
Make massage a bedtime routine for your baby to sleep better. It is like you are preparing baby to sleep with this routine. Massage helps in keeping your baby active and awake during day time and have a good sleep during night.
Make sure you learn some gentle massage tips for babies which is soothing. While you are starting to massage, keep the room lights dim, warm and cosy for baby to sleep easily soon after massaging.
Most of the babies feel good with gentle squeezes than rubbing. So, you can experiment and see which style of massaging your baby likes and follow the same everyday.
How you will if you are baby is ready to sleep after a massage?
For this, you must place your hands on your baby to check if your baby is drowsy, relaxed. If yes, then you can assume that baby is ready to sleep after massaging.
11. Follow motion nap
Motion sleeping is of the best and familiar ways that mothers do put babies to sleep. Most of the babies tend to sleep easily with motion sleeping. The gentle rocking is much like a rhythm for new born and months babies too.
You can get a good swing, stroller or sling for baby to fall asleep. You must do it extra gently for baby to sleep.
12. No sudden transitions
Lets say your baby is used to a sleeping pattern and the pattern is not favourable for you. The first thing you must keep in mind is do anything that is favourable and comfortable for your new born. If still you are not able to match with the sleep pattern of your baby, then you can do the changes but not all of the sudden.
13. Keep a watch of sleeping baby
We asked you to sleep when baby is sleeping. So that you can have some sleep along which is hard to get with new born. But you must also not forget to keep a watch when your baby is sleeping.
In case, if you have to manage some urgent work, then don’t leave your sleeping baby alone. See that baby is beside you when needed in between the sleep. If baby wakes up all of the sudden and if you are not beside, then it can be separation anxiety for babies.
To avoid such anxieties in baby, you must be right beside to take care without any gap. You must be there to make your baby feel safe and supported. Most of the babies wake up from the sleep and go back to sleep with slow motion patting. If you are beside, it with be easy for you to put your baby back to sleep.
14. Keep the crib close to you
You must keep the crib very close to your bed. This will be easy for your do breastfeeding and then put back your baby into crib when he is drowsy.
This way, you also don’t have to walk long when you need to change baby from bed to crib. As we said before, baby needs you beside.
For most of the Indian mothers, the best feeling is having baby in the same bed. This is also a comfortable way for anything. You can stay beside your baby when she needs you in mid sleep. It is easier for you to breastfeed her and put back to sleep patting her back. Baby gets better sleep with mother beside.
15. Support baby’s head and neck
When you are trying to make your baby sleep, provide proper support at head and neck with your hands. Even after baby sleeping, you must place the baby cushions side by the head. This is a tip that you must remember right from the day of one of baby’s birth.
When infants sleep there are chances of moving their head and neck in uncontrolled way. This tip can prevent the injury or damage with uncontrolled movements.
This tip is not just to when your little one is sleeping but also whenever needed.
16. Don’t rush, Be patient
When you have to get up early in the morning for a particular work or schedule, you rush your baby to sleep. This cant help in any way. You must be patient for your baby to sleep.
Look for the ways that keeps your mind peaceful. Also do some relaxing activities that can make you feel relaxed. Happy parents can only raise happy kids.
Keep all the above tips in action and you will handle your baby with patience.
When should I start sleep training my baby?
The best time for to sleep train your baby when he is 4-6 months old. During these months, babies develop a different sleep cycle. They also sleep for longer hours in night and be active in day time. So, it is all good to start sleep training your baby after 4 months.
How long will it take to sleep train my baby?
This again depends on babies. The only way to notice that your baby trained is- he will fall asleep faster than before. And also gets that restful sleep which you were looking for. So, at least for a week to check if your sleeping method is working for your infant.
What is the best sleep training method for my baby?
Sleep training is helping your baby to fall asleep.Some babies fall asleep easily after few months of birth and few babies don’t. So, for the babies who don’t sleep easily, you must train them with some brilliant methods.
Sleeping training methods are various and a particular method may not help sleep all babies. We have already mentioned motion sleep which is a best sleep training for infants. Check other sleep training methods for babies.
All these baby sleep tips are not just for babies comfort and well being, it is also for the parents. You can have the real joy of parenthood with these baby sleep tips. These tips make it easy for your baby to sleep when compared to skipping them.
