As Moms everywhere out there know, sleep is precious. When your little one is soundly sleeping, your day and night transforms into the opportunity to catch up on work, with family, tidying up, or some R&R for you. In order to help your baby sleep better, here are Mommy’s Bliss recommended Ten Steps to Help Your Baby Sleep Better. Follow these quick tips to help create a bedtime routine, help your baby sleep through the night and continue with a good sleeping schedule. Be sure to share your very own tip that helped your baby sleep soundly.
Step #1: Find the Drowsy Sweet Spot
Put your baby into the crib in that magically drowsy state that’s somewhere between fully asleep and awake-and-screaming. Babies in the sweet spot will pacify themselves and fall asleep in the crib on their own without creating associations with sleep time that are difficult to break.
Step #2: Set a Pattern
“Babies become more aware of their surroundings after about 3 months,” says Aliza Pressman, PhD. She recommends setting a pattern for them to ideally sleep at the same time and in the same place every day and every night.
Step #3: Sleep Cozy
Babies who feel safe always sleep better. If your child is enclosed in a bassinet, the coziness helps sleep to come more quickly. If your infant is having trouble sleeping, move the bassinet into your bedroom for a time to raise your baby’s feeling of safety.
Step #4: Regulate the Light
Babies’ bodies are sensitive to light in the daytime and darkness at nighttime to coordinate with their body clocks. Use dimmer switches to regulate the lights in your home. Turn them a little lower after sunset and make the lights brighter during the daytime to help regulate your child’s circadian rhythm.
Step #5: Bright Light at Wake Time
Use the bright morning light to help your child become alert when it’s time to awaken. Walk over to the window or walk outside to stimulate your child’s body clock.
Step #6: Climate Control
The ideal comfort temperature for babies to sleep soundly is between 65 and 70 degrees F. The room should be a little cooler at nighttime and a bit warmer in daytime.
Step #7: Avoid Eye Contact at Night
When you’re up feeding your baby in the wee hours of the morning, avoid eye contact. Locking your gaze with your child’s eyes causes a rise in blood pressure and an increased heart rate. This makes your baby more awake and less likely to go back to sleep.
Step #8: Bedtime Message
“Babies fall asleep faster and sleep longer after a 15-minute pre-bedtime massages,” says Dr. Pressman. It also reduces colic and improves growth and muscle tone. Use a baby massage cream to soothe the skin and try slow, soothing strokes with a slightly moderate pressure.
Step #9: Rhythmic Noise
When your infant was in the womb, the rhythmic noise was loud and constant. Babies respond well to soft sounds of nature CDs and white noise that simulate this rhythmic din.
Step #10: Swing
Infants who have trouble soothing themselves usually respond well to a swing. Use a mechanical swing with a reclining position to lull your baby to sleep.
This site is intended for informational purposes only and does not provide medical advice. Please consult your physician or other health-care professional.
