7 Baby Sleep Tips That’ll Help Baby Sleep Longer Stretches
Yes, you heard it right. We all know how troublesome it is to get babies to sleep. Most of the time, their erratic sleep pattern takes a complete toll on the parents, especially mothers. In the end, mental breakdown, emotional strain are just a few results.
We can also assume that it is not the end of the world. If you plan out your baby’s daily routine carefully, things can improve remarkably. It’s all about a bit of research and creating a pattern for the baby.
To make it easier for mothers of newborn babies, I’m going to summarize a list of quick and easy tips that can help change their lives for the better. I can assure you that your babies will be angels if you can implement these small tricks into your lifestyle.
The biggest joy of a family is parenthood. Bringing home the tiny bundle of joy is unlike any other happy moment in our lifetime. However, with parenthood comes one problem that can push anyone to their wit’s end.
Sleepless nights!
7 Baby Sleep Tips That’ll Help Baby Sleep Longer Stretches
1. Create a cozy nook for your baby
It is important to set up a permanent space for the baby. By the time they reach the six-week mark, they develop a keen sense of their surroundings. A comfortable and spacious corner will ensure that the baby slowly develops a conscious habit of getting into sleep mode when they arrive at that space.
Sleep environments should not be taken casually. As the baby begins to get accustomed to the room or nook, they also lose the sense of insecurity and fear of being separated.
2 Add white noise and dim lighting to the room
How many times have you seen new parents tiptoeing around the house just because the baby is sleeping?
Though you aren’t wrong but doing it always isn’t right. Babies need to adjust themselves according to their surroundings. If even a slight amount of noise wakes them up, it will be very difficult for them to sleep during journeys or outdoors.
The same reason is also valid for light. While it is ok to keep the lights on as they sleep, turning it off is also not bad. Many parents think that too much darkness is not right for the babies, but that is just a misconception.
Adding a dim light and white noise background to the baby’s room ensures that they grow accustomed to disturbances while sleeping. Adding these small elements stabilizes their sleeping pattern in a better way.
So, now no more worrying about waking up your baby as you do the dishes or the laundry during their nap time. They sleep better, and hence your mental health also remains better.
3. Intermittent napping instead of continued stretch.
One of the most effective ways of handling irregular sleep patterns is to reduce their daytime nap hours. On average, babies from 6 weeks to 6 months should have a very short nap time of 90 minutes to 2 hrs at a single stretch throughout the day. Maintaining this framework for 12 to 14 hrs a day ensures that they sleep longer during the nighttime.
Yes, I admit at first glance, waking them up at such a short interval may seem cruel, but it isn’t. These short daytime naps ensure that the baby sleeps longer and longer hours at night.
4. Give the baby sufficient playtime
One of the best ways to make babies fall asleep for a longer span is to wear them out. Between nap time and before retiring them for the night, spend at least an hour playing with them. The more they play, the happier and relaxed they are. Besides that, it also tires them, which makes it easy to fall asleep.
One pro tip for an easy playtime option is to add an outdoor baby swing. Babies love the bounce and swinging action, and parents don’t have to worry about them falling out. These outdoor swings are very secure and sturdy, especially great when parents have work to do and the baby is awake and seeking attention. Just install it somewhere within your eyesight and under a cool shade, and you are good to go.
5. Create a consistent feeding pattern
One of the most common statements by exhausted newbie parents is how much the baby eats and poops. Well! It’s not wrong. It’s a literal continued never-ending cycle. To make it easier for you as parent and baby, it is best to create a pattern in their feeding cycle. Ensure to feed them every 3 hrs. This can be done during their playtime between nap hours, or you can wake them up for feeding.
On average, babies can remain awake for an hour at a stretch for the first couple of months. So, it is best to feed them during the last few minutes of their playtime and let them retire for a nap. Once the baby is up from their rest, they can finish with their normal routine. Yes, if talking about poop, change, eat and play.
However, since their night sleep hours are longer, it is best to feed them early and let them poop once before showering and retiring them for the night. This will prevent them from waking up midway for a bathroom break.
6. Learn the art of the perfect swaddle
We all have this weird dream where we see ourselves suddenly falling off from somewhere. It startles us to wake up. Babies also have the same issue. However, the sudden reflex scares them very badly. This is the reason why swaddling is so important for babies.
At first glance, it looks odd to see babies being wrapped so tightly in a long stretch of cloth. Don’t worry; swaddling does not suffocate the babies. The snug fit of the swaddle gives them a feeling of safety cocoon and prevents them from suddenly waking up scared in between their sleep time.
7. Create a bedtime routine
Babies are very attuned to their surrounding patterns. They like the predictable structure. If you create a staunch routine, automatically, the tiny bundle will be conditioned to follow the practice timeline. They are generally familiar with a consistent pattern of nap, eat, play, poop, change, and nap again.
While this routine is perfect for daytime, the night routine needs to be slightly different. Play with the baby in their sleeping quarter and once they start to wear out, feed them, shower them and get them ready for bedtime.
DIm lighting, humming nighttime rhymes as you walk around are the precursors to nighttime sleep that they need to get used to. Once they know this routine, it will be much easier to fall asleep at night for a longer stretch.
These are the basic tips that can help new parents manage their babies sleep patterns as best as possible. We all know that parenthood is a never-ending episode of new lessons to learn and new challenges to face.
Rather than being upset about it, why not experience it with a full-on positive vibe.
You can do it! After all, it is your bundle of joy!
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
