9 Tips to Get Your Baby to Sleep
Sleep, baby, sleep. It’s necessary that your baby gets enough sleep for their development, studies suggest they must get at least 70% of the recommended sleep hours. For example, if you have a newborn to 4 months old, 16-18 hours of sleep per day is recommended. As they get older, recommendations go to 10-13 hours per day. As parents, we know sleep is important, but it may be difficult to get them down to bed. Here are some tips to get your baby to sleep:
- Cool Down the Room: Turning the temperature down can actually signal the brain to sleep mode. Turn the thermostat down a couple degrees, or crack your window open. Maintaining a body temperature for your little one is essential for a good night’s sleep. The slight drop in temperature signals the brain that it is time for bed.
- Adjusting the Lighting: The lights in your baby’s room can be adjusted, just darkness may not be helping sleep. Keeping a night light in the room could help with bedtime routines. Lighting that can imitate the night sky can create an easy sleep environment for the baby since they are biologically adapted for sleep outside.
- White Noise can Help Baby Sleep More: I’m sure you have tried music or singing to help baby sleep, but playing white noise can also be a useful tactic. White noise can range from television static to serene ocean waves. You can download any white noise soundtrack to your computer or phone to test which sounds work best. (Apple music is my favorite place to find all my tunes.)
- Taking Deep Breaths: Breathing techniques can be significant for getting your child to sleep. Hold the baby close to your body or chest and take deep breaths. Deep and slow breaches relax your muscles, and the baby will follow.
- Staying Active: Activity and exercise is a great way to get your baby sleeping. Carriers give your baby a chance to move and feel your muscles moving. Let your child roll around and touch their toes, any type of movement can get them fall asleep faster.
- Ignore Them: Don’t look at them, while babies are on their way to sleep they can get excited from your eye motions. Anything you can do to lack face contact would help them sleep faster. Try facing another direction, or closing your eyes with them.
- Bedtime Starts in the Morning: If you have a troubled sleeper, try starting bedtime as soon as they wake up. You may not be able to control when they sleep, but controlling when they wake up can help. Wake them up on time, and get them active for a few moments. The brain is triggered to be awake by the sun, which means a better chance of falling asleep at night time.
- Make a Nest: Next bedtime, try making a type of nest for your little one. Babies loved to be swaddled, and so can toddlers. For babies try a sleep sack or hammock bed. For older kids, a body pillow or canopy bed could help.
- Forget Naps: Don’t worry as much about naps. If your baby is trying to ignore their nap schedule, next time let them. Sometimes, it will show that your baby sleeps better at night, without as many naps during the day. Your next nap time, try going for a walk instead and see if they sleep better later.
Now, if none of these work? Just remember a little caffeine can always help when you’re trying to put the baby to bed. I also suggest a Keurig, that is a necessity for all parents going through the sleeping crisis. Also, some of these tips to get your baby to sleep take a couple tries. So, don’t give up on the first try.
