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Becoming a parent may be a blessing but not every experience you have with your little angel will be magical. In fact, taking care of a newborn can be taxing and overwhelming. You’ll find that the most mundane tasks are somehow hard to accomplish. Take sleeping for example. Putting a baby to sleep is a skill and like all skills it takes time and practice. But who has the patience for that when you’re an exhausted, sleep deprived parent? All parents need a couple of tricks up their sleeves to rock the baby to sleep.
Here are 5 baby sleep tips that can save your time and nerves:
1. Nothing Beats A Cozy, Well-Done Swaddle
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When you swaddle your baby snugly in a soft, breathable blanket, it mimics the feeling of security and comfort they experienced in the womb. This gentle cocooning sensation helps to calm the startle reflex (1). Swaddling also promotes better sleep patterns by preventing the baby from unintentionally scratching their face or waking themselves up with sudden movements.
The warmth and confinement of a swaddle create a cozy and familiar environment, reducing anxiety and promoting a deeper, more restful sleep.
2. Use Dimmers To Help Your Baby Distinguish Between Day And Night
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Teaching your baby that bedtime mostly happens at night is a herculean task. However, once you achieve this, your nights will be a breeze. Of course we understand that your newborn probably sleeps every other hour or two, but as they get older and develop, it’s important for your baby to start sleeping for longer periods of time at night. One way to ensure that this shift happens is to plan a night time schedule for your baby and to stick to it. Using dimmers in the lamps and lights around your house or even just in the baby’s nursery will signal to them that it is time to go to sleep. This will help regulate your baby’s circadian rhythm. It’s an easier road from there.
3. Add A Warm Water Bath To Your Baby’s Nighttime Routine
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There’s nothing a nice long bath can’t fix. We’ve all done this once in a while. Running yourself a warm water bath right before you go to sleep does wonders for you. So, why not use the same method on your baby? We understand that this isn’t a daily option. After all, you don’t need to bathe the baby every day. But if your baby has had a rough few days in the falling asleep department, this will do the trick! Give your baby a nice warm bath and throw in a fresh diaper change to help lull them to sleep. Now they’ll be all cozy and comfy enough to fall right asleep.
4. Make Use Of The White Noise In Your Baby’s Room
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Parents, meet white noise, your new best friend. White noise can be extremely helpful while trying to put the baby to sleep. This is because it sounds very close to the sound of blood rushing in the mother’s veins which your baby would have been accustomed to hearing in your womb. Finding the right kind of noise to smooth your baby might be your answer to putting them to sleep.
Even something as simple as turning your fan on to medium speed or switching on a white noise audio on your phone can work its magic and help calm your fussy baby. If your baby sleeps to the sound of the vacuum or the washing machine, go ahead and play it on a loop. Anything to keep your baby down.
5. Avoid Making Eye Contact With Your Baby When Trying To Put Them To Sleep
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One of the few things your newborn learns how to do is hold eye contact with you. This is their primary mode of communication and a way in which they draw comfort. Making eye contact and talking to your baby also happens to release the love hormone, oxytocin. This increases your baby’s heartbeat making it harder for them to fall asleep. So looking into your baby’s eyes as you cradle them to sleep is actually counterintuitive. Not making eye contact will signal that it’s nap time which will help them settle down.
Every baby is different. So keep in mind that something that helped your older child sleep won’t necessarily work for your younger one. So make sure to explore all the different methods and techniques we’ve mentioned above. Have we missed out on a trick you’ve used to put your baby to sleep? Let us know in the comments section.
