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Are you tired of waking up in the middle of the night because your little one is acting a little fussy without any reason? Worry not; this situation is common in parenting history. A healthy and quiet sleep time is necessary for babies, but parents go through sleepless nights to make it happen and sacrifice their resting hours.
We are here with the best techniques that can make your little one sleep in no time and give you a moment to relax. Following are the tips and tricks you should go for if changing diapers or singing lullabies is not working for you anymore:
- Give Them Sleep Training
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Your baby will learn to associate sleep with specific times if you maintain a consistent bedtime and nap schedule. However, since smaller babies must be awake regularly to feed, you should wait to try a plan until your baby is at least 4 months old. Nevertheless, this sleeping habit will help in the long run.
- Take Them Out Regularly
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Your baby’s sleep will improve if exposed to the outside world regularly. According to studies, babies exposed to enough natural light and fresh air sleep better at night. (1)
Also, a baby’s biological clock develops more efficiently with high amounts of natural light, which promotes the release of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin naturally. So, now you know that a healthy walk with your baby will benefit both of you. (2)
- Use The 5s Method
The 5 S’s are a simple regimen created by Dr. Karp that imitates the calming effects of the womb. When properly implemented, the 5 S’s make an excellent addition to your baby’s nighttime ritual. They will help you calm your baby to have a comfortable night’s sleep. (3)
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- Swaddling
Wrapping your baby with a cloth or blanket to make them feel more secure is a great way to relax them. Swaddling your little one helps to imitate the cozy feeling of being in the womb and is incredibly effective in calming a newborn. However, you should stop doing this as soon as your baby starts rolling around on its own.
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- Swing
The continuous motion your baby experiences while in the womb is something they miss. Safely holding the infant on the side or stomach while swaying yourself sideways from the waist is a fantastic technique to mimic the movement.
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- Shushing
Blood flowing within a mother’s womb makes a noise louder than a vacuum cleaner. Since your baby is accustomed to this loud noise, mimicking a shushing sound may help to soothe them and put them to sleep.
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- Suckling
Your baby has a calming reflex when suckling on a pacifier. If given to an infant before night, this self-soother reduces the incidence of SIDS (Sudden infant death syndrome). So, there is no need to prevent your infant from indulging as long as you have a strategy for being attentive about withdrawing the pacifier at the appropriate age. (4)
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- Stomach Positioning
Although putting your baby to sleep on their backside is the only way to keep them safe, it is not the best approach to quiet them when they are cranky and tired. It does wonders to calm a fussy infant to cradle them on their side or under the belly while facing down.
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- Try To Dim The Lights
Your baby’s brain gets informed that it is time for bed when the lights are dimmed. So turn off any artificial lighting in the bedroom, including lamps, nightlights, screens, and TVs. Its circadian rhythms, or sleep-wake cycles, can be disrupted by artificial light. (5)
To minimize your baby’s light exposure before bedtime, think about dimming the lights while you go through your pre-bedtime ritual.
Keep the room darkened overnight. The body’s melatonin generation, which controls the sleep-wake pattern, can be hindered by exposure to artificial light at night. And during the daytime, draw curtains to avoid sunlight. (6)
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- Give Them A Soothing Baby Massage
Your baby may calm down and get ready to sleep by receiving a soothing massage. Here’s a quick walkthrough:
First, add a few drops of baby oil to your hands. Then, use gentle, long strokes and mild pressure to rub her arms, legs, wrists, toes, back, and stomach for 10 to 15 minutes.
The soles of your baby’s feet should be massaged, then use long strokes to work your way up their leg to knead their lower body.
Start at the shoulders and work toward the chest for the upper body.
Gently massage their face, paying particular attention to their forehead, nasal bridge, and head.
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- Skip The Calm Environment
New parents often demand complete silence around the house when the infant is resting or trying to fall asleep for the night. However, your womb was never quiet.
Having your infant learn a new sleep method is equivalent to demanding that they suddenly fall asleep in silence. Maintaining the usual level of activity and noise in the home will be convenient.
The methods mentioned above will help your immediate goal of putting your little one to sleep and, more significantly, foster a lifelong habit of good sleep. In addition, when parents use this kind of nighttime parenting, their children learn that sleep is a comfortable and safe state to stay in without being cranky. So, would you like to add something to our list? Let us know in the comments section.
