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Babies are precious and adorable, but they are also tiring and needy. And this wouldn’t be a problem if parents weren’t sleep deprived and exhausted from having to cater to them day in and day out. But it can be hard to catch up on rest when your baby refuses to fall asleep even after a long day. This can even be worrisome to some parents as sleep plays a vital role in a baby’s development and growth. But how do you put your baby down when they are restless sleepers or just can’t stand naps? If you’re at your wit’s end, we’ve got a few more tried and true tricks that may not fail you. Read on to know them all!
1. Give Your Baby A Nice Rub Down
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Sometimes the only thing your tired baby needs is a good massage to help them seep into a deep sleep. Some babies have a hard time switching off because they are anxious and do not want to be separated from their caregivers. Giving them a gentle massage will help them unwind and relax. Another great trick is to rub a newborn gently with your thumb between his eyes so they close. This will coax a tired baby to fall asleep in no time!
2. Use Soothers
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If your baby is used to having a soother and uses them to go back to sleep when they startle awake at night, the best thing to do is put a couple of soothers in their crib. This way they always have one in reach when they wake up at night and need to self soothe back to sleep. This will also save you the trouble of having to constantly get up, go to your baby’s crib and find their soother in the darkness when you hear them cry. It’s a win-win!
3. Have A Bedtime Lullaby
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Some babies find it easier to drift to sleep when they hear the sound of their mother’s voice. And although we all know that singing rhymes and lullabies can be effective, it helps tremendously if there is a specific one that you sing only when they are about to fall asleep. This way, singing this song will signal to your baby that it is time for them to settle down and go to sleep.
4. Give Your Baby A Dreamfeed
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There’s nothing like a food coma to put you in the mood for a nice long nap. Even newborns are not above the lure of food, or in their case, breastmilk. If your baby is tired, about to go to sleep and hasn’t eaten in a bit but isn’t hungry, you can still top them off with a dreamfeed so that they don’t wake up prematurely due to hunger. This will buy a couple more hours to rest up or get chores done and your baby will go to sleep with a full happy belly.
5. Reduce Night Diaper Changes
As your baby grows older, they won’t pee as much in their sleep so you don’t have to disrupt their sleep by changing their diaper in the middle of the night unless they poop. Instead, make sure to lather them up with a healthy amount of barrier cream before bed and change the diaper in the morning.
6. You May Need Some Accessories
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Having access to a white noise machine, a swaddle and some black out curtains can make a world of difference when trying to put a restless baby to sleep. This way you set up a great environment for them to feel safe, secure and sleepy. Black out curtains will do the job of blocking out any light and a white noise machine can help your baby relax. A swaddle mimics the way an infant sleeps in the womb, enabling your baby to be more comfortable. All these small factors contribute to them dozing off swiftly.
7. Go With The Flow
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Your baby will go through many phases as they grow older. This means that the number of naps they need will decrease while the amount of time they spend asleep during the night increases. All these changes mean that you can’t settle on one routine for long. Sometimes, your baby simply isn’t going to want to sleep and you have to let them be. As long as they are active, responsive and healthy during their waking hours, this isn’t an issue.
Trying to get a restless baby to sleep may seem like a mammoth task but it doesn’t have to be. With a few tips and tricks you can send your baby to dreamland in a few minutes. And then get some rest as well!
