Helping your baby sleep well is one of the most important things you can do for their growth and development — and your own sanity! Whether you’re dealing with frequent night wakings or bedtime battles, here are four evidence-backed tips to help your baby sleep more soundly, starting tonight.
It’s natural to want to keep your baby warm and cozy, but overheating can actually disrupt sleep. Like adults, babies tend to sleep the best when they are warm and snuggly in a cool room.
The easiest approach to keep your baby comfortable all night long is to put him or her to bed in a onesie, with a sleep sack (or swaddle for newborns who haven't rolled over yet) on top and keep the room cool at around 23°C.
Sunlight is Mother's Nature's cue to our brains that it is daytime and not yet time to sleep. Since melatonin is produced in response to darkness, you should begin dimming the lights an hour before bedtime.
Getting good blackout curtains would be extremely useful, and I am confident that you will never regret that investment.
Pro Tip: A pitch-dark room helps babies nap longer during the day, too!
The crib should a boring place meant just for sleep. Although the sight of a beautiful mobile suspended above your baby's crib may appear calming to you and me, they can actually stimulate your baby’s senses and make it harder for them to wind down. So they are not conducive for sleep. Keep the room as uninteresting as possible if you want your baby to sleep well.
Babies thrive on consistency. They can benefit from establishing a regular bedtime routine that includes the same set of activities night after night. This could include a warm bath, gentle massage, putting on pyjamas, kiss good night and lights out. Over time, your child’s brain will associate this sequence with sleep, helping them settle more easily at night.
For example, by the time you kiss them goodnight, their bodies will have begun the processes necessary to get into a deep, rejuvenating sleep, including a decrease in their resting metabolic rate, the increase in melatonin production, and the relaxation of their skeletal muscles.
Getting your child to sleep well won't happen overnight. But these are some tips to help you and your little one get a few more hours of rest from tonight. It takes some time, a lot of repetition and consistency, and plenty of discipline on the part of the parents, but it is worth it.
If you find sleep still a struggle, our certified sleep training consultants at Our Little Chicks Sleep Solutions are here to help guide your family to better sleep.
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