Tips to Get Your Baby to Sleep Better

As a parent who has had a difficult time with this, getting your baby to sleep well at night is a very common problem for most parents. Every baby is different and will have a different sleep pattern. Well, you’ll be pleased to know that there are several different techniques that you can try to help your baby sleep better and more comfortably which will also mean a better night’s rest for the entire household.

Consider being consistent with the baby’s bedtime putting the baby down at the same time each night. You might also choose to make sure that the routine that you use prior to bedtime is consistent as well such as feeding time, bath time and even some rocking or coddling time to help the baby feel relaxed and secure.

For bath time, you might consider a warm bath making use of some of the night time bath products that are available for babies that offer relaxation such as lavender and chamomile type products. You also want to make sure that your baby is dressed comfortably so that the night time clothing that you put on the baby isn’t binding or doesn’t leave the baby too hot or too cold. Don’t put too many blankets on the baby in the crib which can make him hot and uncomfortable yet do not cover the baby and allow him to get a chill. A sleep sack is a fantastic alternative to traditional blankets and many hospitals have switched over to using them for newborns. Whatever you dress them in, you’ll learn the things that work well for your baby and what your baby’s preference is for sleeping comfortably in no time.

Be consistent about feeding your baby during the day in order to make sure that you are teaching that eating if for the daytime hours and the night time hours are for sleeping. You may choose to give your baby a bit more formula in the bottle prior to his bed time than you do in his day time bottles to allow him a full tummy and a longer and more peaceful sleep without waking.

Play with your baby in the day hours and spend time making sure the baby is entertained during the day as well, this will help the baby to nap less and possibly sleep better at night. You might choose wind up toys, busy boxes, or just a pallet on the floor with toys that make noises or that provide movement to keep your baby entertained.

Another great consideration may be to lay your baby down at night in the crib with soothing music playing quietly or with relaxation noises such as a waterfall or rain sounds playing to help the baby to relax and to drift off to sleep and to say asleep. Use a crib soother or an old iPod you may have laying around.

Create a nursery atmosphere that is comforting and soothing for your baby. When it’s time for sleep, darken the room by using shades or blinds that help keep out any disturbing light that my shine in. Also make sure the temperature in the room as well as the humidity are set at a comfortable level. If your baby sweats a lot, you should consider an all-season sleeping sack such as the Merino Kids (review here). Make sure that the baby’s room is quiet and that the rest of the house is quiet as well. Once the baby is down for the night, you don’t want to disturb him with loud noises such as vacuuming, loud television noises or the commotion of other siblings that may still be awake. That said, some babies do not let any noise disrupt their sleep. Consider yourself lucky if your little one is like that.

Finally, teach your baby early that night time is for sleeping and day time is for being awake in order to help keep your baby and yourself happy and healthy. You’ll enjoy parenthood so much more when you have a baby that sleeps well at night and wakes feeling refreshed and ready for the day without being cranky and disgruntled.