For many families with newborn babies, sleep can be a real problem. Infants do not fall asleep well, constantly wake up, and then cannot fall asleep again for a long time. And it is totally normal! In the first months, newborns also need night feedings, so they wake up. At the same time, lack of sleep leads to serious health problems, both for the baby and parents.
In all this, parents should not forget about their emotional well-being! They need strength to cope with the stressful daily routines and keep an active lifestyle with a baby. Don’t sacrifice yourself when it comes to sleep! Your healthy eight hours of sleep is just as important. This will have a significant positive effect on the whole family.
1. Establishing a bedtime routine
The best way to help your little one sleep is to establish a bedtime routine. If you stick to it day after day, the newborn’s brain will quickly remember when to stay awake and when to sleep. It will adjust the body clock according to the daily routine. The baby’s bedtime schedule should be as close as possible to your family’s sleeping time.
The sleeping pattern is not an exact schedule. It helps when parents focus more on the baby’s mood, not only on the timing. One day, your newborn may fall asleep at 10 p.m, and on another – 15 minutes later. The main thing is to follow the correct sequence of actions – feeding, wakefulness, sleeping.
2. Bedtime Rituals
Bedtime rituals are the best help for falling asleep quickly.
The ritual begins when the child is sleepy. Before putting the baby to bed, you need to perform several actions. They should be predictable, regular, relaxing, and positive. The total duration of the ritual is 20-45 minutes. If it did not work out at the set time, you most likely need to shift the ritual to another time and wait for drowsiness. Sleep experts recommend a three-step ritual that includes bathing, massage, and quiet time in the crib.
3. A warm bath and a warm bed is the key to good sleep
Help your little one relax before bed with a warm bath. The water temperature should be close to body temperature. Water that is too hot or too cold can cause overstimulation. After bathing, it is the perfect time to give your baby a massage and then dress in warm clothes. Before your baby is ready to sleep, make sure that the bed is made with clean linen. You can utilize soft cotton sheets, and an embroidered baby blanket, or one that your baby feels most comfortable in.
4. White noise or soothing music
Babies fall asleep better and more soundly if there is a constant and familiar sound source in the sleeping room. It can be their parents’ voices or the white noise. That is why pediatricians do not recommend observing complete silence while laying the child to sleep. Having got used to falling asleep at an average noise level, the baby will feel more confident and calm. However, it is essential to remember that this skill is formed in the first six weeks of life!
Soothing sleep music or lullabies will also help to calm your baby. Listening to music together has a mild relaxing effect, normalizes heart rate, and relieves muscle tension. This tip is also suitable for older children and even adults.
5. Basic Care
Sometimes even the most trivial wrinkles in the crib sheet can prevent babies from falling asleep. So, make sure that the baby’s sleeping area is maintained with care. This does not mean that you need to buy sheets in bulk some parents might question “how many crib sheets do I need to keep my baby relaxed and sleep well?” The answer is not many, if the ones you have are cleaned every day, changed, and well-laid out. Lastly, make sure your baby is healthy and not hungry or uncomfortable.
Balanced nutrition plays the most important role in a baby’s healthy development and improves sleep quality. Organics Best helps many parents worldwide provide organic formula for their newborns and toddlers.
