7 tricks to help your baby sleep through the night
Are you fed up of having to endure sleepless nights because your baby just won’t settle? Believe me, I feel your pain! Getting a baby to sleep through the night is one of the biggest challenges that parents face. Most kids will eventually learn to sleep through the night on their own, but there are ways of encouraging this behaviour early so that you don’t have to spend so long living like a zombie.
Try playing white noise
This is a common trick used to help newborns sleep. White noise supposedly simulates the sound of the inside of a womb – most newborns find it easier to sleep with this noise in the background than they do sleeping through complete silence.
Upgrade their bedding
The type of bedding can also make a difference for some babies. Consider trying different types of cot bed fitted sheets to see if some provide a greater level of comfort for your little one. Some are great for soaking up liquids, whilst others stay warm in the winter.
Try a sleep sack
A sleep sack is like a babygro crossed with a sleeping bag. By keeping your baby’s legs contained, they may feel more snuggled and so stay asleep a little longer as they’ll be more cosy and content – in theory! Sleep sacks are generally quite cheap, making them worth a try.
Develop a bedtime routine
A bedtime routine can help your baby understand the difference between night and day. You’ll have to adjust this routine as your baby gets older, but it’s definitely worth keeping things in a certain order, as these will become their sleep cues. This should definitely help your baby sleep through the night!
Bathe your baby before bed
Baths can often make babies sleepy, which can help you when settling them down initially. For some parents, this even becomes a part of their baby’s nightly bedtime routine. If you currently bathe your baby during the day or in the morning, consider switching to the evenings.
Buy blackout blinds
Blackout blinds can stop all outside light getting in, which could stop your baby waking up as the first rays of sunlight appear in the morning. This is definitely worth trying if your baby is an early riser.
Encourage your baby to sleep on their own
After a few months, it could be worth encouraging your baby to settle on their own rather than having to snuggle them up. If you start doing this too late, they may start to develop a dependence on touching you whilst sleeping, which can be hard to wean out. Expect you baby to initially cry or moan a bit – if they’re tired enough, they’ll usually stop doing this within a couple minutes and fall asleep. After a while, you’ll then be able to put down your baby in their crib and they won’t make a fuss. I did controlled comfort with Sofia and I highly recommend it!
What are your sleep tricks?
