At first your new little one will probably do nothing but sleep, waking for only short periods of time, up to two hours max and sleeping for longer periods of 3 4 hours. It is essential that your newborn does NOT sleep through the entire night while they are just as few weeks old, as they need frequent feeding to grow and thrive.
That being said, there is a wealth of advice out there explaining all sorts of different methods that can help you to get your newborn to sleep at night. As sleep is so very dear to our hearts I just wanted to share with you all my 5 newborn sleep tips. Please feel free to adopt as many as you wish or maybe combine them with other techniques that you have tested I do hope it results in happy sleeping babies with equally happy well rested parents.
Step 1. Create the mood!
A great way, nearly always guaranteed to help bring on' those sleepy feelings is to give your little one a lovely warm bath, preferably with suitable baby night time aroma bubble bath! Follow this with a clean nappy, and then a little baby massage. Any gentle caressing of the baby's arms, legs, body and forehead will really help bring on those sleepy feelings but hey DON'T OVER DO IT. You need to make sure you slip in the next step first!
Step 2. Full Tummy Always make sure that your baby has a really satisfying feed at both the early evening and late night feeding times. Whether this is breast or bottle, it is essential that you really try to make sure that they take a full feed before they drop off to sleep. Of course, it is a must' that your baby is fully winded, so as to avoid griping tummy pains, which are certain to cause discomfort and a restless baby. A full feed almost always guarantees a longer, more settled sleep.
Step 3. Swaddling + Dummy/Pacifier
A great way to help newborns feel safe and secure is to swaddle them tightly. This offers them reassurance by reminding them of life in the womb and also helps with limiting waking caused by the startle reflex (Moro reflex - when a baby suddenly startles with their limbs outstretched). Swaddling is a fantastic technique to use for around the first 3-4 months or so.
A dummy is also great way to help babies to settle. Dummies satisfy a baby's natural sucking instinct and a lot of babies find them really soothing, as the sucking gives them a feeling of security. Dummies have also been proven to reduce the risk of a sudden infant death incident occurring.
Step 4. Give a little love!
Who can resist that night time cuddle with their newborn and normally it only takes a short while before your little one has peacefully and contentedly drifted off to the land of nod! If you prefer to put your baby down while drowsy but still awake, a great way to help them still feel secure is to give them a comforter that you have had next to your body (tucked down your top for around one hour) so they can still smell mum' on it. In fact, a comforter is great to use even if you put your little one down when they are already asleep; if they stir after a short while, the aroma of mum may be all that they need to help them drift back off to sleep. (Quick tip make sure you have at least 2 comforters so that you can have one in the wash and one in use!)
Step 5. Make night feeds dull!!!
Always make night feeds subdued, with as little interaction as possible. Keep the room dimly lit and disturb your baby as little as possible. Don't even change their nappy unless it's a dirty one (No 2) or you really think it's necessary. Just feed your baby, wind her and then place her back in her cot/crib with her comforter.
Last and by no means least be aware of safe sleep guidelines (check out the full guidelines at www.fsid.org.uk) Always place your baby to sleep on their back with their feet to the foot of the cot, in a nursery that is not too warm.
Lynda Harding is a mum of 6 and the inventor of easidream® , an award winning innovative baby sleep product, that has been proven to help babies settle safely and happily to sleep. As baby sleep specialists, Lynda’s company Easidream Ltd, thoughtfully design and develop safe innovative products that help to enhance quality sleep for both baby and parents. They also offer FREE sleep advice to parents via their online Sweet Dreamer blog.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
