How to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night
Before we get started, let’s get the elephant out of the room! There will be times when your baby doesn’t sleep through the night, and there’s always a reason. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad parent if your baby wakes up at night, and since nighttime crying could be a sign of real distress or discomfort, do investigate it!
All the same, you and your spouse could do with a good night’s sleep, so boosting your chances of getting your baby to sleep through, or at least grant you a few hours’ respite, will be something you want to do. Don’t expect much chance of success with a full night’s rest before your baby reaches three months old, however. Most of them simply won’t do it, and they need their nighttime feeds. Meanwhile, you can start the process – just don’t be too frustrated if you have mixed results!
Comfy Cot, Comfy Clothes
Comfy sleepwear is a good place to start. Get a cute set of sleepers, that keep baby snug at night without being too hot. Baby fashions are fun, but do make sure that you’re choosing something super-comfy. Don’t let your baby sleep in your bed even if it seems nicer to have him or her close to you. You might hurt your child inadvertently while you’re sleeping or they might wriggle about and fall off the bed, become trapped between a mattress and a wall, or in the space between mattress and headboard.
The best place for your baby is in a cot right beside your bed. Choose a firm baby mattress and remove all toys from the cot. Although sudden Infant Death Syndrome has become less common these days, and remains unexplained, it’s believed that precautions such as these make a difference.
Build the Rhythm
Your newborn will sleep up to 16 hours a day, but don’t expect an easy ride. Those sleep stretches only last a few hours and are punctuated by wakefulness. By the time your baby is three to four months old, he or she can sleep for up to five hours at a time. You’ll still have limited sleep, but those quiet stretches will be a godsend. If you’re looking forward to your baby switching to a childhood sleep pattern of around ten hours of peaceful sleep, you’ll have to wait till they naturally switch to this pattern.
Meanwhile, you can do a few things to help your baby sleep so that you can sleep, and you’ll begin by developing a bedtime routine. Start by calming your baby in the thirty minutes or so leading up to bedtime. Give your baby a relaxing warm bath, dim the lights, turn off the TV, cuddle, and try for a quiet environment that limits stimulation and promotes sleep.
Once your baby begins to look drowsy, but before he or she actually falls asleep, place them in their cot. Lay your baby on his or her back and let their feet be very near the bottom of the cot so that they don’t wiggle down in the night and end up under the blankets. If you’re using baby blankets, tuck your baby in neatly, with the blanket under the arms and remove any extra items that may be in the cot. Follow the same routine at the same time every day so that your baby begins to recognize bedtime naturally. It won’t always work, but every bit of progress will be a help.
Settling Down and Night Time Soothing
Once you’ve placed your baby in the cot, he or she may be inclined to cry a little and fuss about before settling down to sleep. Check that they are OK, and speak in a gentle tone of voice to let them know you’re there. The reassurance of knowing you’re closeby could be all it takes to send them off to dreamland.
When your baby wakes you up, keep everything low-key. Use dim lighting, move calmly, and speak softly. If it’s time for a feed, go ahead, but keep the environment “sleepy” to communicate that playtime hasn’t arrived just yet. At bedtime, and during the night, your baby might struggle to settle down despite your best efforts. Try using a pacifier. It can’t harm your baby, and it might soothe them enough to get them back to sleep.
Despite your best efforts, your baby may still decide to be a night owl. Circadian rhythms take time to develop, and even once they have, your baby might tend to go to sleep late and wake early. It’s not “naughtiness,” it’s just one of the ways that people, even adults, differ from one another. You may have to adjust the routine you were trying to set up, but don’t give in altogether. Having a bedtime routine really does help babies to sleep better and for more hours at a time.
Try Self-Soothing Once Your Baby is 5 Months Old or More
Many parents have had success with self-soothing, or the “Cry it Out” technique once their babies can go longer without a feed. However, letting your baby cry it out and fall asleep on their own can be controversial. Some paediatricians recommend it, while others think it can have harmful effects. Nevertheless, many desperate parents have attempted it with success, while others have tried it only to decide that hearing their baby crying alone was too upsetting.
If you’re interested in trying this method, or want to try the slightly more gentle method of letting your baby cry for a few minutes before soothing them, talk to your paediatrician about your idea and listen to their recommendations. It’s not the only way to teach your child to sleep on their own, so if you find the process painful, try something else.
Many Methods and Opinions
From the “tough love” approach of letting them cry it out, to having your baby’s crib close enough to your bed for you to hold their hand, or setting up a routine that governs every waking hour as well as sleep time, parents have succeeded to get their babies to sleep through. What works for your baby might be something completely different, but whatever method you choose, the truth is that babies can and do learn to sleep through the night – sooner or later.
Meanwhile, you can ease your burden by alternating shifts with your partner, adding naps to your own schedule, or simply knowing that sooner or later, you’ll be able to get that much-needed sleep!
