5 Tips For Helping Your Kid Finally Fall A Sleep, From A Certified Sleep Expert
Why Baby Sleep is Crucial for Parents and Baby’s Health
In as much as it is the baby that sleeps, both the baby and the parent require quality sleep. As for babies, sleep is crucial to the physical and mental development of a child, the strengthening of the immune system, as well as to regulate mood. For parents, beneficial outcomes involve improved general health and therefore better capabilities of attending to the needs of the baby. Though it may not be easy to do so, learning how to deal with baby sleep problems will finally result to less sleepless nights in the household.
Tip 1: Establish a Consistent Bedtime Routine
What works best is when parents ensure the baby gets used to the rituals of going to bed, for instance a routine that has to be followed before the baby goes to bed. Children also learn to have a structure of activities that is practiced in the night and this may help them to calm down and go to sleep.
Simple bedtime routine you can follow:
- Bath time: The warm water provides the best environment for the muscles to relax and your baby’s body is well suited for rest.
- Storytime or lullabies: A good way was to read a short book or sing a soothing song which would help him bring his mind to a halt.
- Cuddles: Patting or hanging the baby gently can make the baby to have a feel of being comforted before placing him/ her to the crib.
However, it is important to follow this routine from evening till night each day. This will assist your baby to associate these steps with going to sleep and hence having easy time to go to sleep.
Tip 2: Create a Calm and Comfortable Sleep Environment
Thus, the environment surrounding a baby while sleeping significantly influence the sleeping process of the baby. It only implies that you need to design it with a touch of comfort, safety and relaxation.
Here are the ways in which you can prepare the baby’s sleeping environment:
- Keep the room cool: recommended that young ones should be dressed to a temperature of between 68 and 72 degrees F or 20-22 degrees C.
- Darkness is key: The curtains should be used to avoid any intrusion of light, which makes the room too bright for sleeping.
- Use white noise: Another useful item that may help to avoid disturbing sounds in the baby’s environment is white noise maker or a fan.
- Safety first: Do not place any other items in or around the crib such as blankets, pillow, toys or stuffed animals to lower chances of suffocation.
A safe and peaceful environment ensures continuous night-time sleep for your infant.
Tip 3: Watch for Sleep Cues and Timing
This is because one of the most effective ways of observing that your baby is well rested is by observing signals that they display.
When babies become fussy they can easily get overstimulated and this will be a reason as to why they will not be able to sleep. It is therefore important to learn how to identify when the baby is tired so that bedtime can be more effective and successful.
While figuring out when your baby is likely to sleep, seek for the following signs that your baby is sleepy:
- Yawning
- Rubbing their eyes
- Becoming fussy or irritable
- Staring off into space or losing interest in toys
When you notice these signs, it is advisable to take your baby to the crib to be put down to sleep. If one waits too long, the baby becomes overtired and this is not easy to remedy as it will take quite sometime before he or she can go back to sleep.
Tip 4: Feed Baby Before Sleep to Prevent Wake-Ups
You should feed your baby before putting him to bed to avoid the probability of waking up in the middle of the night famished. It is, therefore, important to ensure that you feed your baby because feeding a baby leads to increased sleeping time for the baby.
If the child is still breastfeeding or taking a bottle, feed him or her before the sleep time as a part of the ritual. For the older babies, you may also require to feed him/her a small snack before going to bed. This way the baby’s hunger does not wake him up after a few hours of sleep.
Pro Tip: Do not overfeed your baby as this may cause some discomfort or waking up due to the full stomach.
Tip 5: Let Baby Self-Soothe (With Proper Guidance)
Swaddling is also one of the most important skills for independent sleep among babies. Even though it can be very difficult to leave your baby as soon as they begin to cry, it is useful to let them ‘cry it out’ in order to learn how to get back to sleep on their own.
Here is how to help your baby to develop self-comforting skills:
- Gentle encouragement: The baby is likely to cry and when this happens, you should take a few minutes before attending to the child’s needs.
- Gradual withdrawal: If your baby is accustomed to rocking or holding him/her until he or she goes to sleep, start gradually decreasing the rocking and holding after a while. For instance, you can gradually decrease rocking or remain seated in the room but cease to hold them.
Bonus Tip: When to Seek Professional Help From a Sleep Expert
These tips should be helpful if your baby has difficulties with sleep but if the problem persists then you should seek advice of a professional sleep specialist. Certain sleep related conditions for example sleep disorders or anxiety will need the intervention of a professional.
A consultation with a sleep consultant may help in the development of a sleep plan that will be suited to the child’s needs.
Helping Your Baby Sleep Better Starts Today
It is not a one day affair to help your baby improve his or her sleep but following some tips can yield the desired results.
Using the following five suggestions which are suggested by the experts, you may improve the sleep pattern of your baby and have sound sleep for all the family members. It is however important to be consistent with the practice and be patient, the more one practices the right way, the better he or she will become.
Do not neglect your sleep and your baby’s sleep too; ensure that you make good sleep habits from the time of birth.
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FAQ
1: How long should a 3-month-old sleep at night?
Ans: At 3 months, the baby is expected to sleep for about 6-8 hours during the night while taking 1-2 feeds. Some may sleep for longer periods and others may require to be fed frequently at night as well.
2: What’s the best age to start sleep training?
Ans: It is suggested that sleep training should be initiated after the baby is about 4-6 months old since he or she can soothe itself.
3: What if my child is still resisting sleep even after following the bedtime routine?
Ans: It is quite normal for children to fight sleep especially during some developmental stages or some instances such as separation anxiety. At times your child may refuse to go to sleep and this may be solved by changing the bedtime schedule gradually. For instance, it is possible to facilitate comfort, such as a favorite toy or favorite music. In addition, make sure there are no other distractions in the room where the child is while going to bed at night. They can, however, try to persist on the current schedule if the resistance persists, it may be wise to seek advice from a pediatrician or a sleep specialist.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Adopting these tips can assist your baby to acquire good sleep patterns and therefore increase the period of sleep without waking up at night. If you continue to experience difficulties, do not hesitate to consult a specialist who has to explain you all the difficulties concerning your sleep.
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