Youre probably reading this as youve just brought home your newborn baby. Congratulations on a fantastic milestone. If you are feeling really nervous and excited as well, dont worry about it, heaps of us have been through it and it does get easier. It almost goes without saying that most parents want to know how to get baby to sleep. Even more so, how do they get baby to sleep longer through the night. After all no one really wants to stay up all night or wake up all through the night because their baby wont sleep. So what can you do to help get your baby to sleep at night? Set a bedtime routine of course.
Routines are extremely important in a babies life. It provides them with certainty, security and the knowledge of what is happening to them throughout their day. A baby with a routine is normally a pretty happy baby. Your baby should respond fairly quickly to the new bedtime routine youre going to develop with them, sometimes within two days if youre lucky. Dont expect baby to get to sleep throughout the night when they first come home as its just not going to happen. They only have small stomachs and need to feed on a fairly regular basis. What you can do though is make sure that when they wake up during the night it is only for a feed and not because they expect you to play with them.
To really get your baby in the mood for bedtime nothing beats a nice, warm bath. For them its extremely soothing, relaxing and comforting. It has to be one of the best ways to start your bedtime routine. When you are ready to give them a bath, take them over to their change table and start to undress them while telling them in a nice soothing and calming voice that you are going to give them a beautiful, relaxing bath and give them lots of kisses and cuddles. They might not understand your words just yet but they certainly understand your intentions. Place them into the bath and wash them gently, watch them relax almost instantly. Once you think theyve had enough of the bath let them know that bath time is over and that you are going to take them out and dry them. Its important to keep telling them what is going on, theyll eventually make the connection and it helps them to stay calm.
Make sure you give your baby lots of kisses and cuddles to make sure they feel loved and relaxed. Let them know that you will soon be taking them into their bedroom to play some fun games before they go to bed. Make sure your games are fun but not stimulating. By taking them into the bedroom they know what will be coming next and it wont be a surprise.
If you dont want to play a quiet game with them, then read them a book. Its an incredibly bonding experience for both you and your baby and its very rewarding. Now for the most important part of this routine, putting your baby to sleep and putting them into bed.
You definitely dont want your baby to learn to rely on you to get to sleep. If they do they will never go to sleep by themselves, which means youll have to get up whenever they wake up and cant go back to sleep. Its not a position you want to be in. Its important to get them to learn to sleep by themselves. Put your baby into their bed and in a soothing, calming voice again let them know they are going to have the best sleep ever.
Place a hand on them before leaving the room and tell them just how much you love them and that its now time for them to go to sleep. A golden rule is to never leave their bedroom without telling them that you are doing that. Let them know that you are leaving but that you will be back shortly to make sure they are sleeping safe and soundly. Most times youll find that your loved one will be fast asleep by the time you decide to go back and check them. So that is how you can get baby to sleep.