Get Baby To Sleep
You’re probably reading this as you’ve just brought home your newborn baby. Congratulations on a fantastic milestone. If you are feeling really nervous and excited as well, don’t 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 won’t sleep. So what can you do to help get your baby to sleep at night? Set a bedtime routine of course.
Babies love routine, its extremely important to them as it helps them to predict what is going to happen to them next. They don’t like surprises and the more routine their lives the happier they are. In fact most of them like routines so much they will fall into this new routine often within days. So the most important thing you can do is try to get your baby into a bedtime routine that works for all of you. Its really important to know before we go any further that most babies will wake up two to three times a night for a feed during their first few weeks, there is no real way of avoiding this. You can however make sure these night feeding times are just that, them waking up for a feed, not to play.
Its time to get your baby nice and relaxed and ready for bed and the best way to do this normally is by giving them a bath that is nice and warm. Nearly all babies love a good bath and a lot of them become really relaxed the moment they hit the water. So its a fantastic way to start to start the bed time routine. Firstly, take them over to your change table and undress them, all the while letting them know that you are about to put them into a bath for them to relax in. Put them into the bath and allow them to splash away to their hearts content whilst in your arms. When you are ready to take them out of the bath, let them know that you are going to do so, its all part of the routine and they will eventually know what you mean. Take them over to the change table and dress them, make sure you give them lots of kisses and cuddles while you do so.
Once your baby is dry and dressed you should take them into their bedroom and play some nice quiet games with them. Remember you don’t want to play any stimulating games, its bedtime! Placing them in their bedroom helps let them know what is going to happen next in their routine.
If you don’t 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 don’t 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 you’ll have to get up whenever they wake up and can’t 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 you’ll 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.
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