Helping your Baby Sleep

 Benni Jenyfari -

While some babies will come home from the hospital and almost immediately sleep through the night, the majority do not.  For the parents, a sleepless baby can be exhausting and frustrating.  Even some older children have trouble getting to sleep and then staying asleep.  The good news is that you have many great options to help your baby sleep, which allows you sleep as well.

s  Proper Crib/Bed – Make sure your child has a comfortable crib or bed.  For instance if the bed is too small or even too large, your child could have trouble falling to sleep.  The mattress should be firm enough for support while also being soft enough to conform to the body and the bedding should be soft and warm.

 

s  Naptime – All babies need a nap during the day but the length of the nap and the time of day for the nap will make a huge difference in the way your baby sleeps at night.  For this, you want to allow your baby enough time to rest, typically one and one-half hour, with naptime in early to mid-afternoon.  This means you may need to wake your child or keep him/her awake so at bedtime, the baby will sleep.

s  Going to Sleep Awake – In this case, rather than put your baby to bed while asleep, put him/her to bed when awake.  The goal here is to teach your baby two things – routine and independence.  If your baby cries, do not pick him/her up.  Instead, simply put your head in the door, providing comforting words and then leave.

s  Meal Time – You want your baby to go to bed with a satisfied tummy but not a full one.  In other words, putting your baby to bed immediately after eating could result in discomfort.  Therefore, make sure your baby had been fed about an hour before going to bed so his/her tummy is satisfied.

s  Sleeping Aids – In this case, you will hear controversy in that some people agree to sleeping aids and others do not.  However, if you have tried other means to help your baby sleep but without success then you may want to give this a shot.  Typically, a machine that produces a soft, beating heartbeat, soft music in the background, or even a rocking aid that moves along the crib railing are good options.

 

Article provided courtesy of Bedding Plus - a resource for bedding, teen bedding and comforter sets.