When babies come into the world, they discover unfamiliar surroundings and explore new objects and movements. Most of their reactions are innate reflexes that it learns in the womb. For the baby to grow into a mature adult, sound and peaceful sleep is a primary requirement. In the development of the baby, sleep plays a major role.
It may be a little difficult for parents to put their newborn to sleep, especially if it is their first child. It will take a lot of practice and experience to put the infant to sleep quickly. Parents often struggle with the task and try to discover new techniques to make the baby fall asleep.
Tips to Improve the Quality of Your Newborn Baby's Sleep:
Though every infant varies and not all methods can be applied to every newborn, some general procedures may make your toddler sleep faster. If you find yourself asking, "why won't my baby sleep?" here are some recommendations to help your baby sleep better:
Fix a Routine Just like adults, babies work better when they follow a specified routine. Plan out your baby's day properly.
Every day follow the same timing to align your baby's physiological clock with yours. This will also help you take better care of your newborn. Once your baby's innate clock learns the pattern, it will know when to fall asleep and when to eat. Irregular patterns may hamper your baby's sleep, and your toddler may end up sleeping at odd hours. This will irritate the baby's physiological systems.
- Swaddle
That baby has been inside its mother's womb for 9 months, and it is not used to the new surroundings. The baby's environment may startle the baby frequently, damaging that quality of sleep. Swaddling the infant helps to mimic the atmosphere of the womb. The cloth wrapped around the baby keeps the baby warm and gives a feeling of security. Swaddling the infant sleep peacefully and comfortably. Babies tend to have sharp nails and often scratch themselves when they sleep. Swaddling makes sure that the baby is secure and does not hurt itself. Try a baby sleep sack in place of a blanket to swaddle your baby.
- Keep an Eye on Your Baby
Many families practice placing the baby's crib in a different room. When the baby wakes up in the middle of the night, it does not see many familiar faces, which instills fear in them. The infant needs to be able to see its mother or feel her presence. The baby lacks the concept of object permanence. It thinks that anything that it cannot see does not exist. Therefore, not being able to see their mother induces anxiety in the baby, and it denies to go back to sleep again. Accordingly, place the baby's cot in your room, preferably next to your bed. This saves you the trouble of getting up from your bed. You can pick up your baby anytime you want and check up on it whenever you please. You can also buy a baby bassinet and place it next to your bed.
- Understand Your Baby's Needs
This may be quite difficult, especially for new parents, but you have to understand what the baby needs. As babies cannot talk, you have to judge from the tone of their crying whether it wants food or it has wet the cot. Babies do not like sleeping on a wet mattress, just like adults, and not changing the baby's diaper may cause rashes. Make sure you check the baby's diaper often and feed it at regular intervals. If your baby starts to cry in the middle of the night, it is most likely that your infant is either hungry or wet. Babies sleep better when their stomach is full, therefore, when it starts crying, try to estimate when you fed it last.
- Temperature Plays an Important Role
The room temperature in which you put your baby to sleep largely affects the quality of sleep. A cooler room during summer helps the baby sleep better. They are very perceptive of their surroundings, and adjusting the room temperature will help your baby sleep better. During winter, try to avoid cold rooms. Warm the room and raise the temperature to an optimum level. Make sure you do not lay down the baby on a cold mattress as it will startle the baby and wake it up. Try to warm the cot or mattress before placing your infant on it. The baby won't sleep if the mattress is too cold.
- Include a Bedtime Routine
A routine before putting the baby to bed creates a conditioned response within the baby. As soon as you start the routine, the baby knows that it is supposed to go to sleep and naturally starts feeling drowsy. Include actions like massaging the baby, singing to it, or you can use baby sleep music. With baby lullaby, baby sleep seems to improve. This helps your baby understand that bedtime has arrived. The baby's biological clock jumps into action and starts releasing sleep hormones. The baby associates the routine with sleep, and so does its body. A bedtime routine is an important step in baby sleep training.
- The Power of Touch
Before you try to put your baby to sleep, pick it up and try walking around the baby in your arms. The baby loves its mother's touch, and when it is on her lap, the infant feels safe and secure and experiences comfort and peace. Try to keep your palm on your baby's chest just before it falls asleep, creating a little pressure on its chest, creates a womb-like environment, and enhances the baby's sleep quality. You may also see baby sleep regression, as it mimics its sleeping position within the womb.
Conclusion
Baby fighting sleep is a common sight in every house, be it infants or toddlers. Create a baby sleep chart and follow the above tips to ease the process. Give your baby the sleep it deserves.
About the author
Rachel Burns is an experienced copywriter and photographer with a design diploma. She works with startups, entrepreneurs, bloggers and companies from around the world. In addition to writing articles and promotional materials, she enjoys hiking, reading, cooking and spending time with her family.