Bring out those comfy night suits. Tips to sleep train your baby.
Sleep training is teaching your baby to fall asleep on his or her own, without any help from you. The baby must be able to sleep without being rocked, cuddled, nursed or shushed. This teaches the baby to fall asleep even when he or she inevitably wakes up in the middle of the night.
Sleep training must begin when babies are 4 to 6 months old. This age range is appropriate since the baby will now be able to make it for six to eight hours overnight without needing to eat. It takes a while for you as well as the baby to become comfortable with the sleeping method. Here are some of the things to keep in mind when you are sleep training your baby:
Do not adjust the volume just before sleep
You may think that an absolutely quiet environment is best to put a baby to sleep, but it is never advised to let the house be dead quiet at bedtime. Babies should adapt to the environment and learn to sleep through a little noise.
Plan your day actively for a good night’s sleep
It's true that if you let your little one engage in various activities throughout the day, take them outdoors, let the fresh air do wonders and not give them ample time to nap during the day, the baby will get better sleep at night.
Say no to unscheduled naps
A baby can fall asleep easily during the daytime. You have to make sure he or she doesn’t take frequent naps as it will reduce the chances of getting proper sleep at night.
Increase sleep slowly
You have to take the process step by step. The time you used to take before you feed, play and put your baby to sleep has to increase slowly. Babies love routine and understand the time of feeding, playing and sleeping. You have to be careful about how the baby’s habits will be.
Starting early is the key
One of the most basic routines is starting the sleeping process early. This includes feeding at bedtime, putting him in his crib, turning his noisemaker on or switching off the lights. This usually puts the baby to sleep on the first try.
Swaddle her
A baby has very little control over his or her arms and it keeps waking up a baby in sleep often. Wrapping up a baby tightly actually makes them feel secure and improves the baby’s sleep.
Let her fuss
It is normal for a baby to wake up every two hours until 8 months. You have to let your baby cry and comfort herself. Respond to his or her needs much later. After one week of letting her cry it out, we will all be sleeping better at a stretch. You might feel bad hearing your baby cry and not helping him or her, but in the end, it is going to be best for all.
Comfort the baby from far away
This is another effective way of sleep training your baby. Once you put your child down for bed, you can sit beside him or her but do not touch or talk to your baby. After a few days, sit further away from the crib and finally remain outside the closed door. This way, the baby will learn to sleep alone and not look for you.
Put her down awake
A baby’s bedtime routine must include brushing teeth, giving a bath, reading a book and singing a lullaby to him or her. But you have to put your baby down drowsy but awake. Allow them to drift away to sleep on their own.
Clean air and bedding
Make sure to keep the sheets and air fresh in your baby’s room. If the air quality is bad and dusty, it could affect the baby’s breathing and make it difficult for the baby to sleep.
Be consistent
It's all about routine and schedule. Keep the same bedtime every night and maintain the same routine.
Be patient with the process
Sleep training may be frustrating or take more time than you think. Your baby may have difficulty at first but remember to appreciate the little things.
Above all, don’t feel guilty as a parent for not attending your baby when he or she cries at night, you may be tempted to run to them but you must know this is what is best for your baby. Invest in a baby monitor with a camera so that you can see what your baby is up to and track your baby’s sleep.
Sleep training must begin when babies are 4 to 6 months old. This age range is appropriate since the baby will now be able to make it for six to eight hours overnight without needing to eat. It takes a while for you as well as the baby to become comfortable with the sleeping method. Here are some of the things to keep in mind when you are sleep training your baby:
Do not adjust the volume just before sleep
You may think that an absolutely quiet environment is best to put a baby to sleep, but it is never advised to let the house be dead quiet at bedtime. Babies should adapt to the environment and learn to sleep through a little noise.
Plan your day actively for a good night’s sleep
It's true that if you let your little one engage in various activities throughout the day, take them outdoors, let the fresh air do wonders and not give them ample time to nap during the day, the baby will get better sleep at night.
Say no to unscheduled naps
A baby can fall asleep easily during the daytime. You have to make sure he or she doesn’t take frequent naps as it will reduce the chances of getting proper sleep at night.
Increase sleep slowly
You have to take the process step by step. The time you used to take before you feed, play and put your baby to sleep has to increase slowly. Babies love routine and understand the time of feeding, playing and sleeping. You have to be careful about how the baby’s habits will be.
Starting early is the key
One of the most basic routines is starting the sleeping process early. This includes feeding at bedtime, putting him in his crib, turning his noisemaker on or switching off the lights. This usually puts the baby to sleep on the first try.
Swaddle her
A baby has very little control over his or her arms and it keeps waking up a baby in sleep often. Wrapping up a baby tightly actually makes them feel secure and improves the baby’s sleep.
Let her fuss
It is normal for a baby to wake up every two hours until 8 months. You have to let your baby cry and comfort herself. Respond to his or her needs much later. After one week of letting her cry it out, we will all be sleeping better at a stretch. You might feel bad hearing your baby cry and not helping him or her, but in the end, it is going to be best for all.
Comfort the baby from far away
This is another effective way of sleep training your baby. Once you put your child down for bed, you can sit beside him or her but do not touch or talk to your baby. After a few days, sit further away from the crib and finally remain outside the closed door. This way, the baby will learn to sleep alone and not look for you.
Put her down awake
A baby’s bedtime routine must include brushing teeth, giving a bath, reading a book and singing a lullaby to him or her. But you have to put your baby down drowsy but awake. Allow them to drift away to sleep on their own.
Clean air and bedding
Make sure to keep the sheets and air fresh in your baby’s room. If the air quality is bad and dusty, it could affect the baby’s breathing and make it difficult for the baby to sleep.
Be consistent
It's all about routine and schedule. Keep the same bedtime every night and maintain the same routine.
Be patient with the process
Sleep training may be frustrating or take more time than you think. Your baby may have difficulty at first but remember to appreciate the little things.
Above all, don’t feel guilty as a parent for not attending your baby when he or she cries at night, you may be tempted to run to them but you must know this is what is best for your baby. Invest in a baby monitor with a camera so that you can see what your baby is up to and track your baby’s sleep.
