Do you feel like you’ve got a second job working the graveyard shift? Are you nodding off in meetings? Or reaching for a third cup of coffee by noon?
We feel for you! Having a baby who just won’t sleep can put a strain on the whole family, but it’s especially hard on moms who get the brunt of it.
Well mamas, take heart! IT IS possible to put an end to those 2am wake-up calls (yay!) and we’re here to help make it happen.
We hit up our mom squad for advice and got some great tips and tricks. Here are their best secrets for how to get your baby to sleep through the night.
It may take a little trial and error, but once you find the magic combination that works for your individual child, you can kiss sleep deprivation good-bye.
Go To Sleep Already!
We want to be a good friend here, so we’re going to tell you the truth. During the first weeks of life, you can’t expect a baby to sleep through the night. It just doesn’t happen.
Humans have a genetic timing mechanism in their brains that regulates sleep and it takes time for that mechanism to develop. Plus newborn babies, particularly breastfed babies, have a need to eat frequently.
But here’s the good news!
“After four months a baby’s natural preference is to sleep. He just doesn’t always know how to stay asleep. But even bad habits are usually fixable in just a few days” – Jennifer Waldburger, co-author of The Sleep-Easy Solution
According to a poll of primary caregivers by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), by 9 months some 70 to 80 percent of babies are sleeping a straight 9 to 12 hours every night. That means relief is just around the corner.
These tips can help parents solve a range of stubborn sleep problems.
How To Get Your Baby To Sleep
1. Establish A Consistent Day Time Sleep Schedule:
If you’re wondering how to get your baby to sleep…how your baby sleeps during the day has a HUGE impact on how they sleep through the night.
Make sure to wake your baby at the same time each morning, keep nap times consistent, and avoid letting baby nap after 4:00 p.m. A reasonable bedtime for a baby is around 7 or 7:30 p.m. If they wake from a nap at 5:30, they’re not going to be sleepy enough to go to bed at 7:00.
You might think that shortening naps will help make your child sleepier at night, but this isn’t true! In fact, overtired kids have a harder time falling asleep.
Well rested babies accept sleep cycles easier and have an easier time transitioning through sleep cycles. So keep nap times happening consistently, just not too late in the day.
2. Wean Off Nighttime Feedings
For many moms, what stands between you and an uninterrupted night of sleep is that middle-of-the-night feeding.
If your baby no longer needs to be fed at night (check with your doctor to be sure), simply stop giving them the bottle or breast when they call for it.
Related: Is My Baby Crying Too Much?
You can use progressive steps, which might include offering diluted formula or breast milk for a few nights and then gradually replacing it with water. Your baby may not find water as appealing as milk, and, subsequently, won’t cry for it.
3. Create A Good Sleep Environment
Blackout Curtains are a great sleep investment. A dark environment can help your baby sleep better. It’s particularly helpful if your baby is an early dawn riser.
A white noise machine can also be a godsend. It helps block out any house noise and it’s very comforting to babies since it mimics the sound in the womb.
The Cloud B Sleep Sheep is a good option as it comes with 8 different sounds including a heartbeat. The Hatch Baby Rest is also awesome. It has white noise, lullabies, and different mood lights.
Related: How Can I Soothe A Colicky Baby?
Check the temperature of the room. Babies sleep better at a comfortable temperature. Be sure they aren’t sweating or bundled in too many layers as this can wake them up between sleep cycles.
4. Swaddling
Swaddling can help muffle the startle reflex that babies have which can wake them up.
For babies younger than 3 months try the Aden + Anais Swaddler. It’s large, lightweight and made using 100% cotton muslin which is the perfect fabric choice because it’s soft and breathable.
For older babies you can try the Baby Merlin Magic Sleepsuit. It’s designed as a transition for swaddling. It also helps muffle the startle reflex, and keeps baby cozy and secure helping them fall back asleep if they wake up in the middle of the night.
5. Bedtime Routine
By the age of 4 months, babies can benefit from a consistent bedtime routine. It helps them wind down and transition to sleep.
Do the same thing every evening so your baby forms a sleep association in their mind. It can be a bath, singing soft lullabies, dim lighting, or even lavender essential oil in a diffuser.
Find what your baby best responds to and do it nightly.
6. Mamma Smell
This one might seem a little strange, but two moms in our group both said it worked for them…and if you’re sleep deprived, you might as well give it a try, right?
Infants are often comforted by the scent of their mother, particularly at night. Since you probably don’t fit in your baby’s crib, you might try putting something in there with them that smells like you to help calm them down.
One mom we know would wear her baby’s pajamas or swaddler around her neck before bedtime, and then dress baby for bed in the mom-scented clothes. She said it worked wonders.
If you want more detailed information on how to get your baby to sleep, there are some good books you can grab. The No Cry Sleep Solution For Newborns offers helpful tips for parents that aren’t comfortable letting their little one “cry it out”.
If you’re looking to sleep train your baby, a pretty Straightforward book to read is The Sleepeasy Solution: The Exhausted parents Guide to Getting Your Child To Sleep From Birth To Age 5.
Just be sure you are comfortable and do what feels right for your baby. No two little ones are going to be exactly the same! Trust your mommy instincts. You got this!
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