Oh no, the little is screaming again? I have checked the diapers and just fed her. Why is still not sleeping? This is a typical challenging scenario even for experienced mums. In order to know how to make newborn sleep, we have to understand their different sleeping patterns, especially in the first few months.
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Newborn sleeping patterns are the most volatile during the first few months. For the first month, the newborn will normally go back to sleep after feeding every 2 to 3 hours. For the second month, you can introduce a sleep routine for them.
Try to introduce them to sleep 5 hours stretch at night. The sleep routine should start between 8 pm to 11 pm. They will still wake up once or twice at night to feed but the sleep period will start to get longer.
At the third month, continue to set sleeping routine for them. Do not rush over to pick the little one up after baby wakes up or whimper after only asleep for a few hours. Less interference will allow your baby to fall asleep on his own.
A bassinet is a good way to allow the newborn to co sleep with you on different beds. The American Academy of Pediatrics(AAP) recommends keeping the baby in the room with you for the first 6 months and ideally a year. (Source)
When you put the baby in the bassinet to sleep for the start, he/she may fuss a bit at first when you leave the room. You have to dedicate some time and patience and eventually, he/she will learn to sleep on his own. I have also done some reviews on the best bassinets in the market and you can check it out here.
Trying to avoid carrying them during the initial stages besides feeding them. This is to avoid them expecting a carry whenever they cry. When coaxing them to sleep, avoid rocking movements to prevent it becoming a habit for your little one.
If there is a bassinet or bed in the room, held them awhile in your arms and put them on the bed gently. Touch them and give them assurances by sitting beside them. If the baby is still crying after this action, you may need to repeat the process several times. Eventually, they will get used to sleeping without being held.
To reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome(SIDS), it is better to ensure that your baby is sleeping on his/her back. Avoid letting them sleep on the side or their stomach. The main reason is that their neck muscles are not strong enough during the first few months to adjust their head when they are having any breathing difficulties at awkward positions. You may also like to check out the best baby monitors for SIDS in the market.
Your newborn should be ready for a sleep schedule during the second month. You will like to target the baby to sleep at stretches of 5 hours at night. Try to put them to sleep at around the same time at night and reduce their sleeping hours during the day. The main reason is to ensure they understand the difference between day and night time.
This will really depend on your objective. Before you make any changes to the baby’s bedtime, you must also take note of their nap timings during the day. You may like to reduce their sleeping frequency or sleeping hours in the day. This is crucial to ensure the baby is tired enough to sleep for the new bedtime.
It is recommended for the newborn to sleep 2-3 hours in the day while breastfeeding and 3 – 3.5 hours while bottle feeding. The hours should increase to a min of 5 hours at night. It takes some patience and effort to train the newborn to stick to your sleeping schedule.
The results are startling as new parents like us are sleeping three times lesser than our parents in the past. Sleep deprivations also increase the likelihood of depression, reduce your work performance and the increasing possibility of divorce. This is a real problem that new parents have to address and it all depends on successful sleeping training for your little one.
Undoubtedly, sleep training is among the most common and challenging things that parents face. You know that. But your baby doesn’t. The only way to make a baby sleep fast is to properly sleep train your child. It sounds easy but there is a lot to learn especially for first-time parents.
To be able to properly sleep train your child, you may need to fully understand the following topics thoroughly
This will seems overwhelming even for experienced parents. If you wonder where you should begin, what program you should follow, or which training method is the most effective, you may like to check out the Baby Sleep Miracle.
Created by Mary-Ann Schuler, mother of two, the guide covers all the topics mentioned above and provides general guidelines and specific strategies aimed at establishing healthy sleeping habits for any child.
This guide will be suitable for parents who are
However, while this guide contains all the valuable strategies and concepts you need to know to successfully put your child to sleep, it is not a get it fix fast solution. It won’t be effective unless you’re willing to set aside some time to read it and take action to walk your child through the entire process.
It currently only supports the English language. The other downside that is it only comes in digital format and does not have a paper book version. Do also take note that it is only able to help anyone with a child who exhibits sleeping problems and is under five years of age.
Based on my personal experience, the first few months are most crucial to create healthy sleeping habits for your little one. It will be useful to read up more before your newborn is out. If you are facing the challenge right now, no harm trying out this program or seek help from external parties. How do you make your newborn sleep? Drop a comment below.
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