The Gentle Way To Get Baby To Sleep

The Gentle Way To Get Your Baby To Sleep

Getting a baby to sleep can be a daunting challenge!

We have all read the tips and tricks, but when it’s 3 am and you are struggling to keep your eyes open, it can feel like an impossible task.

Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all magic trick for instant sleep.

Following five gentle baby sleep steps might help make things a little easier at bedtime – both for baby and for the rest of the family.

Regulate light to make sure your baby quickly learns when it is time to sleep.

Darkness triggers the release of melatonin – a vital sleep chemical – in the brain.

At the same time, light sets a person’s neurons on high alert. It is why most people thrive in a well-lit workplace and prefer to sleep in the dark!

Daytime naps should be in a well-lit room, while nighttime sleep should happen in complete or near-complete darkness.

It’s good practice to reduce light towards the end of the day, such as by dimming overhead lights, switching to lamps, or closing curtains a few hours before bedtime.

Don’t over pamper!

It’s well-known that rocking babies helps calm them and make them tired, especially combined with a lullaby or gentle music.

However, babies should be nearly sleeping when you place them in their cribs, rather than entirely asleep.

If your baby wakes up during the night, they will then find it much easier to get back to sleep without requiring your comfort.

Don’t respond to every sound right away.

It can be very hard as a parent to listen when a baby cries, especially at night, but you mustn’t rush to their side at every tint sound..

Crying is just how babies communicate, and you will soon learn to distinguish general tears from serious issues.

Give your cranky baby some time to fall asleep by themselves before you intervene.

Remember that this is the gentle way to get your baby to sleep so don’t let your baby cry.

Murmurs and tiny sounds are fine but as soon as your baby starts to cry you must respond.

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Have a Routine

Everyone says this to the point where it might feel like a cliché, but there is a reason routine appears in every baby-focused sleep list.

Especially as newborns, babies are only just now learning how the world works.

Creating a sense of familiarity is vital to ensuring they have a structure in their life.

Try to have a regular naptime and bedtime, a small rotating variety of lullabies or sleep music, and a similar setting and atmosphere for every sleep.

Try not to worry

Young babies and children are especially empathic with the sounds of their parents or carers’ voices and their body language.

If you are tense because you are stressing about whether or not your child will sleep at bedtime, they will hear that in your voice or feel it as you rock them.