As a new mom, one of the most common questions you may have is “How do I get my baby to sleep through the night?” If you're feeling overwhelmed, you are not alone. It's normal for parents to wonder what strategies work best for getting their baby to sleep peacefully and stay asleep all night.
While it’s something we all strive for, eventually, we also need to consider three things before we make this (sleeping through the night) our goal.
First, no one sleeps 8-12hrs without waking, waking multiple times a night is biologically normal. So, sleeping through the night does not mean your child will sleep all night without waking, it just means they will learn to put themselves back to sleep.
Second, there are also a couple of factors we need to analyse before contemplating whether your child is capable of sleeping through the night. Their age and weight gain. If you are unsure whether your baby can sleep through the night without a feed, talk to your paediatrician, or book a Free 15min Consultation by clinking on the button below.
Lastly, the way in which they fall asleep in the beginning of the night will 100% influence their ability to sleep through the night, which is why all consultants suggests putting baby down awake.
So, now let’s explore some of the best tips and tricks on how to get your baby sleeping soundly from dusk till dawn.
Establish a Bedtime Routine
One of the most important things you can do when trying to get your baby to sleep through the night is having a consistent bedtime routine that they look forward to each evening. This could include a bath, quiet playtime, singing songs, reading stories, and even giving them a massage. These activities help signal your baby that it’s time for bed and will help them relax before drifting off into dreamland. Children love routine and predictability because they feel in control.
Setting Up Their Sleep Space
Once you have established their bedtime routine, it is important to create an environment conducive to sleep. Make sure their bedroom is dark by using blackout curtains or shades on windows as darkness plays an important part in whether babies will sleep till morning.
Blackout blinds to create the same consistent environment all throughout the night. You see, light signals to the brain that it is time to wake up, so your child won’t know that 5am is not play time, if they see light, they can assume it’s time to wake up. The same goes for bedtime, how will they drift off to sleep is it’s sunny outside at 6.30pm?
The darkness level should ideally be an 8/10 where you would struggle to see if your baby’s eyes are closed if you take a few steps back away from them.
The Right Temperature
When deciding what type of clothing and blankets should go into your baby’s crib consider how warm or cold it is in their bedroom; infants should never overheat while sleeping since this increases their risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). In general, if it is too hot for an adult in their bedroom then it's likely too hot for a child too—so adjust accordingly! Consider investing in thermostats or wearable blankets (sleeping bags) with temperature control features if needed.
Sleeping bags are a great way to make sure your little one is cosy all night. They come with a guide to help you dress them according to the temperature in their room. If you are unsure, you can check out my guide on Instagram by clinking on the link below.
White Noise
Adding white noise like a white noise machine, an app on your phone or a fan in their room can help block out any outside noises like traffic or other family members making noise within your home which could disrupt their slumber session. White noise also helps create consistency which is key when teaching babies how to self-settle and put themselves back to sleep if they wake up in the middle of the night.
If you are using an app or a white noise machine you want to place it away from the crib and where the noisiest part of the room will be. If you live in a busy street place it near the window, if the house if noisy because you have more children place it by the door. You don’t want to place it beside the crib because the white noise is not for the baby to sleep better, but rather to drown out anything that might wake them. Additionally, the level of the white noise should not exceed 55 decibels, there are apps that can help you measure. Just place the phone on the crib and turn on the white noise to see how loud it is for your baby.
Put Them Down Awake
Another tip that has been proven effective in helping babies sleep through the night is putting them down while they are still awake. If your babu is younger than 4 months, you can practice on putting them down drowsy and slowly work towards more and more awake. This teaches babies how to fall asleep independently without needing assistance from mom or dad. When laying your baby down in their crib or bassinet, make sure there are no blankets or stuffed animals that could be unsafe if your little one rolls onto their stomach during sleep.
Getting babies to sleep through the night can seem like an impossible task and it can be hard to know where to start but it doesn't have to be hard.
By creating a comfortable and familiar environment around them at night-time as well as establishing regular routines throughout the day, you can help give your little one (and yourself) peace of mind knowing that everyone will get enough restful sleep each night.
Good luck mama! With some patience and persistence you should be able to start seeing some progress in no time!
Don't give up hope - those sweet dreams are just around the corner!
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