Who am I kidding, I have no idea how to get your child to sleep. I mean, for 4 and half years we have been struggling with our Princess to get her to sleep well. And then, BAM, this week she now is sleeping alone, in her own bed, in her own bedroom!
We are amazed. Truly.
We didn’t do anything different. One night last week, I said, ENOUGH. We can’t all be in the same room. My Little Man is in our room in a co-sleeper so I put my Princess in her bedroom and told her she needed to be a big girl. And she did it.
We tried other times and failed, but this time it worked. And I am so thankful. Extremely thankful. Thank you Lord!
11 Baby Sleep Tips
Regulate the Temperature in Baby’s Room—Keep your baby’s room warmer during the day and cooler at night. The optimal temperature for infant sleep is between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Install Dimmers on Bedroom and Nursery Lights—Lighting is a key way to regulate babies’ circadian rhythm, which is the body’s internal clock. Purchase dimmer units at your local hardware store.
Practice Baby Massage Before Naps & Bedtime—Newborns who receive a relaxing massage before naps and bedtime fell asleep faster and slept more soundly than those who didn’t have one. Simply give your child a 15-minute massage using slow strokes and moderate pressure with a massage oil made for babies.
Smaller is Sometimes Better—Newborns tend to prefer a smaller space to sleep such as a bassinet or Moses basket versus a crib. Babies feel safer and more protected.
Know Your Baby’s Sleep Signals—Although all babies are different, many show similar signs when tired and ready for sleep such as rubbing eyes, tugging on ears, and acting fussier than usual. At this point, try putting your baby down. If you wait longer than that to put your baby down, he may be overtired and have trouble falling asleep.
Naptime–You will get to know your baby’s nap schedule and how it affects his sleep at night. Some babies sleep best at night when they have had several good naps throughout the day. Others need less nap time in order to have a solid night’s sleep. Give it a little time and take note of your baby’s habits.
Swaddle Your Baby—Babies like swaddling because it mimics the feeling of the womb. Swaddling helps infants sleep longer and reduces spontaneous arousal. It also reduces crying among irritable infants and lowers the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)
Bedtime Routine–Babies thrive on routines, so create a specific routine as early as you can and stick to it. This routine may include a nightly bath, singing a song, reading a story together, an official clothing change into pajamas, and saying “goodnight” to stuffed animals.
Nighttime Feedings–When you are up with your baby for late night feedings, try and keep him in “sleep mode,” meaning keep him swaddled, keep lights dimmed and it’s not absolutely necessary to change a diaper unless you can feel that it’s really wet. This will make the return to sleep much easier.
We made a lot of mistakes with our Princess and we paid the price. She was not a good sleeper and still has her moments of difficulty. So we are happy that our Little Man is sleeping well in his co-sleeper next to mommy.
What tips do you have on how to get your child to sleep well?
Thank you Ollie World for these great sleep tips.
Thank you so much for this post! If you read my post today, it is all about sleep so this is very apropro! Thanks!
Mommies are always so plagued with sleep issues!
You are doing great! All of your tips are ones I used with Thing1 and Thing 2. They both slept through the night with no problems at 8 weeks and have been AMAZING sleepers ever since! Keep it up LaVonne and you will see a big difference in your little man. You will enjoy the bit of freedom that sleep training allows for Mommy and Daddy 😉
I should have done it with Isabella, but I hated to hear her cry. It thought we’d scar her forever if we let her cry. Our little man might cry for a a bit, but he will go to sleep pretty quickly if he is tired, fed, and clean.
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