Parenting is not an easy task, which involves many struggles to face right from the birth of the child until the stage where they can take care of themselves. One of the essential tasks for all the new parents to work on is making the baby sleep.
Differs from every baby and also the ways vary from each age group. Based on so many research and findings, there are few methods and advises are shared by experts.
In this article, there are few mentions of how the baby changes the sleep routine and ways to cope up with them. It will be handy for all the new moms, baby sitters, and guardians who have no clue about the experience of raising a baby.
New Born Sleep Pattern
Generally, a newborn baby takes time to get accustomed to the new environment. The womb experience is entirely different from the outside world. Hence they take some time to settle down with the climate and other things.
Firstly, the initial three months is the crucial period where the baby depends entirely on breastfeed and takes feed every two hours if breastfed and little longer sleep time in the case of bottlefeed.
In this stage, your baby needs 10 to 18 hours of sleep; they will not realize the difference between day and night. It is the tough phase where you may need to stay awake from 1 am to 6 am.
Secondly, 3 to 6 months, the period is much better than the former where the child can listen to music and look around the things for distraction. Baby can understand the day and night with the light and sounds in the locality.
Schedule Bedtime Routine
The bedtime routine is essential for a baby, which helps them to sleep better and easier. It can also reduce the number of times the baby wakes up at midnight. The study conducted on 405 mothers with infants of 7 months to 36 months old and proven the above facts by following a bedtime routine.
Some may even start the routine earlier as 6 to weeks old. Here are few ways listed for your reference,
Make the place dark and calm
Help the baby to understand night time by warm lights and soothing sound.
Please give a warm water bath that makes them feel relaxed.
Read a storybook or sing lullabies to make them sleep
Sleep On Their Own
It's always a best practice to make the baby sleep on their own from 6 to 12 months. This method helps them to have a way to self soothe when they wake up in the middle of the night.
Safety Measures
Whenever you put your baby to sleep, make sure there is enough space to breathe, and they lie comfortably. According to the American Academy of Paediatrics, recommend a few ways to lower the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
Ferber Method
Richard Ferber, director of the Center of Paediatric sleep disorders at Children's Hospital, Boston, developed this method. It helps the baby to learn to sleep on his own also put back to sleep if he waked up in the middle of the night.
Always put the baby in the crib when she feels drowsy.
If the baby cries, wait for one or two minutes, where she can find ways to self soothe.
In the middle of the night, when you enter into the room, try to maintain the same lighting as when she sleeps.
This method can be complicated in the beginning, but you can see the changes in day three or four.
To conclude, no one can understand your baby better than you, so try to study her cues and act smartly. Communicate often and make your baby know that you are there for her.
