It's every parent's nightmare, yet their reality...
baby won't fall asleep.
Most parents find themselves on a regular basis, struggling with baby to get him/her asleep.
They find him/her waking up during the night, crying for hours on end, and him/her waking up after putting baby down in the cot after a nice nap in your arms.
All of this can be tiring as a new, second-time or even fourth-time parent, so here's a few ways you can induce your baby into a calming night's sleep...
It is vital to make sure baby is relaxed about sleep by creating a secure and relaxed environment.
Getting too stressed and forcing baby to fall asleep, will only serve to make the sleep worse, so it's important to accept that baby will fall asleep when he/she needs to.
However, there are few ways that can help sleep overcome them far quicker and stress free for baby.
(1) Decide first of all where baby sleeps best.
Many parents find baby feels comfortable falling asleep in their pushchairs or in their parent's arms, which is okay for daytime naps but not the night.
Think about starting them asleep there and then gently moving them to their cot.
Try to also get them use to sleeping alone as well, as otherwise baby may feel they can't sleep without your presence.
(2) A happier baby who feels calm is more likely to sleep better at night.
So keeping your baby calm and happy during the day, is more likely to increase the likelihood of a better night's sleep.
Feeling close and nurtured by the caregiver increases feelings of security, calm and happiness for baby - all vital for a baby's well being and sleep.
Baby sling are often recommended for engaging with baby and keeping them relaxed during the daytime.
(3)It's also considered vital for babies to have a predictable nap routine, as this will increase the period they sleep through during the night.
Sleeping with baby will also help to ease their insecurities and also get you some much needed sleep! Also, set a predictable night routine that will let baby know its bedtime.
A warm bath, rocking baby and lullabies usually do the trick! (4) Also make sure baby is eating enough during the day.
Particular active babies use all their energy playing, forgetting to eat enough and then of course waking up during the night - hungry! Try to have a regular eating pattern, and perhaps give baby a warm bottle of milk before bed to stave off hunger and induce sleep.
(5) Heat also plays a key role in sleep.
A baby who falls asleep in your arms, but then is removed, may wake up because of the removal of the warmth.
Thus it's important to find a way to keep baby warm whilst they fall asleep.
A cuddly thick blanket will comfort baby and keep him/her warm, making baby comfortable before sleep.
Also warm baths and warm milk before bed will induce sleep.
(6) Lastly, sound and light are also key to a good night's sleep.
Make sure the curtains just block out enough light (opaque curtains) as baby is likely to wake up otherwise as soon as the sun rises.
If baby is sensitive to sudden noises, try your best to remove them from close by (i.
e.
animal noises).
Consistent and monotonous noises are more likely to lull baby into sleep, so work with this, and use a relaxing monotonous CD (i.
e.
natural sounds, easy listening lullabies etc) or a recording of yourself singing a lullaby to entice sleep.