Getting Baby to Sleep at Night

By: Alli Ross  

Does your baby sleep through the day, and keep you up at night? This has been the cry of mothers and fathers heard round the world for centuries.

A newborn baby will sleep from 16 to 20 hours per day. Unfortunately, this sleeping time is usually broken up into 2-4 hour periods. The key is to get your baby into a routine sleeping schedule. This type of consistency will allow you ample time for household chores, a good night's rest, and time in general just for you...( because we know that all moms need some of that.)

You may just be one tweak away from a good night's rest. Here are some simple steps to follow to get your baby into a routine sleeping pattern.

The key to getting a baby to sleep consistently is by keeping bedtime rituals. A baby should not be rocked to sleep one night while being left to cry themselves to sleep another. Consistency is the key to forming a healthy sleeping pattern.

A quiet and dark room is one of the most optimal sleeping environments. Something as simple as a dishwasher or dryer can interrupt your baby's sleeping schedule on any given night. Therefore, you'll want your baby to be in a room that is away from noises.

Pre-bedtime rituals prepare your baby for sleeping. These should be activities that are not overstimulating. Some possibilities include rocking the baby to sleep or singing lullabies.

Create a comfortable room temperature... not to exceed 75 degrees. A comfortable room temperature will help your child comfortably sleep through the night without waking.

Nevertheless, your baby is sure to cry at some point. Many parents use a method known as controlled crying that has been found to be successful in many cases. If your baby starts crying, leave him for five minutes before soothing him. Remain only long enough to pat his back and say a few kind words. Do not pick him up out of his cot. Always speak reassuringly when you go in. By waiting 5 to 10 minutes, your baby will learn that crying will not help and your reassuring voice will help your baby feel secure.

You'll find that most babies begin sleeping through the night by 9 months. Like all things, soon this too shall pass.

Alli Ross is the granmamma in residence at http://www.babynamebox.com , where you'll find over 20,000 baby names and their meanings.

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