When we first bring home the bundle of joy we are super excited. A few days later we find out that the baby doesn’t sleep all night, we get sleep deprived and just don’t know what else to do to get some rest. If you face this problem I hope the following tips can get you some relieve:
Think basic – Why is my baby crying? It could be something that you can help your child with, or it could be medical, beyond your knowledge. It is always a good idea to consult with your doctor as every baby is different and has different needs.
Is your baby wet? – A baby will not sleep unless he or she is comfortable. Having a wet diaper is definitely irritating, and you will hear about it until you change it. We have to learn how to read what our baby needs as their communication skills are limited.
Is your baby hungry? – Mothers who breast feed get less sleep because their baby seems to always be hungry. I used to hear of mothers who just had a baby, and a week or two later they were sleeping 7 hours a night. Every single time they were telling me that they were feeding them formula, so there you go. If you choose to breast feed expect to wake up with the baby every 2 to 3 hours each night, but let me tell you, it is well worthy. Hang in there, it will pay off.
Is your baby teething? – If your baby is teething, and sometimes this can happen as early as 3 or 4 months, give them the appropriate medicine as prescribed by your doctor. You can also use a cold teething ring to soothe their gums. Your baby will sleep as long as you make sure that they are not in pain.
Is your baby not tired? – A lot of times, we are overjoyed when our baby sleeps and we just let them sleep as long as they want to during the day. The problem with it is that they will keep you up at night. Try instead to keep their naps short and give them plenty of noisy toys to play with during the day.
Get your baby on a schedule – Try to put the baby down to sleep at the same time each night. This is hard to do, but not impossible. I found out that once I started doing that, my baby slept longer and better. I am pretty sure this works with adults as well.
Remove noisy toys from crib – I always removed all toys from my child’s crib as a safety precaution. However, some mothers decide to leave the toys in the crib with them to help them go to sleep. Either way, noisy toys don’t belong in there at night time. This will only keep your baby awake as they hit the toys during their sleep and wake them up.
Give your baby a bath before night time – I know this can get overwhelming, but different babies respond differently. Some hate baths, some love them. If your baby loves the water, this might just calm them and make them sleepy.
Don’t change your baby’s sleeping environment – Some babies can sleep with the TV on or with their parents talking in the room, while others need complete silence. Whichever way you started them, keep it that way. They will sleep better if they feel like everything around them is familiar.
Rock your baby – I have heard of different opinions on this. Some say that if you rock your baby to sleep they will never sleep on their own again. In my case, this was not true. If you have the time and want to rock your baby to sleep, do it. They are growing too fast for you not to do so.
Put several pacifiers in the bed with your baby – You will find out that buying several pacifiers at one time is a great investment. A lot of them get lost or thrown out of the car seats, in the grocery store. By placing several pacifiers in the crib with them, you know that if one ends up on the floor there is another one to take its place, and keep your baby from waking up.
More important than anything is to listen to your instincts and to your baby. They will tell you everything you need to know. After you find out what works for you and your baby, you will both get more sleep and be happier.
