BABY SLEEP TRAINING STEPS AND TIPS

Do you have sleepless nights with your baby?Does your baby have trouble in sleeping? Well who doesn’t have? All moms especially new moms know exactly what i am talking about. Here are some of the things i followed to get some sleep myself and my baby to have a routine and full night undisturbed sleep.Sleep is my spirit animal and i cant even dream of losing it over my baby..ter r so many books on how to put a baby to sleep around 50 million of them i guess..i really don’t know how that phrase “sleep like a baby” came up…really? seriously?

If you are like me, you would have probably researched all possible parenting resources to get your baby to sleep well .Welcome to” Less Sleep But SleepLover Parents Club”.

When my son was born, I didn’t know anything about making my baby sleep, thank god in India we are with our moms after delivery until three months.But everything changed after i shifted back with my hubby .That very night i called my mom , she advised me to rock the baby in my arms until he would drift off…it was easy in the beginning  then things started to change, i would rock him for 30 mins to get him to nap for 30 minutes!It was so exhausting and my back started giving away. This is when i started reading baby sleep books, talked to my friends about it but all ended up in rocking the baby to sleep thing.This method was not possible for me anymore as my back pain increased and i was getting angry every time i tried to make him sleep..so i started trying different methods to get him to sleep.Then finally at around his 5th month i had a routine which helped.

These are the few steps i followed to get my baby to sleep full night

Step1

Let ur baby distinguish day and night:

Let some rays inside your room during day sleep.Babies who sleep in natural light during day adapt faster to the 24 hour time cycle than those who sleep in artificial indoor lights.

Step 2

Watch for baby sleep cues:

like yawning, rubbing ears or eyes, slower movements, crying, too clingy, etc

Step 3

Stop tiptoeing around

Go ahead with your routine  work and do not reduce voice or make the house noise proof. by going about your normal day baby starts to get used to the fact that daytime is activity time, while night is rest time{this doesnt mean that u should have a rock concert at home when baby is asleep}.

Step 4

Dim lights at night

By three to four months babies produce sleep hormones, so with lights on makes it difficult for them to fall asleep as light can suppress the hormones.So atleast two hours before bedtime reduce babys light exposure.Its healtheist for babies to sleep in complete darkness, but its advisable to put a dim nursery light just to keep an eye on the baby at night.

Step 5

Establish a routine.

This will make it easier for you and the baby  on the long run.Establish the same routine, start with the same thing, same order everyday. Once the baby gets the hang of this, baby will himself or herself start preparing to sleep at the same time. I have penned down the Tips to bedtime routine below.

Step 6

Teach baby to self soothe.

Whether you like to rock the baby to sleep or sing lullabies put them to bed at night when baby is drowsy and almost sleepy and not when they are fully active. If baby starts crying whisper long shhhh sound in the ear, rhythmically but lightly pat him on the upper back, still baby doesn’t calm , then pick up the baby, soothe until drowsy,then put down. Repeat previous steps if necessary until baby is asleep.

Step7

Be Consistent

Dont be discouraged if it doesnt work right away.Stick to the routine.give this method time to work and i am sure it will.Once this is established both baby and you wil have undisturbed good night sleep.

BEDTIME ROUTINE FOR A BABY

1. GIVE A BATH
2. READ BOOKS OR BED TIME STORIES
3. LISTEN TO SOOTHING MUSIC
4. BREASTFEED OR FEED THE BABY
5. GIVE BABY A MASSAGE
6. SPEND TIME CUDDLING OR ROCKING
7. SING LULLABIES 
8. CHANGE TO NIGHT DIAPERS AND PAJAMAS
9. WIPE GUMS OR BRUSH TEETH
10. SAY GOODNIGHT
11. SAY PRAYERS

HOPE THIS HELPS ALL MOMMIES HAVING A ROUGH TIME THROUGH THE EARLY BABY DAYS.