All babies’ sleeping patterns are different. Some sleep for hours at a time, whilst others nap in short bursts. Getting your baby into a sleep routine can seem like a daunting task when your newborn’s current patterns of sleep go from random through to none existent. All it takes, like so much of parenting, is patience and time.
Here are some tried and tested steps to help get your baby to sleep:
Timing is everything
Start by your baby getting into a routine by laying them down in their cot at a similar time each night. Don’t expect them to drift off straight away. This is just to build up a routine and get them used to this new experience.
Don’t play games…
Playing games before bed stimulates your baby and makes them more alert, awake and not ready for bedtime.
Light the way
“Lights push your child’s biological ‘go’ button,” says Elizabeth Pantley, author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution. On the other hand, darkness triggers the brain to release melatonin, a key sleep hormone. Keep your baby’s days bright and nights dark and they’ll soon work out when it’s time to sleep.
Some babies often fall asleep during or after a feed
…If your baby is one of them then try feed your baby nearer to bedtime.
Bed, bath and beyond
A nice warm bath can help make your baby sleepy before bed. Use our Baby Bath with chamomile extract to help calm and soothe them. Finish off your baby bathing routine with our Baby Hydra Milk. This hydrating milk softens baby’s skin, while protecting it from dehydration and dryness. Massage the milk into your baby’s skin with gentle, slow motions. This soothing massage will calm your baby and encourage them to sleep.
Bedtime story
Reading to your baby lulls them to sleep. Keep your voice soft and add a nice tone and rhythm as you read. It doesn’t matter really what you read, it could even be the TV guide. It’s the way you read it that counts.
Keep your baby comfortably warm
Make sure your baby is wrapped up snug in their cot, making sure they are not too hot and but not cold.
Swaddling
Swaddling is the art of snugly wrapping a baby in a blanket for warmth and security. It can keep your baby from being disturbed by their startle reflex, and it can help keep baby warm for the first few days of life until their internal thermostat kicks in. It can also help to calm your baby.
Watching your children grow is exciting, scary and wonderful, and all our products have been formulated to include safe and effective pharmaceutical materials that gently care for – and nourish – delicate skin. We’re with you every step of the way.
