How To Encourage Your Baby To Sleep Through The Night

Remember the episode of Friends, where Jennifer Aniston deliberately wakes Ema because she finds it cute? Well, not many new parents would advise someone to do that. Neither is it possible to do what Diego did in Ice Age, to stop the baby from crying. Now, for how long will a round of peek-a-boo help in calming an energetic bundle at 3.00 in the morning? Even after six months of your baby’s birth, the dark circles just seem to grow bigger, you seem to be on a two-hour sleeping regime and the day and night cycle seems to have been reversed. Well, this is saga of the parents of a newborn. Babies love to turn the lives of their parents upside down, while still smiling. Every parent can empathize with the situation when a child refuses to sleep through the night. Moreover, once your child develops sleeping issues, even your sleep pattern is disrupted and may affect your state of health. So, you need to take the right steps to encourage your baby to sleep through the night. Following are a few suggestions to help you know how to go about doing the same.

Tips To Get Your Child To Sleep Through The Night

Create a rhythm or routine. Deal with late night waking with early morning waking up too. If your baby feels he/ she wants to sleep through the morning, while being awake through the night, try to get him/ her into a routine where you start to wake him/ her up early in the morning. Do this gradually, by waking your baby a few minutes before the usual time and gradually increase the time. Try this on a daily basis, until your baby adopts the right cycle - of being awake during the day and sleeping during the night.
If your baby wants to sleep during the day, allow him/ her to nap in an area that is well lit with natural sunlight. This will lead to a shorter nap and increase the chances of your baby sleeping better at night.
In case, your baby is inquisitive and distracted during feeding time, choose a quiet and dim-lit room. This will reduce any distraction and will help your baby get his / her nutritional intake during the day, instead of feeling hungry at night.
Allow your baby to finish the first breast completely, as the rich content of milk towards the end will help in widening the gap of his/ her desire to drink milk.
It has been proven that regular and frequent nursing sessions during the day helps in reducing the instances of baby’s waking up during the night.
As evening approaches, carry your baby in a carrier or a sling. This will help in relaxing your baby and make the transition from day into night smooth.
Create a relaxed atmosphere at night and avoid activities that excite your baby. If bathing is calming to your child, a warm bath before bed will surely encourage better sleep.
Give your baby his/her favorite toy or an object that he/ she feels secure with. Any object you give, whether a toy or blanket, keep it near you for a few minutes beforehand. Babies have a strong sense of smell and their mother’s fragrance on the object will provide a sense of comfort.
Avoid changing diapers at night. This is only to let your baby know that nights are meant for sleeping.
Babies reflect their parents to an extent more than the adults realize. Therefore, creating a calm and relaxed environment will automatically reflect a similar behavior in your baby. All you have to do is be calm and your baby’s smile will say it all.

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