It’s such a shock to the system when your baby arrives and suddenly your world is thrown upside down. Sleep you soon realize is a thing of the past, whilst your newborn adjusts to life outside the womb. You just try to grab a few hours shuteye whenever you can. But it’s important to work towards establishing a good sleep routine for your baby from the very beginning. Even if it feels fruitless initially you will be setting a good foundation that will make your life easier as your child gets older.

So, keep faith and follow my suggestions. A routine is comforting for a baby so its worth putting the effort it.

Keep Track Of Their Day

From three months onwards you should notice more of a pattern to your baby’s day. You can then shape your schedule around when they are most alert and when they start to show signs of being sleepy. Following their natural rhythms mean you will have less resistance when it comes to feed time or nap time.

It’s ALL about the Cues

You will find less resistance to sleep if you give your baby plenty of cues when its time to go to sleep. Think along the lines of bath, sleepsuit on, book read, bottle given then bed. Investing in some good quality baby sleepsuits is worthwhile. Bamboo fabric is a breathable material which will help your baby have a good night’s sleep. They will stay warmer in winter and not overheat in summer.

Try Baby Massage

Some parents like to incorporate baby massage into their sleep routine. It can help your baby relax and is another excellent cue that its almost time for sleep. Baby massage can help your baby feel more content because it can help with digestion problems like gas and bloating. So, they are less likely to wake up in the night in discomfort.

Clear Distinction Between Day And Night

When your baby wakes up in the night for a feed afterwards a good sleep routine might involve a cuddle to help settle them back down. You will want to avoid playtime during the night. It is all about making a clear distinction with what happens during the day and the night. In the night, it’s important to keep the room dark, talk in a quiet calm voice and only do nappy changes if needed. Try and avoid eye contact at night too, apparently eye contact makes a baby more awake as their blood pressure rises and their heart rate speeds up.

In the day plenty of eye contact and playtime will help them sleep better again at night.

Teaching Your Baby To Self Soothe

Your baby will rely on your cuddles and closeness to go back to sleep initially. But over time you should be able to get your baby to learn to go to sleep by themselves. If you run to your baby every time as soon as they start to fuss, you could make your life harder. Give your baby a chance to settle themselves off to sleep. They might surprise you!

Be Flexible

Establishing a good sleep routine for your baby will require a degree of flexibility. There will be times you might have to tweak your schedule. For example, when they are having a growth spurt, they might feed almost constantly for a few days. But rest assured you will be able to get the sleep routine back on track afterwards. Just keep following these guidelines.