Tips to Help Your Newborn Sleep

Of all the exhausted, hard-working parents in the St. Louis MO area, few are likely as sleep-deprived as the parents of newborns. It makes sense, after all. For one thing, infants usually eat every two to three hours around the clock plus they can’t tell a difference between day and night. Sleep loss can negatively affect just about every area of life. Getting extra sleep is best achieved by helping the baby sleep all night, something that really is doable! Here are some tips to help your newborn sleep through the night.

Establish a Bedtime Routine for Your Baby

A recent study of mothers with infants discovered that some succeeded in getting their 6 to 8-week old baby on a bedtime routine that led to sleeping through the night. A bedtime routine for your baby can involve any combination of regular bedtime activities that you choose. The following are secrets to success:

• Make it a habit of having active playtime with the baby during the day, which can result in her feeling sufficiently tired at night. In the evening, always have quiet play and avoid anything that gets your baby overly excited when it’s close to bedtime.
• Repeat the nightly activities in the same order every single night.
• Adding bath time to the nightly routine is highly recommended. The bath alone has a calming effect. Use lavender soap and lotion on your baby to further increase relaxation.
• Make the bedtime schedule something your child looks forward to. Save your baby’s favorite activity for last and do it in her room so that doing something she enjoys is associated with time to go to sleep.
• Maintain consistent conditions in your little one’s bedroom. After your baby wakes up in the night, establish the same lighting and sounds as when she went to sleep.

Lay Your Sleepy Baby Down

It can encourage unwanted behavior if you continue holding your child as she is falling asleep and while she sleeps. Babies can get accustomed to being held while sleeping and struggle to give it up later on. When your baby is showing signs of drowsiness, lay her in her bed. She will get used to soothing herself instead of needing to be rocked and cuddled when she wakes up at night.

Ensure Good Sleeping Conditions

Always put your baby to bed with a fresh diaper so she doesn’t soak it through and become uncomfortable in the middle of the night. Keep a nightlight in the room and use it for nighttime feeds. Turning on bright lights can be disruptive to sleep. If your baby sleeps in your room, keep a white noise machine going so that your bedtime preparation won’t wake her up.

Visit Mary Margaret’s Day Care

When it’s time to put your precious little one in a trusted daycare in St. Louis, visit Mary Margaret’s Day Care. We provide nurturing care and have several locations in the area for your convenience. Mary Margaret’s Day Care proudly delivers the best childcare services. Visit the location nearest you today or contact us today to learn more about our caring daycare facilities!