How To Get a Baby To Sleep Fast
Bring a baby home means restless days and even worse nights. This can become tiring and restless for you and your baby. However, there are some changes that you can do to get your baby to sleep through the night. Doing this will help rejuvenate your mind and body. Here are 6 helpful tips on how to get your baby to sleep through the night.
1. Have A Routine
The most helpful tip on how to get a baby to sleep through the night is to have a routine and stick to it. When you first bring your baby home they are going to sleep when they want to. That is because they are getting used to their new world. However, you can put them on a routine if you put in a little effort. Have a set time for baths and feedings at night. My routine with my son was quieting down the house, giving my son a warm bath, and washing his hair if needed. I would then feed him in a rocking chair. This allowed him to calm down because I am giving him cues that it is time for bed.
2. Swaddle! Swaddle! Swaddle!
When my son tried to deviate from his schedule I would still stick to my routine but I would also swaddle him. Swaddling is a great way to soothe your baby because it makes them fee like they are snuggled up in your womb. Make sure to have swaddle blankets on hand for when you need them. If you do not know how to swaddle, here is a YouTube video on how to do so.
3.Dream Feed
A trick that I learn to help my baby sleep through the night was dream feed. When my son would wake up during the night for a feeding, I would be as quiet as possible and didn’t turn on any lights. When my son was crying because he was hungry, he would still be half sleep. I would change him quickly and then feed him. He would be alert enough to eat but wouldn’t be completely awake. This would let my son know its was still bedtime and he should go back to sleep after eating.
4. Use A Pacifier
Some parents are against using pacifiers because babies tend to depend on them for soothing and it is very hard to tear a baby away from their binky. However, letting your baby use a pacifier in the early months of their life can soothe them right to sleep and help them maintain a routine. As your baby gets older they will learn how to soothe themselves by babbling, kicking their feet, and sucking on their fingers.
5. Use A White Noise Machine
If your baby is refusing to go to bed at bedtime try a white noise machine. It has been proven that white noise is very soothing and can help babies fall fast asleep. You can also try different soothing sounds like rain and the ocean. Make sure that the soothing sound is loud enough for your baby to hear but not too loud that it would be disturbing.
6. Make Sure Your Baby is Well Burped
There is nothing worse than dealing with a fussy baby at bedtime. When your baby has been crying for a long time and you have gone through the list of things that might be wrong, your baby might have gas or needs to be burped again. Make sure after feeding your baby you burp them well. This will prevent gas buildup and will make it easier for them to fall asleep.
