Sleep; how to make your child sleep through the night

All new parents know all too well about the sleepless nights that they spend with their babies. It is really hard to calm down a crying child and it can lead to severe sleep deprivation for both the parents. It can interfere quite a lot with your mental and physical health and lead to numerous problems such as stress, irritation, and lowered cognitive power. If you have had problems with your child and have not had a good night’s sleep since they have been born, there are certain steps that might ease your situation. It is true that newborns sleep for at least 16 hours, but never in one go. It is important to develop a rhythm and to use certain precautions to help you get a good night’s sleep as well.

Have them sleep in your room

For the first six months, it is ideal to put your baby’s bassinet or crib inside your room. This will ensure that you do not have to get up and go all the way to the other room in order to help them calm down when they wake up crying. There is also a risk of sudden infant death for the first six months, which is quite common. Make sure that you do not make them sleep on an adult bed with you since this is not safe and they can possibly suffocate in the space between the bed frame and the mattress. 

Follow a calming bedtime routine

It is important to inculcate good habits in your infant from the very start. This also includes making up a good and calming bedtime routine for them that will help even the most difficult babies to go to sleep. You can try to bathe them, sing, or even cuddle them so that they are relaxed. Make sure that you choose activities that have a clearly defined endpoint such as reading to them or playing calming music. All this should be done in a softly lit room so that it induces sleep in your child. 

Use a pacifier

If your infant cries a lot, you might want to consider using a pacifier for the first six months. Nursing or suckling on a pacifier can help reduce pain for your infant. This will also help them get used to the idea of feeding on a bottle. It is quite important to know when should babies stop using pacifiers since it also can affect their oral and motor development significantly. You should wean them off the pacifier slowly and steadily along with offering them more things that they can focus on.

Give them some time to settle down

We all know that babies tend to cry or make a fuss if they are not comfortable in their bassinet. Make sure that they find a comfortable position before you try putting them to sleep. Just your presence might be reassuring enough for them to fall asleep.

It is very important to make sure that you along with your infant get some well-deserved rest. Use these tips to help you make them fall asleep faster.