8 Tips to Help Your Newborn Establish Healthy Sleep Habits

A good night’s sleep for your baby translates into a well-rested night for you as well.

Healthy sleep habits have been shown to help a baby’s development, mentally and physically. At their age, every part of their body is developing quickly, and so it’s very important to help them establish healthy sleep habits early on.

We all know that a baby can only sleep for so long at a time, but there are things you can do to help the baby develop a good routine that will help baby to sleep. A routine is key to having a baby sleep well on their own, and it is how you will eventually help baby sleep through night. It’s also helpful for parents because they will know what to expect and provide a better sense of control.

Here are few tips to help your baby sleep for long hours at night.

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#1 – Sleep Duration

According to the National Sleep Foundation, Newborns should be getting 14–17 hours of sleep within a 24-hour period

Newborns require many naps during the day, but sometimes they can last up to 2 hours long. Any nap longer than 2 or 3 hours is excessive, and you should try to keep track and wake up your baby if they are exceeding this limit.

In keeping your baby’s naps under 2-3 hours, you will have a much better time getting baby to sleep for longer and more comfortably at night.

#2 – Establish a Routine

Try to put your baby to sleep at the same time each day. It doesn’t matter what times you choose, but try to stick to them.

Associate your baby’s bedroom or crib with sleep by putting him to sleep in the same place each day.

Take out any distractions or toys and keep the light and the sound low, or at least consistent. You don’t want your baby being kept awake because they were too busy playing with a loud toy in the crib.

#3 – Keep your baby active to tire them out during the day.

Spend time throughout the day playing with your baby, engaging them in physically and mentally stimulating activities.

Especially towards the evening, you’ll want them tuckered out right before the last feeding leading up to bedtime.

We recommend trying a baby massage right before bedtime. A baby massage can help to help stimulate and tire out the baby, and it can become a routine activity to help them get ready for nighttime.

#4 – Make sure that the baby is full before bedtime

Feeding the baby is a great, natural way to tire them out and send them to sleep.

Most babies wake up in the night to feed. Ensuring that they are very full before they drift off to sleep is a great way to help prolong a nap or bedtime.

When breastfeeding or bottle-feeding your baby, if they start to drift off before eating their fill, you can wake them up to finish feeding for a few minutes, to help them get those extra calories that will keep them asleep for a bit longer.

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#5 – Bath before bedtime

A warm bath right before bedtime can be a great way to relax your baby. The process of being undressed moved around and played with in the bath is highly stimulating, and can tire out your baby from the activity alone. The warmth of the water will also warm up the baby’s body, which will make it

Many parents like to put the baby to sleep immediately after a bath so that they begin to associate bathing with sleep time.

If you do this for a few weeks, this can help the baby to develop a routine.

#6 – Keep the baby comfortable

Comfortable pajamas and bedding are essential for your baby. Also, you need to ensure that the room is not too hot or too cold for the baby to sleep comfortably.

One problem that many parents experience, is a baby removing their socks! This can lead to cold feet and an awake, cranky baby.

To help alleviate this problem, we recommend taking a look at Sock Ons, a company that provides many products to help mothers to establish healthy sleep for their newborn babies.

#7 – Avoid an overtired baby.

Newborn babies should only be awake from 45 min to 120 min at a time. If your newborn baby is up for more than an hour, you need to start thinking of activities to tire them out and put them to sleep before they become overtired.

An overtired baby is much harder to put to sleep. They can quickly become very cranky, and they will give you the “I’m TIRED!” cry. This can be very frustrating for a parent, as they will often only be able to cry themselves to sleep at this stage.

It’s best to just avoid letting the baby get overtired in the first place. Don’t let them stay up past 120 minutes, be proactive and get them down for a nap ahead of time.

#8 – Keep a plush toy in your baby’s crib.

A soft, small plush toy that your baby can associate with sleep time can help them stay calm and feel secure.

Many parents use a teddy bear, or a plush dog, a cat, or another preferred stuffie animal. Whatever you choose, it must be small, soft, and quiet, so that it does not risk bothering the baby as they are drifting off to sleep.

 See also: Best Stuffed Animal for Baby to Sleep With

Conclusion

Sleep helps babies stay healthy, and keeps away fussiness and other undesirable behavior. We have provided some simple tips to help get you and your baby on the right track to developing the routines to support healthy sleep habits.

Ensure that your baby develops healthy sleep routines early in life. Your baby will be better off for it, and you’ll be much happier as well!

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We hope you found these tips helpful for you and your baby. Let us know what you think in the comments below!