5 Tips to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night
Sleep is a thing of the past when you bring a newborn baby home.
At first, a baby needs to be fed approximately every two to three hours, twenty-four hours a day.
This means that one or both parents are waking up throughout the night with the baby.
Babies have tiny stomachs which cannot hold very much in them, which is why they need to be fed so often.
However, as the baby gets on in months, he can begin to sleep for longer stretches of time at night.
There are a few techniques that can help get your baby sleeping longer, with the ultimate goal of having your baby sleep through the night.
Most pediatricians will tell you that "sleeping through the night" actually means sleeping six or more hours.
Nevertheless, even six hours can be a welcome relief for most sleep-deprived parents.
Because babies typically wake up when their tummies are empty, one tip involves trying to ensure a full belly at bedtime.
"Tanking" up a baby may help them sleep longer during the night.
This technique involves nursing your baby (or giving a bottle if you are not breastfeeding) at his normal night time feeding.
Then one and a half to two hours later, nurse your baby again, but try not to completely wake him up and avoid a diaper change, unless there is a bowel movement.
Diaper changes tend to roust babies awake making it hard for them to go right back to sleep.
The goal of tanking a baby up is to give him enough to help keep him satisfied through the night.
Another technique is to put your baby to bed later at night.
Many babies tend to go to bed "for the night" relatively early.
So for even those babies who are sleeping for a decent stretch of time, he is likely still waking you up in the middle of the night since you go to bed later than the baby.
Try to get the baby on a schedule that is closer to yours.
It is also wise not to go to bed too late yourself and risk wasting precious time that you could be getting in some sleep.
If your baby goes to bed closer to your bedtime, then you will both have more time sleeping through the night.
Giving your baby a bedtime ritual is also a good way to signify night time sleep as opposed to shorter naps.
Babies thrive on routine, so making a special bedtime ritual can help your baby ease into a deeper slumber at night.
Perhaps a bath followed by a book before going to bed is just what the doctor ordered.
When putting your baby to bed, make sure he has a fresh, dry diaper and he's at a comfortable temperature.
If you do not dress your baby warm enough, he is likely to wake up during the night.
Although it may sound strange, making sure your baby gets plenty of rest during the day with regular naps will help him sleep better at night.
If he is not getting ample sleep during the day, it tends to disrupt a baby's ability to sleep peacefully through the night.
When your baby does wake up during the night, and he's at the age where he does not need to be fed as often, resist the urge to pick him up and feed him.
Instead, go in and rub his back and help soothe him, but keep him in his crib.
He will soon learn that crying for mommy and daddy will not get him out of bed.
As a result, he will ultimately give up and go back to sleep.
The best gift you can give your child is training him to soothe himself to sleep.
At first, a baby needs to be fed approximately every two to three hours, twenty-four hours a day.
This means that one or both parents are waking up throughout the night with the baby.
Babies have tiny stomachs which cannot hold very much in them, which is why they need to be fed so often.
However, as the baby gets on in months, he can begin to sleep for longer stretches of time at night.
There are a few techniques that can help get your baby sleeping longer, with the ultimate goal of having your baby sleep through the night.
Most pediatricians will tell you that "sleeping through the night" actually means sleeping six or more hours.
Nevertheless, even six hours can be a welcome relief for most sleep-deprived parents.
Because babies typically wake up when their tummies are empty, one tip involves trying to ensure a full belly at bedtime.
"Tanking" up a baby may help them sleep longer during the night.
This technique involves nursing your baby (or giving a bottle if you are not breastfeeding) at his normal night time feeding.
Then one and a half to two hours later, nurse your baby again, but try not to completely wake him up and avoid a diaper change, unless there is a bowel movement.
Diaper changes tend to roust babies awake making it hard for them to go right back to sleep.
The goal of tanking a baby up is to give him enough to help keep him satisfied through the night.
Another technique is to put your baby to bed later at night.
Many babies tend to go to bed "for the night" relatively early.
So for even those babies who are sleeping for a decent stretch of time, he is likely still waking you up in the middle of the night since you go to bed later than the baby.
Try to get the baby on a schedule that is closer to yours.
It is also wise not to go to bed too late yourself and risk wasting precious time that you could be getting in some sleep.
If your baby goes to bed closer to your bedtime, then you will both have more time sleeping through the night.
Giving your baby a bedtime ritual is also a good way to signify night time sleep as opposed to shorter naps.
Babies thrive on routine, so making a special bedtime ritual can help your baby ease into a deeper slumber at night.
Perhaps a bath followed by a book before going to bed is just what the doctor ordered.
When putting your baby to bed, make sure he has a fresh, dry diaper and he's at a comfortable temperature.
If you do not dress your baby warm enough, he is likely to wake up during the night.
Although it may sound strange, making sure your baby gets plenty of rest during the day with regular naps will help him sleep better at night.
If he is not getting ample sleep during the day, it tends to disrupt a baby's ability to sleep peacefully through the night.
When your baby does wake up during the night, and he's at the age where he does not need to be fed as often, resist the urge to pick him up and feed him.
Instead, go in and rub his back and help soothe him, but keep him in his crib.
He will soon learn that crying for mommy and daddy will not get him out of bed.
As a result, he will ultimately give up and go back to sleep.
The best gift you can give your child is training him to soothe himself to sleep.
