7 Tips To Help Your Baby Sleep Though The Night

Caring for a baby during their first few months of life is usually exhausting for mothers. This is mainly because babies don’t sleep through the night and mothers cannot get enough rest without being interrupted. Below we’ll provide seven tips to help your baby sleep through the night, so keep reading.

The fact that babies don’t sleep through the night is a survival mechanism. They are constantly alert, and they wake up often if they are uncomfortable, if they are hungry, or just to make sure that you are close by.

The good news is that as they grow up, their sleep cycles will gradually become longer, like an adult’s. During the first 6 months with your baby, you will notice a lot of changes and starting from this age, babies go through significant development which makes their nighttime sleep more continuous and quiet.

Despite this, not all children develop or behave in the same way. Some of them will sleep through the night starting from the age of 6 months, while others will not do this until they are 2 or older.

What You Can Do To Help Your Baby Sleep Through The Night

Establish a routine: 

Specialists recommend setting a schedule and following it every day, as closely as possible. This helps to gradually create good sleeping habits that allow for the most rest time possible.

Place them in their cradle before they are completely asleep:

The idea behind this is for them to be aware that they are sleeping in their crib and for them to wake up in the same place they fell asleep.

If you put them to sleep in your room, in the living room, or any other part of the home and then move them to their crib, chances are they will notice the change and wake up.

Let a little time pass between their last bottle and putting them in the cradle:

Do not put your baby down immediately after feeding them a bottle or breastfeeding as this may cause regurgitation, gas, or colic.

Make sure to wait at least 20 minutes to prevent these discomforts which will stop your baby from sleeping.

If your baby wakes up at night do not go to them immediately:

Usually mothers immediately come to the rescue if they hear their little one has woken up or started crying a little. We recommend that you have a little patience, stay close to your child’s room, but quietly wait in case they go back to sleep on their own.

In any case, if your child can not fall asleep on their own, go to their side and try to calm them gently by patting them or singing to them, without turning on the light.

Above all, avoid taking them out of their cradle. You can console them but from outside the crib so that they understand that they must continue sleeping.

If you are still breastfeeding, offer them your breast:

Your child may not be hungry, but it has been proven that your child not only seeks food from your breasts, but can also to be comforted and calmed by them.

Listening to your heartbeat is one of the most effective ways for your child to calm down and fall asleep or go back to sleep if they have just woken up.

If your baby is healthy and at a normal weight, they do not need nighttime feeding:

If your baby is over 8 months old, is healthy, and gains weight over time, you do not need to feed them during the night.

Often, babies are not hungry, but thirsty. Offer them a bottle filled with water. The simple feeling of suckling can relax them and put them back to sleep.

Make sure that they are sleeping enough during the day:

Naps are very important for them at this age. Don’t think that your baby will sleep better at night if they sleep less during the day.

This is not advisable, because it could prevent them from feeling tired at the usual time, as tiredness can prevent them from falling asleep too.

It is important that babies sleep in a comfortable environment and in a climate controlled room. Before making any changes to your child’s routine, you should know that good sleeping habits will build a strong foundation so that in the future your child’s health is not negatively impacted.

These impacts could include insomnia, headaches, mood swings, lack of concentration, or even a poor appetite.