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Tips For Settling Your Newborn Baby

Once the rush of your new arrival has subsided, being a new parent can be exhausting, especially when it comes to getting enough sleep and ensuring that your little one is developing healthy sleeping patterns. Here are some great tips to get you and your baby off to a good start when it comes to catching those all important Zzz’s

Developing Healthy Sleeping Habits

Your newborn baby does not have a circadian rhythm yet, but instead will have a very short sleep cycle, due to a very tiny digestive system, which makes it necessary to feed every couple of hours. A newborn needs an awful lot of sleep – as much as 14 to 17 hours each day – but it will come in short bursts. The early months can be a difficult time, but remember this is only temporary! There are several things you can do early on, to encourage the development of healthy sleeping habits.

Safe & Comfortable

Ensure your child always has a safe and comfortable place to sleep. They should be settled on their back with their face and neck uncovered, tucked in for warmth but not so tightly that they cannot move their arms and legs.

Learning To Read Your Little Ones Signals

You are essentially meeting this little person for the first time, and it will take a little while to get to know your baby’s signals and for them to respond to yours, but stick with it. Experience will allow you to spot when your baby is getting tired and your baby has to learn how to go to sleep. Look for yawning, staring, fidgeting, grizzling and frowning and respond quickly before the baby feels too stressed, this way settling them will be easier.

Rhythmic Music & Sound

Babies respond well to rhythmic movement and sound. This is not surprising as they have been used to the sensation of movement, the mothers heartbeat and external noises during their time in the womb. Try rocking, patting, stroking, and speaking very softly or singing to your child. Skin contact and closeness is very important, and this can mean that holding your child as they settle and touching them in their cot as they start to drift off is very effective. These behaviours act as sleep cues so be consistent each time you settle your baby and they will learn that this means it’s time for sleep.

Learning The Difference Between Day & Night

After the first few months, your baby will become more suggestible to learning the difference between day and night. Feeding during the night will still be necessary but you can begin to build the foundations for healthy sleep patterns by developing a specific evening routine for settling your child and then keeping lights low, noise to a minimum and a calm atmosphere from then on, including how you speak to your child when they wake in the night. In contrast, during the day you can chat and make noise as normal so your child begins to learn that this is the time for being awake.

Reach Out For Help When You Are Feeling Exhausted

Each baby is different and your child may go through periods of sleeping better or worse. When settling them is not working, you can try a walk about in the pushchair or in your arms or a relaxing bath before starting your routine again. If you find yourself feeling exhausted, which is inevitable , particularly in the first few months as you adjust, recruit help in the form of a friend, loved one, or a professional to watch baby for you for a little while so you can have a refreshing power nap and recharge your batteries.

February 6, 2017

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