How To Get Your Baby Sleep Through The Night? - Follow 8 Easy Tips

"Infants aren't wired well neurologically," according to Dr. Charles Pohl, Director of the Network of Apnea and Pediatric Sleep Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.* Their sleep is mostly fragmented because they have smaller tummies that requires constant filling up. Moreover they don't understand the difference between night and day. Source

Some children (of extremely lucky parents) are able to sleep through the night as early as 6 weeks, but most others start only when they are over 4 months old. And parents can establish a sleep routine pattern in a way that children gradually get up fewer times in the night until they learn to not get up at all. How?

8 Tips To Make Your Baby Sleep Through The Night

Here are some easy baby sleep tips you can start with...

1. Set a Bedtime Routine: Contrary to what many mothers believe, bedtime routine can be set as early as 6 weeks. All you need to do is make your baby understand that it is time for bed. And how do you do that? Play quiet games, give baby a soothing bath to calm him/her, keep the lights dim and sounds off. The ambience should be sleep-conducive. And this should be consistently followed, night after night, until your baby understands that it is time to sleep when you start the first activity
2. Let your Baby Sleep on His/Her Own: Don't try to rock her and pat him/her. If he/she is falling asleep, let her/him be. They should gradually be able to sleep on their own without any external assistance. Don't put them on your lap or rocking chair to bring them to sleep. These are very hard to wean off
3. Make Sure to Feed Your Baby Just before You Sleep: When it is time for your sleep, gently wake up your baby to ensure that she has had her share of milk for the night. That way, when the tummy is full, the need to get up no longer exists
4. Don't Rush to Feed When Baby Gets up At Night: If your baby gets up in the middle of the night and cries, don't rush to feed. Let them cry for a while. Sometimes they go off to sleep on their own. The idea is to make them know that if they get up in the night, they will always be fed to sleep
5. Stretch out Feed Timings at Night: Very slowly, reduce the feed timings at night, whether it is through bottle or breast milk. Start by reducing the time by 5 minutes and gradually keep increasing the time, until they don't need to be fed at all in the night
6. Try Shifting Your Baby to the Crib at Night: If you have the habit of making your child sleep next to you, by the time your baby is 4 months, start using a crib. Your proximity is a temptation for your baby to feed. If your baby feels insecure, try giving a soft toy. Giving other toys to sleep with is a bad idea. It can cause injuries and sometimes could choke the baby too
7. Avoid Diaper Change at Night: Unless your baby is a mess at night, avoid changing diaper at night. Even if it has to be done, do it very slowly and carefully without the lights on
8. If Baby Wakes Up at Night, Ignore for a While: When babies are about to reach a milestone, they tend to get up in the middle of the night and practice it. Make sure you don't entertain it. Pretend to ignore. That way, they will gradually go off to sleep on their own

Besides, these techniques, many moms follow the Ferber Method, introduced by Richard Ferber, a pediatrician and former Director of Pediatric Sleep Disorders at Children's hospital in Boston. You could look up and try this method if it suits you. The point to remember is that we need to give children some time to settle down in the new environment and gradually introduce baby's to some positive sleeping habits and positions. This may be quite exhausting but it is necessary as well.

Parents have to be patient and choose a technique that works for them rather than rush and get frustrated. Each child is unique, so what works for one may not work for another. Therefore, it is important to test and try and finally follow your chosen method consistently. While you are at it, talk to fellow moms and keep your outlook positive.

Did you like the blog on how to make your baby sleep through the night? Do you have some more tips? Share your views and feedback in the comments section below.