5 Amazing Tricks to get Your Little One to Sleep through the Night

03/04/2017

Written by: Eugene Gabriel

Your baby can be your little bundle of cuddles and hugs that makes you all fuzzy on the inside, but a baby can also mean you turning into a sleep deprived zombie with bad hair! Fear no more! We have some amazing strategies that will help make your nights more peaceful.

You have finally managed to get the little one to shut his eyes and doze off after a painstakingly and tiresome two-hour long session of continuous rocking while singing ‘Rock a Bye Baby’. You gently carry him to the baby cot, ever so careful, like you are holding a bomb which will immediately trigger off if you make even a slightest of a wrong move. You place him in his cozy little baby cot. He is still asleep. Mission accomplished! That is the thought that crosses your mind. You slowly start to move away and make a swift exit from the door, but halfway across the room, a tiny shrill squeak reaches your ears and you suddenly freeze, eyes closed, praying that it is not what you think it is. But alas! Sleep seems like a luxury after having a baby and what you most feared has now become true. Your baby is up again. Your minute-long happiness of finally getting some shut eye is gone as soon as you start rocking the baby again.

Everyone talks about having a baby and finding joy in life, but nobody can really prepare you for the numerous challenges parenting throws your way. Babies cannot differentiate between night and day at the start but eventually their circadian rhythms start adjusting to the day and night schedule. Even after differentiating between night and day, they still keep waking up in the middle of the night again and again for reasons not unknown. So, how can you get that bundle of joy to actually live up to its nickname and let you get some sleep? Well, here are the best five ways to make sure your baby sleeps peacefully through the night.

1. No Binky!

Many parents find it easy to just hand a pacifier to their baby to keep him from crying through the night. It does help in calming down a crying toddler but it can also be one of the reasons your baby keeps waking up multiple of times during the night. Handing a pacifier to a baby at night can cause him to wake up every time the baby loses its binky. If your baby does have a habit of sleeping with a pacifier in its mouth, try weaning him off it so that both of you can enjoy some peaceful nights!

2. No Midnight Snacks!

You might feel like the baby keeps waking up at night because he’s hungry but making him rely on a feeding every time he wakes up during the night will definitely become a problem later on. In fact, after 6 months, many babies can go on a full night without being nursed. Start weaning your little one off midnight feedings slowly. But, be sure to consult your pediatrician before reducing or finishing off night time feedings.

3. White-Noise Sounds

Your playful and excited baby needs to know when it’s time to stop pooping and tooting and start yawning. Since the baby has no way of knowing when it’s night time, you need to start setting a schedule near the baby’s bedtime. Play white noise sounds before the baby’s bedtime and dim the lights. These sounds will help relax your baby and calm him down. Get a tape recorder and play whooshing sound like those of a hair dryer or waves near the baby’s bed. These noises will cancel out the other noises in the environment and help your baby fall asleep and stay asleep.

4. Don’t Baby the baby too much!

If your baby is in no mood to go to sleep, avoid soothing him for longer periods. If your baby has learnt a new skill, like for example crawling, it is likely that this excitement makes them not want to go to sleep at bedtime, or they might wake up at 3 a.m. and want to play. Resist the temptation to engage playfully with your baby at night time (we know it’s hard to resist those drooling little buggers but you must!). Engaging with your baby at night will make him more energetic and he will expect you to play with him every night he wakes up in between. If your baby wakes up during the night and tries to engage with your, or is crying, soothe him for 15 or 30 minutes. If the baby refuses to calm down, let him play till he tires out. Let your baby fall asleep by tiring himself out.

5. Comfort!

Make sure that your baby is comfortable when it’s time to sleep. It would be a pretty good idea to set a bedtime schedule for your baby to get him better acquainted with the concept of bed time. You can start by giving your baby a warm bath and changing him into comfortable P. J’s. If your baby has a stuffed animal that seems to calm him down, you might want to give it to him before bedtime. Dim the lights and make sure the room is free from any kind of distraction which might get your baby excited. A sleep inducing environment can work wonders for your baby to keep sleeping peacefully throughout the night.
Author Bio:

Eugene Gabriel has always been fascinated by the effects of good quality sleep, or the lack of it on human productivity and overall well-being. Read his post on healthy sleep routine of kids. You can also follow him on twitter @eugenegabrielj.