1) Consistency and repetition!! I cannot stress enough how children learn from being consistent and repeating the same thing every time or every day. Babies and toddlers thrive on a daily routine, knowing what to expect. So during the day, we stick to feed, play, sleep. Then when evening comes, dim lights, lower voices and it’s the same short & sweet bedtime routine…bath, massage, swaddle, feed & in bed!
2) Timing!! Timing is everything for these little ones, if they are put down for a nap too early, they will fuss because they weren’t ready, too late, they will fuss because they are overtired! Once you learn which sleepy sign is crucial to your little one, you will know exactly when to lay them down.
3) Sleep associations!! At first with your brand new baby, you’ll want to cuddle, hold and rock all the time! That’s ok for the first 2-3 weeks maybe, but after a while, they will get used to it and “expect” it every single time. So the sooner they learn how to fall asleep independently when you first lay them down, the better in the long run!
4) Same sleep space!! For the first 2-3 weeks, your baby can and will most likely sleep anywhere throughout the house. Most babies are ok with that for a while, but some babies (especially preemies) will be way too stimulated by the lights & sounds that they cannot settle and will have interrupted sleep. Move your baby to their regular sleep space, in the dark & with white noise, sooner rather than later. Again, consistency!
5) Night sleep!! Everyone has heard, “sleep begets sleep”, so when they do not get the proper day sleep they need (up to 6 hrs) this will obviously affect their night sleep! The quality and duration of a baby’s night sleep have a greater impact on overall growth and development than day sleep. That’s why we don’t wake a sleeping baby at night! Remember, more sleep less food at night, more food less sleep in the day.
