Help Baby Sleep Through the Night

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Helping Your Baby Sleep Through The Night

by Cassie Germsheid, Contributing Editor

While some parents are blessed with babies that sleep through the night
early on, most parents are plagued with sleepless nights for both them and
baby. Here is my best tip to help baby sleep through the night so you can
get your rest too.

Establish a routine as soon as possible

Having a routine doesn’t necessarily mean bed time exactly at 8 o’clock.
It’s more helpful to establish events that precede bedtime so that baby
comes to expect it. Here are a few ideas:

Bath time - Bathing your baby every night before bed can help calm them and
prepare them for sleep. Keep it soothing though and avoid playing with too
many toys. Some sleepy time lotion works really well.

Read a book - There are lots of books specifically about bed time that you
can read to your child each night. Or you can choose one of your personal
favorites from your own childhood.

Rocking chair - Whether you breastfeed or bottle feed your child, you can
rock them in a rocking chair while you feed them to help get them sleepy.
The trick is to put them in their crib before they fall completely asleep
since you’re trying to get them to learn how to fall asleep on their own. It
may take a few days or even a couple weeks to get to that point, but staying
consistent will really help.

Lullabies - Lullabies were created for a reason. They’re great for soothing
your baby and can even put them right to sleep. You can sing to them while
you rock in a rocking chair, or sing while they’re laying in the crib. There
are also some great lullaby CD’s you can purchase if you aren’t the greatest
singer.

All of the above are perfect situations for which you can bond with your
baby. However, every baby is different and has different sleep patterns. If
something doesn’t seem to be working after a valiant effort, try gradually
changing the routine until something does. It’s a learning process for both
you and baby, and it’s a great opportunity to get to know them. And don’t
forget - consistency is the key.

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Filed under: Baby Gear