8 Steps to Help You Get Your Baby to Sleep Through the Night

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How to get your baby to sleep through the night?

Try not to blame yourself in anyway, we feel you and feel for what you're going through. Everyone knows that motherhood is a difficult journey, but there are many things that make the hardships all worth it. You and your baby are experiencing something new for the first time together, and it takes some time for both of you to get used to it. Just remember that sleep its vital for you and of course your baby's healthy growth.

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1. A consistent bedtime

It's not too early for you to start establishing a sleep routine with your baby from even the first month. You can do this in a number of ways, like linking certain actions to the bedtime. For example, set a specific time when you turn off the lights and the television, put your baby in bed, and so on. The baby will gradually learn that this is bedtime. Of course, not from the first time around for even second, it takes patience and persistence.

2. Swaddling!

It is an old custom that grandmothers used to follow, but it made a comeback after doctors proved its effectiveness. It consists of wrapping the baby in a soft cotton blanket that restricts movement and makes them feel warm. Its purpose is that all babies from the first couple of months up to the fourth have irregular sleep due to the feeling of a sudden fall. Doctors confirm that this sensation is because of the difference in environment from the mother's womb. So the swaddling makes them feel safe. However, when the baby starts to move more, swaddling can annoy them. Make sure you check with your doctor when to use swaddling, when to stop and what are its health benefits. 

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3. Breastfeeding before bed

It is normal for your baby to sleep several times during the day. But try to set aside a specific time to breastfeed him well before he sleeps at night. This will help you with two things; the first is setting a fixed time for your baby to sleep, and the second is that the baby hopefully won't keep waking up at night. Being hungry and thirsty are some of the main reasons your little one wakes up at night.

4. Reducing naps during the day

We know very well that you can't wait for your baby's nap time, so you can get things done. But, the longer the nap lasts, the less sleep your baby will get at night and so you won't sleep either. So try to ensure that your child's naps throughout the day are not long, that is, the duration of the nap does not exceed two hours each time. Try to wake him up, play with him, or even hold him in your lap for a bit.

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5. Balance between noise during the day and quiet at night

Your baby can't tell when it's time to be up or go to sleep, but you can help with that. During the day, you can keep your baby awake by having some noise around so it's difficult to fall asleep and do the opposite at night. That way the baby can start associating quiet time with sleep. 

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6. Changing diapers before bed at night

It is difficult for a baby to sleep deeply when the diaper's wet. So a rule that you can follow is to change the diaper before bed.

Note: It is preferable to change the diaper before feeding your baby at night. Because after breastfeeding, babies tend to fall asleep and if you change diapers during this time, it could wake them up and be hard to get them to sleep again.

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7. Avoid disturbing your baby

What is meant here by disturbing your baby's sleep is not necessarily by turning on the lights or making noise. What we mean is that it's normal for babies to wake up at night, cry a little for minutes, and then go back to sleep. Or they wake up, look around and sleep again. These are all normal and healthy things. But what parents usually do when this happens is immediately go over to the baby and start trying to put them back in bed. This gradually stops the baby from doing this on their own. It is better to watch the baby at first, if the crying doesn't stop and they don't fall asleep, then you can intervene.

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8. Patience, patience, and patience

We cannot fail to mention this step, as it is the most important thing. Your baby will not get used to sleeping at night in a day, but they will need your patience to get used to it. Remember the earlier you start this, and the more patient you will be, the faster you'll see a difference. 

Main Image Credits: Instagram @jennycipoletti