Getting Baby to Sleep Through the Night

Posted: Oct 31, 2010 |Comments: 0 |

Do you need some help getting baby to sleep through the night? Most of us have been there, me included so I know how hard it can be, how tired you get, and how desparate you become. Below you will learn the three best ways to get your baby to sleep through the night.

1. Get a Routine: When we get older, most of us learn to be flexible and so we can find it difficult to have a set routine, or see the importance of one. But children really need structure in their lives, they need to know what is coming next; it makes them feel secure and comforted. So if you are struggling with a baby who refuses to sleep, the first thing you need to do is establish a routine. Try to be as consistent as you can about when their nap times and bed times are (some flexibility is fine and is even recommended), but have a fairly structured plan and you will see improvement over time. Leading up to bedtime, have some quiet time and read some stories and sing songs to get them in a sleep mood.

2. Have Patience: In the beginning be prepared for a big fight and a lot of crying. Getting used to a new schedule isn't easy, and being left alone when you don't want to be is going to be a struggle for them. But to get results, and fairly fast results you need to have a lot of patience and to let them be. You can check on them from time to time to make sure they don't need a diaper change, but the rule of thumb for letting them cry it out is to let them do so for 1 hour. If by then your baby has not slept (this refers to nap times only) it is time to go in and get your child and forget that nap. For bedtime, just let them cry until they finally drift off to sleep. Each time the crying will get less and less until they have learned what the routine is and go to bed without a fuss. By then you won't be saying "my baby won't sleep at night" anymore!


3. Be Consistent: Just like needing a routine, it is very important that you be consistent when trying to establish a sleep schedule for your child. If you aren't consistent and leave them alone to figure this out for themselves, they will continue to rely on you in order to fall asleep. Babies are smart little creatures and figure out quickly that if they cry they will get their way, as long as they cry long enough. This is why it is important to let them go for an hour. If you continually go in to comfort them, they will assume that will continue and will have no reason to stop crying until they get their way. I know it can be hard to listen to, heart wrenching even, but it is for their own good to learn how to comfort themselves and fall asleep on their own. Babies who establish good sleep habits will continue to have those as adults, conversely, those that never learn to sleep well will always have that problem plaguing them.

It is going to take hard work on your part and will power, but the 3 ways to get your baby to sleep through the night described above is the best way to break the cycle so that you can stop saying "my baby won't sleep at night" and finally move onto the next stage of their lives. This will finally allow your family to get back to some good sleep that you desperately need as well. So, establish a routine, have a lot of patience and be consistent. It will work and will take less time then you think to get a baby with better sleep habits.

Getting baby to sleep through the night is the first step to establishing some normalcy again with your own sleep. When you are all better rested you'll have a happier baby and a happier you.

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