Sound sleep is very important for the health and full development of the baby. Many parents are faced with the problem of children’s sleep: babies sleep restlessly and wake up several times a night. So, how to sleep train your baby?
Firstly, in order for your baby to rest peacefully all night, you need to know and follow these basic rules.
Set a clear daily routine
Try to put the child to bed at the same time, plus or minus half an hour. A proper day routine concerns not only night sleep, for parents who adhere to a certain routine, their child usually grows more calm and balanced.
Just do not go to extremes, fanatical following of the day routine can harm the baby, monitor the mood and general condition of the child.
Create a specific bedtime ritual
It can be a bath in warm water, a relaxing massage, a warm drink or a light dinner. The child should not go to bed hungry, otherwise night awakenings are guaranteed for you.
Also try to avoid active games and excessive noise before going to bed.
A very important condition for good sleep is walking in the fresh air, do not be lazy – walk with your baby more often, especially if there is a park or square nearby.
Take care of a comfortable environment in the room where your child sleeps
The temperature should be pleasant, 68-72 degrees F (20-22 degrees C). In the heat and stuffiness it is difficult to sleep, and at too low a temperature, the baby may wake up because he is cold.
Be sure to ventilate the room before putting him to bed; in warm weather, you can leave the window open.
Buy a night light, it will create a pleasant twilight and if you need to get up at night, you won’t have to turn on the bright light and thus wake up your child.
Choose the right baby sleepwear
Sleepwear of your baby should be made of natural materials that are pleasant to the body, without coarse seams and intricate fasteners and zippers that can scratch the baby.
For winter and late fall, pajamas with fleece, thick knitwear or fleece are suitable, and for the warm season – light and spacious items made of linen or cotton.
A great option for tossing and turning babies is a baby sleeping bag. It does not hinder movement and is fixed on the chest, which avoids disclosure during sleep.
Do not accustom your baby to lulling to sleep in your arms and do not take him at the first squeak
Co-sleeping is a personal decision for each family, but still try to accustom the baby to his crib, otherwise a number of problems may arise later.
Follow these simple rules, and over time, the baby’s sleep will become strong and long.
Usual mistakes to avoid:
Lulling your baby in your arms. Do not do this! Baby will get used to falling asleep only in your arms.
You see that the child wants to sleep (rubs his eyes, his eyes are sleepy, puts his fist in his mouth, whimpers for no reason) – put him in the crib and put him to sleep according to the system described below.
Just like that and no hands. After 2-3 times everything works! If you lull your baby in your hands, then, of course, he will forget how to fall asleep differently, this is the problem.
Allowing different intervals between feedings. Feeding your baby when you feel it’s time to do so or when the baby is disturbed is not right.
The gaps should be as equal as possible!
Even in the first weeks, it is right and important not to run immediately to the crib and feed your baby to put him to sleep.
Just comfort the baby without feeding and lulling in your arms. The next night or in the next 2-3 nights, most likely, at this time he will no longer wake up.
By feeding your baby every night he wakes up crying – you are developing an unhealthy habit of nighttime feeding in the baby, which makes him wake up often at night, disturbing the baby’s sleep schedule.
Allowing to fall asleep under the breast during the day
This can only be allowed at night when it’s time according to the baby’s sleep schedule. The rest of the time there should be a clear order: food-wakefulness-sleep. Otherwise, your baby will not fall asleep normally.
How to retrain a child if everything is already bad
Don’t worry, there is still hope! This can really be done in 2-3 days! Just be methodical and patient, don’t back down!
1. Get rid of night awakenings
Set yourself up, your husband and everyone you need. Decide for yourself how your child should ideally sleep.
You will be shocked, perhaps, but books say, and I see that it is true, that at 4 months the child should sleep 8-10 hours at night, and eat 5-6 times during the day.
Determine that the child, for example, should sleep from 12 to 7 in the morning (or even from 10 to 8), that you want to get rid of all awakenings in between.
A child wakes up at night from the change of sleep cycles, and not because he wants to eat. It’s just that he can’t fall asleep because he’s used to lulling in arms or breastfeeding, that’s the problem.
And we solve this problem in this way – we do not feed at night, but lull back to sleep in his crib without picking him up and comforting him in the crib (hold his hands so that he doesn’t wave, talk to her, shake the bed). This is how you can teach your child to fall asleep more or less on his own.
It might take 2-3 days until your baby will learn to fall asleep on his own and his sleep cycle will adjust to its healthy course, making him sleep happily all night till morning.
2. Establish a daily feeding schedule
Determine, based on age, how many times a child needs to eat, and so divide the feeding to a day accordingly.
For example, there should be 5 feedings at the age of 4 months: 7-11-15-19-23. You can retreat for half an hour if necessary, but it is advisable not to do this, at least in these experimental days of establishing order.
Remember the order: food-wake-sleep.
If the child dozed off during feeding, gently shake him up, kiss him, in short, wake him up. Then you play for an hour and a half or two, and then let him sleep.
If it’s time to eat, and the child is sleeping – gently wake up, do not be afraid!
At least these days, adjust the system, then observe. The child’s body must also get used to the new feeding schedule, how to digest it and when to awaken the appetite.
Between feedings, if the baby is awake, entertain him. Play, walk, walk around the rooms, to the kitchen, to the bathroom, everything will be interesting to him, take your time!
3. Learn to fall asleep on your own
This is a separate topic, because it concerns both day and night. You see that your baby wants to sleep – put it in the crib, turn on the music, sing a lullaby.
Make a “nest” for the child in the crib from pillows, blankets, toys in order to “immobilize” him as much as possible.
You yourself can hold the legs and arms so he cannot wave them. Do all these in a complex, despite the crying of the child, if any.
If he cries because he cannot sleep, then in a couple of minutes he will stop it. Maybe in 10 minutes or 20, be patient and don’t back down!
Only if you see no sign of crying coming to an end and there will obviously be no sleep – ok, then we go to play or calm down on our hands, but at the first sign of him falling asleep – back to bed, that’s the only way. No hands!
Here it is also important not to miss the moment.
Watch when your baby wants to sleep, immediately get into the process mentioned above, don’t wait till crying.