Posted on May 30th, 2022

Start a Bedtime Routine

You can start a bedtime routine as early as 2 weeks but certainly, by 6 weeks it’s worth having a short and simple routine in place. The idea is to do the same steps in the same order every evening, this way your little one is cued for a longer stretch of sleep. Complete the last step in the room your baby will be sleeping in for example: bath, dressed for bedtime, then straight into bed rather than going down to the living area before bed so that your baby isn’t too stimulated before sleeping.

Create a Sleep Friendly Environment

Try to make your child’s sleep space calm, quiet and dark. No busy mobiles overhead, no bright light projectors on the ceiling or anything else that’s very visibly stimulating where possible. Keep the room at a steady comfortable temperature (16-20 degrees celsius) and dress your baby appropriately. If your baby sleeps in your room avoid having a TV or IPad etc on as screens emit blue light which inhibits melatonin (the sleep hormone).

Sleep Space

When your little one wakes up during the night or whilst they are trying to settle to sleep at bedtime, give the following a try: Try picking them up to calm them and then place your baby back down awake Repeat this a few times to help them become aware of their sleep space Try to soothe them in their crib rather than in another space - we want your little one to feel safe in their space, with a sense that you are close by.

Avoid Over Tiredness

Getting overtired is one of the biggest causes of sleepless nights, this sounds counterintuitive but it’s true! A well-rested baby will sleep far better than an over tired baby. Remember this phrase... “Calmer days equal calmer nights” Avoid busy, noisy places where possible at nap times, as your baby will be aware of the outside world and only get light sleep.

Drowsy but Awake

Once your baby is 6-8 weeks practice putting your baby down, still awake when they are ready to sleep. Some call this state “Drowsy but awake”, but when they are too drowsy this won’t work. Just practice to begin with by helping them along to sleep if need be, but from 4 months you can give them a little more chance to self-settle before “rescuing them”. It takes time to master the skill of self-settling but this practice will help your baby develop this over time.