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1- Careful How Long You Let Daytime Naps Run
Itโs temptยญing to allow your baby to sleep as long as they like durยญing the day, parยญticยญuยญlarยญly if youโre sleep-deprived as a new mom. But the more they sleep durยญing the day, the less well they sleep at night, so donโt let naps go longer than two and a half hours, at most! This depends in part on how old your infant is, of course โ newยญborn babies sleep almost right through the day, except when they wake for feedยญings. But by the time they are three or four months old, startยญing rousยญing them to play when theyโve been asleep for over two hours, and theyโll be more ready for bed when the time comes.2- Develop a Structured Routine At Bedtime
Babies need order; it helps them cope with a wildยญly stimยญuยญlatยญing world that conยญstantยญly comes at them from all directions. Be sure theyโve got a fresh diaยญper on before bed, turn down the lights, and swadยญdle them in a cozy oneยญsie and snug blanยญket. Then craยญdle them in your arms and sing โ any song will do, proยญvidยญing your voice is calm and quiet. Turn on a white noise machine (weโll get to this step!) and genยญtly put your baby in the crib. Pause for a few moments if you wish to make sure the baby is comfortable. You shouldยญnโt stand there starยญing until your baby falls asleep, no matยญter how temptยญed you are! Babies are drowsy before bedยญtime, and they will fall asleep quickยญly and easยญiยญly once youโre out of the room.3- Consider Getting a White Noise Machine
These devices are wonยญderยญful for folks who live in busy areas with a lot of trafยญfic or for those who live with someยญone who snores loudยญly. They give off a low, conยญstant hum, much like a fan, seaยญside waves, or even an air conยญdiยญtionยญing unit.
Because the sound is steady and at a conยญtinยญuยญous freยญquenยญcy, it lulls peoยญple to sleep. The same prinยญciยญple applies if you put one in your nursยญery. Furยญtherยญmore, if you live in a busy houseยญhold that canโt be dead quiยญet because the baby is sleepยญing, itโs a great alterยญnaยญtive to conยญstantยญly shushยญing everyone.
With a white noise machine in the babyโs room, the teenagยญer down the hall who needs music to do their studyยญing can play it, no problem.
A white noise machine, on low, gives your babyโs audiยญtoยญry sensยญes someยญthing to focus on othยญer than the irregยญuยญlar hum of an active household.
4- Resist Rushing In At the Slightest Sound
It isnโt easy to keep from runยญning into your babyโs room at the first sound of them wakยญing, we know! But wait outยญside the nursยญery door for 60 secยญonds or so before going in and pickยญing the baby up for a cuddle. Many babies actuยญalยญly make soft noisยญes while they are still asleep, and othยญers rouse for a moment, then fall straight back to sleep when we let them. This pracยญtice encourยญages babies to fall asleep on their own someยญtimes, and thatโs the goal as they get older.5- Careful Where You Let Them Fall Asleep
By the time a baby is four or five months old, most can fall asleep alone. If you cudยญdle and stay with them until they are asleep and then put them in their crib, itโs not helpยญing them.
Babies often starยญtle awake in the night, and if theyโve fallยญen asleep in their crib withยญout you, they wonโt feel frightยญened when they wake in the night โ theyโll know where they are. But if they fall asleep in your bed and rouse at 3 a.m. in their room, the surยญroundยญings may feel unfaยญmilยญiar, and they may start crying.
