A few parents can boast that their newborns sleep through the night. This admission is especially disheartening for sleep-weary parents who still struggle to get their babies to sleep. If your newborn wakes up throughout the night, know that it is completely normal and healthy. Babies wake for a variety of reasons, and fostering the best sleeping environment possible could help your newborn sleep for longer stretches throughout the night.
Swaddling
Dr. William Sears, parenting expert and Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, recommends swaddling as a way for your newborn to feel comfortable and secure at night. Swaddling involves tightly wrapping a thin, lightweight blanket around your baby, effectively pinning her arms and legs to her body. Swaddling simulates the comforting position your baby assumed in the womb and reduces waking because of jerking arms and legs.
Sleep Environment
Your baby's sleep environment may be the thing keeping him awake. "Parents" magazine recommends setting the room thermostat between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit to foster the best sleep environment possible. Lie down in your newborn's room near the crib to see if any noises or lights could be disruptive to sleep. You might not notice that the hall light is too bright or the neighbor's dog is too loud unless you test it yourself.
Quiet Waking
It's inevitable that sometimes your baby will wake during the night. Whether the baby needs a diaper change or food, the way you handle night wakings may be perpetuating the problem of wakefulness throughout the night. When your baby wakes, keep the lights dim, suggests the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. Keep quiet, and avoid looking your baby in the eye or talking to her. Instead, quickly take care of the business that needs to be handled and place her back into her crib with as little light and noise as possible.
Bedtime Routine
A predictable and soothing bedtime routine can help you get your newborn ready for the concept of going to bed, according to BabyCenter. About an hour before you lay him down in his crib, begin various calming activities that prepare him for bed. Give him a bath, sing a song, offer him bottle or breast and rock for a while before you lay him down. Lay him down drowsy but still awake, so he learns to fall asleep on his own. A bedtime routine is an ideal way to begin mild sleep training so your baby knows what to expect at bedtime.
