For many parents, one of the biggest challenges of having a new baby is coping with lack of sleep. When babies are very young, their stomachs can only hold small amounts of food at a time, leading them to wake frequently to eat, explains KidsHealth. Newborns can also wake because of painful gas, a wet diaper or general loneliness. Some babies also have night and day mixed up, sleeping for long periods during daylight and being up most of the night.
Daytime Activities
Step 1
Keep your baby active during the day. Do not make other family members be quiet even if the baby is sleeping. Keeping her right in the middle of the action, with noise and lights on, will encourage her to stay awake and not sleep deeply at this time.
Step 2
Limit daytime naps. If the baby sleeps more than a couple of hours at a time in the day, wake him up. Sing to him, read him stories, tickle or bounce him, whatever it takes to keep him awake for periods of time during the day.
Step 3
Play with your baby for 20 minutes after each daytime feeding. Staying awake and stimulated during the day can help her be more tired at night.
Nighttime Routines
Step 1
Develop a bedtime routine. For example, give your baby a warm bath, read her a story, and give her the last bottle or nursing session before bed. This will signal to her it is time to settle down. Put the baby to bed when she is tired, but still awake. This way she will learn to soothe herself to sleep, advises the University of Illinois Extension.
Step 2
Wake the baby around 11 p.m. if he tends to fall asleep early and wakes because he's hungry. Drinking a bottle or nursing at this time might fill him up until early in the morning.
Step 3
Give your baby space. Do not rush into the room immediately if your baby begins to fuss during the night. She may be able to soothe herself back to sleep. When you do have to get up with the baby during the night, keep the lights dim and whisper or don't talk, recommends the Mayo Clinic. Feed the baby or change her diaper and lay her right back down so she learns nighttime is not playtime.
Tips and Warnings
- Be patient. As hard as lack of sleep can be on parents, it doesn't last forever. According to KidsHealth, many babies can sleep six to eight hours straight by 2 months old.
- Lay your baby down to sleep on her back unless your pediatrician advises you differently. Don't share your bed with your baby, as this can make him unable to fall asleep alone later. It also increases the chance of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. SIDS is a sudden and unexplained death that occurs in babies and is diagnosed when no other explanation can be found for the baby's death.
