Unfortunately, a baby is born with no concept of night and day. Some newborns will even have a complete opposite sleeping pattern from his parents when born, due to backwards sleeping patterns established while in the womb. Sleeping during the night must be taught and might take some time to catch on. Most newborn babies will also wake several times during the night to eat. To ensure that your baby goes to sleep when it is your bedtime, there are some simple steps to ensure sleep.
Step 1
Before bedtime, play with your baby to make him sleepy. Engage him with favorite games such as peek-a-boo, look at brightly colored books together, and play with stimulating toys. Be animated and fun. Play for around an hour or until baby starts to appear tired by looking away from you or fussing.
Step 2
Bathe your baby in warm water. Use a bubble bath that contains soothing aromas such as vanilla and lavender. Talk to him softly as you bathe him, massage him with lotion and put him in some cozy pajamas.
Step 3
Feed your baby until he is satisfied. Begin with a bowl of rice cereal if he can eat solids, and finish with a bottle or breast milk. If he starts to fall asleep, wake him gently to make sure he gets a proper nighttime feeding that will last several hours. Burp the baby to ensure that nighttime gas will not cause pain and wake him.
Step 4
Rock the baby to sleep, if he is not ready to fall asleep on his own. Find a comfortable position for yourself and baby and rock gently back and forth. Ensure the room is dark and quiet. Turn on a fan or even a vacuum if the baby is crying and fussing. The white noise will remind him of the womb and calm him greatly. Saying "shhh" works as well for self-made white noise.
Step 5
Place the baby in his own crib rather than in bed with you to guarantee the best sleep and safety for everyone. Keep a bassinet in your room if you feel more comfortable being able to check on the baby throughout the night. Do not rush to pick up your baby if he fusses a bit at night; he may fall back asleep on his own if you let him cry for a few minutes. Remember that sleep will come in longer and longer spurts as he gets older, and soon he will sleep even longer than you at night.
