One of the toughest parts of raising a baby is getting them to sleep through the night. Some babies are born and instantly become heavy sleepers, whereas other babies keep their parents up all night, every night. As babies get older, sleep problems often become less of an issue, but there are certain things that you can do along the way to make things easier. It is possible to help your baby become a better sleeper with a few handy tips and tricks. Every baby is unique, and some tricks will work better for your child than they do for others.
Take a Drive
There is something about a nice drive that wears babies out. Strap them into their safety seat, give them a bottle or pacifier, and take a drive. Keep the music down to a low volume, and drive somewhere where there isn't too much background noise. The hum of the engine and the movement should lull your baby to sleep in no time. While this may not necessarily help her stay asleep, half the battle with babies who are troublesome sleepers is in getting them in the mood for sleep. A car ride can help get your baby to relax, even if it doesn't put him to sleep for good.
Start Swaddling
Swaddling is a great way to make your newborn feel secure enough to fall asleep and stay asleep. Most hospitals give new parents a rundown in swaddling before they take their baby home, but there are plenty of resources out there for parents who need the reminder. Swaddle your baby before you put him down, and he should wind down and fall asleep in no time.
Leave Your Scent
Babies are often soothed by the scent of their mothers. Try to calm your baby by leaving something with your scent in their crib to comfort her. Try your bathrobe or an old T-shirt. Take care to make sure that whatever you leave in your baby's crib is safe and out of their way to prevent her from suffocating while in her crib.
Dim the Lights
According to todaysparent.com, dimming the lights in your home is a great way to help your baby get in the mood to sleep. The dimming of the lights produces melatonin, a chemical that makes him sleepy. Try the light-dimming trick about an hour before bedtime.
Keep Her Nearby
While it is perfectly natural to want to keep your bed to yourself, it may help your baby to keep her crib or bassinet in the room with you. Not only will this make things easier on you when you do have to get up with her at night, but it might also help her to feel more comfortable and more prone to sleeping through the night.
Establish a Routine
If your baby goes down for the night whenever you are randomly ready to go to sleep, that may be part bad sleeping habits. Work on getting your baby into a routine so when it comes time to put him down for the night he knows what he is supposed to do--and do so at the same time each night. Whether your routine is a simple bath, book and bed routine or something more extravagant, getting him into a routine is the best way to prepare his little body for sleep.
