How To Set A Sleep Routine For Your Infants?

As a new mom, the first weeks of your baby’s life will be incredibly challenging for you. Your infant won’t know the difference between day and night, and cannot sleep for too long without eating. You could be up at odd hours of the night, finding yourself trying to put a fussy, crying baby back to sleep. This is where a sleep routine for your baby can help.

In this article, we tell you how to establish a regular sleep routine for your little one so that both your baby and you can get a good night’s rest.

Why Is A Sleep Routine Necessary?

1. A calming sleep routine will make your baby relax and help him sleep much better
2. Sleep routines help you through difficult periods like colic or other disruptions in sleep patterns.
3. A sleep routine relaxes you, too, as you get to spend some quiet time bonding with your baby.

How and When Do You Establish a Newborn Sleep Routine?

When your baby is between 6 to 8 weeks old, his routine will become more predictable and you can begin implementing a sleep routine for him. Each baby is unique and so are their sleep patterns. However, following a basic bedtime routine will help you and your baby get a good night’s sleep:

Keep things quiet at night time
During the day, open the windows, let the light in, and let your baby get used to the regular daytime noises. During the night, dim the lights, talk to your baby softly, and avoid stimulating talk or actions.

An hour before bedtime
Give the baby a warm bath and massage him with baby oil or lotion.

Half an hour before bedtime
Change his diaper and move to the bedroom. Put him in a comfortable sleepsuit, and swaddle him in a soft baby blanket.

15 to 30 minutes before sleep time
Nurse your baby, but keep him awake while he feeds by talking to him softly or rubbing his hands or feet.

10 minutes before sleep time
Burp him, and then gently rock him or snuggle until he begins to fall asleep.

5 minutes before sleep time
Put him down in his crib and stay beside him until he is fully asleep. You can try and leave the room after that.

If he wakes up in the middle of the night, nurse him, change his diaper, and rock him back to sleep again. Keep your voice low and the lights dim. Thus, a bedtime routine will make it easier for you and your baby to have the best sleep possible.

Author Bio: Prapti Chauhan is a professor of Genetics in Bangalore. She has contributed to several online research papers. However, she passionately develops contents on pregnancy, childbirth, childcare, baby umbilical cord blood preservation, umbilical cord lining and more.