Sleep tips for babies {or what works for us}

While I’m not one for strict routines or set times with a baby, having a flexible routine, especially come bedtime, really does make life easier. With all four of our kiddos, we’ve implemented a loose bedtime routine from around 6-8 weeks. They’ve all slept through from around the 8-12 week mark. Vega now at 13 weeks usually sleeps from around 10pm to 7am.

Establishing a bedtime routine early on is the best thing you can do to help them sleep well, kiddos like to know what is coming next, and doing the same things in the same order can help them settle easier.

Differentiate between Night and Day – During the day we keep it bright and loud, we don’t tell the other children to be quiet around the baby, we talk and smile and chatter to baby during feeds. Come night time, we keep lights dimmed, the noise down and don’t talk/play during feeds {though I’ll often whisper an ‘I love you’ into a tiny little ear}. Also, at night time, I only change nappies if they’ve pooped – I try and wake them as little as possible.

Watch your babies natural routine – I find that by the 6-8 week mark, my babies have settled into their own routine of sorts, and I know them well enough to know how much sleep they need, their signs they’re tired and how long they can stay awake for at a time. I don’t see the point of stressing trying to force a baby into a routine that goes against their natural rythems, rather I work with them and gradually make little tweaks here and there. My babies always seem to settle later in the evening – nearer the 10pm mark, but I’d much rather have their company in the evening than have lots of wake ups or early mornings! Do what works best for YOUR family.

Let them nap lots! It’s often surprising how much sleep babies need, a newborn can often sleep for 18 hours a day or more! My babies {thankfully} like to sleep lots! Babies who nap more are more likely to sleep well at night, oddly, overtired babies will wake more!

Bath,feed,bed
Create a little bedtime routine that you follow each evening. We do bath, feed, bed… there’s often a little play in-between feed and bed! We don’t have a set time, but following the same order of events means Vega knows that bedtime is approaching. I use these Earth Friendly Baby products at bathtime. They’re scented with Lavender which helps to settle them and make them sleepy. Vega loves a little massage with some baby lotion. Baby massage not only helps them sleep better, but can relieve teething issues, colic, and help them feel calmer.

He’s usually ready for a feed as soon as he hops out the bath, so I snuggle him up in his towel for a quick feed, then put him in his PJ’s, and then depending on how sleepy he is, either let him have a wriggle or pop him straight in his sleeping bag. He’s been using this GroBag since he was 6 weeks old and it’s fab. I’ve used sleeping bags for all my kiddos, as I know they can’t kick them off and get cold, or end up with blankets over their faces. This one is a 2.5 tog – perfect for this cold winter, it keeps him super warm and cosy and helps him sleep really well. Again, putting it on at bedtime is another cue that it’s time for a big sleep.

Encourage them to fall asleep alone Now, I’m not strict on this one. However, I do try in the day to pop Vega down before he’s too tired, and more often than not he’ll doze off by himself. It does help them learn to go from one sleep cycle to the next in the middle of the night without needing to be rocked/cuddled/fed back to sleep. However, Vega usually falls asleep on the boob at bedtime! So he’s often flat out when I pop him in his crib.

Don’t panic! It’s hard when you’re exhausted and run down from getting up a zillion times a night to feed a baby. Try not to panic and think that you’re never going to sleep again. All babies are different, some babies sleep through early on, others don’t. It’s pure pot luck. I’m a believer in going with the flow, figuring out what works best for you and your baby.

After four babies, I’m much more relaxed this time around! Our first was one of those magical babies who slept 12 hours from 8 weeks {don’t hate me!} the next two, I remember feeling so stressed, convinced they would never sleep through the night! Endless panics of ‘OMG they’re sleeping too much in the day’… now, I figure what will be will be!

No two babies are the same, some sleep lots, some don’t! What works for one baby might not work for another. Above all, listen to your instinct and your baby.