How To Get Baby To Sleep Through The Night

Copyright 2005 Wendy Owen
Much as we love them, babies can bring parents to their knees
when they wake frequently during the night
Tired from a hard day at work, it’s hard to get up in the wee
hours of the morning to soothe a crying baby who probably
doesn’t realize he’s supposed to be nice and quiet so the rest
of the family can get some rest!
So how do we cope with this situation? The first thing to
realize is that babies do wake frequently during the night as
their sleep cycles are shorter than ours Most times we are
unaware of this as they often just close their eyes and go back
to sleep again
However if your family’s sleep is being disturbed all the time,
helping baby sleep through the night is priority number one!
Here’s some things to try
Make sure he goes to bed at the same time every night – In other
words establish a baby sleep schedule Babies young children
find routines comforting, it makes them feel secure Whether
it’s a bath, a cuddle or a bedtime story, try to do the same
things every night
Don’t put him down too late – It’s a fact that sleep deprived
babies wake more frequently Let him have naps during the day
when he seems tired, this will help him sleep better at night
Don’t stimulate your baby in the evenings or close to bedtime
He will find it harder to go to sleep and may wake up more
often Make the hours before bed soothing and relaxing
Give him a chance to go back to sleep on his own Babies will
often do this if left for a few minutes Falling back to sleep
by themselves establishes good sleeping habits Of course if he
becomes really distressed you need to attend to him
Is he too hot or too cold? Make sure the room is at a
comfortable temperature A baby’s room should also be dark and
quiet for him to sleep properly
Make sure he’s not sick Babies can fall sick quite quickly If
he has a cold, a stuffy nose could be making him restless
Is he thirsty? Sometimes a drink of water will settle him Don’t
offer sugary drinks or milk if it’s not his normal feed time
Separation anxiety – Sometimes babies can wake up and not
realize you’re in the room next door In this case just calling
out to him may suffice
Night terrors and nightmares – They sound similar but are
actually quite different Babies will wake up frightened after a
nightmare They may act frightened when they are experiencing
night terrors but are not awake In any case they need to be
comforted
Music soothes everyone, even animals! If you have a tape or CD
of lullabyes, this can work really well
So try what works for you and your baby Take a nap during the
day yourself if time permits Don’t worry if you get grumpy
sometimes, you’re not supposed to be perfect
Just remember these trying times won’t last for ever If you
have a happy baby during the day, you’re doing OK!

Tags | bedtime, crying, cuddle, evenings, habits, helping, night, priority, result, sleeping, stuffy, sugary