How To Encourage Healthy Sleep Habits from Day One

When I first had my daughter, I was given a single piece of advice from my mom friends; do whatever you need to do in the first three months just to keep your head above water. Sounds so desperate right? That’s because I was! I did whatever I needed to do in order to stay sane and in order to keep my daughter happy. But with my second I fell into the Sleep Sense Program and I’ve gained so much from becoming a sleep consultant, I know that it doesn’t have to be this way, even at this age. There are ways to encourage healthy and fuss-free sleeping habits in your baby from day one! So even if you don’t have a newborn now… save it for the next child or pass this along to a friend who is pregnant!

1.       Don’t let your baby stay awake for too long

Newborn babies cannot handle a lot of time awake because they get overtired very quickly. Typically, your newborn can only be awake for 45 minutes before she is ready to sleep again. In this window, you have time to feed her, change her, have a quick playtime session and then put her back to sleep. If your baby is crying, chances are she is simply just tired!

2.      Establish a bedtime routine

In the first couple months of your baby’s life, it’s almost impossible to get her on a firm schedule. But it’s never too early to get into the habit of a bedtime routine. It’s a great way to cue her and let her know that it’s time for her to sleep. As she gets older, her routine will change and will become her favorite part of the day.

3.      Let them fall asleep on their own

This is always a scary concept but it’s completely possible, even with a newborn! You want to put your baby down in her crib while she’s still awake and let her try to fall asleep on her own. Try to avoid rocking, bouncing or feeding her to sleep. As it might not be 100% successful right off the bat, allow her to practice and little by little, she’ll get the hang of it! Consistency pays off I promise!!

4.      Block out the light

We’ve all heard that newborns don’t know the difference between day and night. But keeping her in a very dark room will help her circadian rhythm (also known as your sleep/wake cycle) into effect and minimize confusion as to when she should be sleeping. When she is awake, make sure to surround her with natural light.

5.      Get outdoors

On the contrary, when a baby gets sunlight during her awake time, it also helps establish her circadian rhythm. When she is then out of the sun, her body will produce melatonin, which helps her get to sleep and stay asleep.