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4 Things You Shouldn’t Do Before Your Baby’s Bedtime
Sleeping is important for your little bundle of joy’s health and growth. Therefore, it is only imperative for you to ensure that your beloved baby gets enough rest and sleep. A baby that lacks sleep is a fussy baby, and a fussy baby will cost you your rest and sleep as well. Such is the vicious cycle of the parent-child relationship. With that said, what are the things you should prioritise when you put your baby to sleep? What are the things that you should refrain from when putting your baby to sleep? This guide offers some tips that come in handy for you! So these are the four things to avoid before your baby’s bedtime:
Cradling Your Baby To Sleep
Some babies need crutches or aids to help them fall asleep faster and better. This is due to the fact that around this period, your baby has yet to formulate a coping mechanism to soothe themselves to sleep. Therefore, they will depend on their surroundings or you to help them sleep. Since cradling your baby to sleep is one of the best ways to help your little darling sleep, you might be tempted to keep them gently rocked or cradled. While this is a good way to lull your baby to sleep, this method can also be a double-edged sword for you.
How so, you may ask. Cradling your baby to sleep on a consistent basis will make your baby heavily reliant on it to fall asleep. In fact, it will be harder for your baby to fall asleep without your presence near them. To remedy this issue, you can have your baby fall asleep in their own crib instead of your arms. By establishing this bedtime routine, you will be able to train your baby to become more independent and less reliant on your presence to fall asleep!
Feeding Your Baby Late in The Night
Contrary to popular belief, your baby does not need extra calories to help them fall asleep! While it is important to keep your baby well-fed before they go to bed, you don’t necessarily have to feed them again if they happen to wake up late at night or in the middle of the night. Thus, it is important to avoid this because late-night feeding would not only disrupt your sleep but also lead to unhealthy eating habits for your child.
When your baby is used to indulging themselves with late-night feeding, they will feel very full in the morning and hungry at night, causing a chain of unhealthy cycles that will keep your baby up at night. However, of course, every child’s condition is different. Hence, you should get your paediatrics’s advice before trying to establish any feeding routine. If you’ve got the green light from your paediatric, try to be firm with your newborn and shut off any chances for them to get food after their bedtime meal.
Letting Your Baby Sleep Anywhere
While it might be easier to let your baby have a snooze in their stroller or in the car, it will be harder to put your baby to sleep during their bedtime. Why? When your baby naps in the car or stroller, they are being moved or rocked when they fall asleep. Over time, they lose the ability to self-soothe and rely on movement to fall asleep. Furthermore, when your little ones fall asleep in the car or stroller, they are not getting a deep, restful sleep. This is because motion sleep keeps the brain in a light sleep. Car naps can mess up your baby’s sleep cycle because they tend to be shorter — around 20 to 30 minutes — which is not a full sleep cycle. Not to mention, your babies may wake up when you stop the car, too. As a result, your little one may have more fragmented sleep at night, too.
To help your baby develop healthy sleep habits, establish a familiar and proper sleep environment for them. It’s best if your baby can nap and sleep at night at the same place every day. While we understand it’s not possible to follow this rule all the time, try to plan your daily errands around your baby’s nap time. Get the help of your family members, a nanny, or a babysitter if needed.
If you are interested in more baby-related products that will help your baby sleep better during bedtime, you might want to give MumChecked a visit! They have plenty of options for baby and maternity products for your convenience. Happy browsing!
Not Putting Them To Sleep Earlier
Some parents might have the idea that letting your baby stay up late will cause them to tire out and naturally fall asleep. While it does seem like a logical explanation, this is most likely a myth. Getting your baby to sleep late would only make them accustomed to staying up later than their usual bedtime. When your baby stays up more often, they tend to get tired more often. This will result in your baby taking a long time to sleep and being awakened from their sleep more frequently.
So, what is the solution to this case, then? We understand sometimes infants tend to have their own thoughts about when and how fast to fall asleep. Because of this, parents are left with a hard time getting their babies to sleep. However, don’t despair. We have a few tips to help your baby sleep.
- Bath
It’s funny how a nice bath can induce sleep. Warm water accompanied by soft and tender strokes with a washcloth can relax your baby. Keep away the toys and speak in low tones to make bath time a calming experience for your baby.
- Massage
Babies who enjoy a 10-minute massage before bedtime fall asleep quicker than those who only sing a lullaby. So take out that baby-safe oil and massage his or her entire body with soft strokes and controlled pressure.
- Hands-On
When you shift your newborn into the crib to sleep, put your hand tenderly on her head, stomach, and arms to comfort and calm her. The fact that you’re close to her can do wonders for your baby’s quick night’s sleep. Furthermore, singing or talking in a soothing voice can help your infant drift into dreamland quickly, knowing mom is safely close at hand.
- Nighttime routine
A consistent bedtime routine can help your infant understand it’s time to doze. Moreover, select a soothing ritual and adhere to it. Consistency will make your newborn to sleep faster.
- Swaddling
It’s no secret that learning how to swaddle a baby in a comfortable blanket is crucial to making your baby fall asleep faster. Your baby was accustomed to being tightly packed while in the womb, so being swaddled in a blanket mimics the experience, inducing a quick, deep slumber.
- Sleepwear
Sleepy babies in their pyjamas make for an amazing look. However, sometimes infants develop irritation to synthetic fabrics, which can hold back sleep. Switch to natural fibres, for example, cotton, to avoid sensitivity.
- Keep Cool Room Temperatures
For sleeping babies, their patterns also can be influenced by temperature. Your little one will sleep better if the temperature is just right. Ideally, keep the temperature in your infant’s room between 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid SIDS.
- White Noise
It’s always quite frustrating when you’re trying to soothe your baby to sleep, only for someone to slam the door in the neighbouring house and disturb your little one. Most babies can’t go into a deep slumber unless the surrounding environment feels safe. To drown out any external noise, turn on the fan, and you’ll see your child fall asleep faster. You can also play music albums.
- Use Light Tactically
Lights turn on your baby’s biological ‘go’ button while darkness stimulates the brain to discharge melatonin, a vital sleep hormone. To induce nighttime sleep, have dimmers on the lights in your child’s room. Also, use dark curtains at night to set the mood.
- Transfer Your Infant to Bed Just Before They Doze Off
While this might be a little difficult for breastfeeding moms, it is worth the effort if you want your baby to drift off to sleep faster and remain asleep for longer. Children who drift off to sleep on their own often learn to ease themselves to sleep.
- Avoid Eye Contact
Infants are always easily stimulated. When you meet eye-to-eye with your baby, you are bound to catch her attention. Prolonged eye contact with your sleepy baby makes them snap out of their drowsiness. The more interaction before bedtime, the more impetus she has to stay awake. Instead, you should keep it low-key. While putting her down to sleep, avoid eye contact even as you belt out her preferred tune. Maintain your gaze on her tummy and soothe her to sleep with a gentle touch and serene voice.
If you are a new parent who is in need of help and guidance on putting your baby to sleep and more baby care responsibilities during your postpartum confinement, you might want to get the professional help of a mom confinement nanny! This can make your transition into motherhood much easier as the nanny will be able to help you with confinement care, baby care, confinement meal preparation, basic house chores and more.
In conclusion, these are the four things that you shouldn’t do before your baby’s bedtime. Preventing these mistakes is not only good for helping your baby sleep better, but it also helps you catch up on your much-needed rest and sleep!
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