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How can I help my baby sleep at night?

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As a first time mom, you’ll have a lot to learn, including how to get your baby to sleep at night.

While every baby is different, there are plenty of well-tested tips out there to add to your new mom arsenal.

So, here are several easy ways to help your baby sleep at night, plus advice for your daily routine.

Newborn sleeping at night in black and white.

Get Tips From the Best Books

Before you even bring your baby home, you can start preparing for their newborn care. Get your hands on some smart first time mom books that will help set you up for success.

3 popular and proven choices are the Mother of All Pregnancy Books, Babywise, and Parenting with Love and Logic.

Babywise, is a particularly great resource to help you establish an effective newborn schedule and encourage your baby to easily go down at night (and for naps).

Follow a Set Schedule

Babies work best when given a specific schedule, following the feed-wake-sleep pattern.

As soon as your baby wakes up, make feeding a priority. Whether you plan to try breastfeeding or use formula, use those first moments to ensure baby is fed.

After baby is done eating, you can work on changing their diaper and introduce playtime, whatever that may be. Keep baby stimulated during this time to ensure they are good and tired when it comes time for sleep.

This process will encourage your baby to self-soothe rather than rely on you to get them to sleep.

Here is a great example of these newborn sleep tips in action, outlined by the hour.

Make Sure Their Environment is Ideal

To help baby sleep, you’ll want to make their environment as comfortable as possible:

  • Make sure baby’s room or (or your room) is at the ideal temperature (between 68 and 72 degrees) and that you use safe methods to keep your baby warm in their crib.
  • Keep the room as dark as possible at night so baby’s circadian rhythm (sleep cycle) is properly established.
  • Remove distracting stimuli that may capture baby’s attention.

Use Helpful Products

Newborns are used to being in the womb and sleep best in similar conditions. There are several helpful products out there that can help you achieve this environment in your home.

  • Use a swaddle or sleep sack to keep baby feeling safe and snug in their crib. Swaddles also keep their arms to their sides which prevents the startle reflex from waking them up.
  • Add a noise machine to their room to mimic the soothing sounds of being in the womb. You can set these machines to be quite loud to drown out other more jarring noises that can interfere with baby’s sleep.
  • Utilize a smart sleep system baby monitor which offers coaching and personalized sleep tracking. A good baby monitor will also give you peace of mind and keep you from having to enter their room to check on them.

Try Some Newborn Hacks from Seasoned Moms

Along with these tips, you can also try some newborn baby hacks from your mom friends and other trusted sources.

Here are some ideas that may be helpful:

  • Keep something close to baby’s crib that smells like you to help baby feel comforted and calm.
  • Give baby a soothing lavender bath right before bedtime.
  • Follow smart breastfeeding tips to ensure baby has plenty to eat and goes to sleep well-fed.

As with most things, helping your baby sleep at night will take a little trial and error to see what works best for your unique bundle of joy. But these guidelines and tips are sure to get you started in the right direction.

Be patient as you and your baby learn together and utilize the support of family and friends!

Check here for more first time mom tips, including must have newborn items, monthly baby photo ideas, tips for helping baby poop and more!