How do I get my baby to sleep better? We’ve all asked this question.

All new parents look for tips, hints and suggestions for helping their baby sleep better. While newborns may not sleep through the night, there are steps you can take to ensure better sleep for your little one.

Develop a Regular Sleep Routine

Get your baby into a sleep routine that matches your lifestyle. Structured sleep habits help baby's development (not to mention parents’ health and sanity!). Babies prefer consistency, and most will easily conform to a regular routine.

Step 1 - Set your baby’s sleep times to best accommodate your daily lifestyle. Most babies will need two daily naps and one extended nighttime sleep.

Step 2 - Once a routine is set, be consistent with the time you get your baby ready for sleep. It should only take 3 to 4 days for your baby to remember the routine and start showing visible, sleepy signs minutes before their scheduled nap/sleep time.

Create a Comfortable Sleep Environment

A quiet, calm environment will help your baby settle down and shift into sleep mode. A few tips on setting a comfortable sleep environment:

Step 1 – The sleep area should be dim to dark with soft lighting (a night light), low music and a comfortable temperature of 68º - 74º. Mozart, nature sounds, or even an electric fan are ideal to soothe and prepare your baby’s auditory senses for sleep.

Natural, indirect light and a soft nightlight are ideal for visual senses. An open window or circulating air is fine, but make sure there is no draft directly hitting the baby.

Step 2 – Your baby should experience 15 to 30 minutes of high-level stimulus, 30-45 minutes before scheduled naps. Bright colours, lights and sounds, or simply being outdoors are excellent ways to stimulate their mind and senses. Be sure to have the sleeping area ready prior to naptime.

Step 3 – Get baby into quiet time or “settle down mode” 5-10 minutes prior to nap-time. Bring the baby to the bedroom, change nappy if needed, and place her in the LullaBag. Tell baby it is time for “night night”. If a bottle or nursing accompanies naps, then begin feeding. Otherwise, rock or swaddle baby to sleep for 3-5 minutes. For nighttime sleep, give baby a warm bath prior to settling down.

Sweet dreams!

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