Improving Baby Sleep with Settling Techniques
Settling Down for Sleep
All babies wake often during the night.
You can influence your baby sleep patterns by following a consistent bedtime routine and settling your baby with the techniques described below.
It often helps newborn babies to have some gentle background noise while they sleep, at least for the first 3 to 6 months, longer if it keeps working.
Try humming or singing a lullaby, play a soothing CD or during the day let the baby hear the noise of the household.
Washing machines, dryers and vacuum cleaners can often work.
- Wrap your baby in a soft cloth like muslin to keep his arms and legs from jerking about and waking him up.
- Pat your baby gently. Start off with a fairly brisk pace and then slow down as your baby starts to settle.
- You can try rocking the baby in your arms, or in a pram or bassinet.
- Take your baby for a walk in their pram over bumpy ground, or drop a rolled up towel under the wheel and roll the pram back and forth over it.
- Put your baby in a sling. They may go to sleep while you go for a walk, do the shopping, etc.
- Check your baby is comfortable – not too hot or cold, not needing a change, not in twisted or tight clothing.
- For babies under about 3 – 4 months offer another feed.
Baby sleep patterns change over the months and once your baby is older and sleeping for longer periods at night you may like to try sneaking in a quick, quiet feed just before you go to bed.
This is called a ‘roll-over’ feed and helps your baby to sleep through. You need to be very gentle to pick up your baby to feed her as the idea is to avoid fully wakening her.
By the time your baby is over 6 months old (and providing they have had a good feed around 10pm) if they wake during the night try to settle them with a drink of water instead of milk.
If it hasn’t worked after 15 minutes or so, offer them a feed as usual. Your baby will eventually get the idea that waking in the night results in a drink of water and may just settle for sleep instead.
Settling Older Babies and Children
Once your child is older the reason for waking at night and crying becomes less to do with food or thirst and more to do with fear and anxiety.
They may have woken fully during a light phase of sleep and become worried that you aren’t near them, or find they are unable to get back to sleep. If your child is used to being fed or rocked to sleep it can be hard for them to settle themselves.
They may be teething or feeling unwell.
Once your child is a mighty toddler it is important to have a very firm nightly routine. Always put your child down to sleep in their own bed.
If your child wakes up, comfort them in their own room and reassure them that everything is ok. Keep repeating that it is time to sleep. Keep your voice and actions loving but boring. Walk out of the room as soon as your child has themselves back under control.
If your child comes to your bed at night, gently but firmly take her back to her own bed and settle her back in.
Sharing your Bed
You may find it works really well to have your baby sleep in bed with you during the first few months. A safer compromise is to set up their bassinet right next to you. It’s important to look at the information on SIDS provided by your doctor.
You may be uncomfortable with the idea of your child sleeping alone when they are upset. Some families have a communal bed where parents and children all sleep together.
Sleep deprivation is a cruel thing to suffer so if the communal bed works for you and everyone gets a good night sleep, then just do what works for you as a family.
A good compromise is a mattress made up on the floor for the times when your child needs to be close.
As your child gets older they will start to want their own room and bed of their own accord.
Night Waking for Older Children
When your child wakes at night focus on getting him resettled. It isn’t a time for chatting and playing. Keep it warm but low key. Bore them back to sleep.
An older child may be able to tell you why they can’t sleep. It may be a nightmare or they may be feeling unwell. Sometimes they are worried or anxious but can’t put it into words.
Sometimes minor incidents that we barely noticed or that happened at school can be huge issues to a child – someone didn’t say hello, the teacher cut then off when they were answering a question. No need to get deep and meaningful just be caring, sympathetic…and boring.
Sleep Problems
Often sleep problems assert themselves when one or both of the parents have to go back to work. Suddenly the inconvenience of the baby sleep pattern becomes too much and something needs to be done.
Trying to function at work when you are suffering from a serious lack of sleep is stressful and sometimes dangerous.
If introducing or reinforcing the
sleep routines
and sleep settling techniques doesn’t help,
try the good advice provided in the sleep problems page.
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Return from Baby Sleep to Healthy Sleep
Return from Baby Sleep to Better Living Ideas
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