Congrats on your newborn baby! You’re possibly a new parent, or perhaps this is your second child and you have some experience. Every baby behaves differently and this could turn out to be a whole new experience for you!
A newborn baby sleeps around 16-17 hours per day, falling to around 15 hours at 3 months, and mostly at day time.
In this article, we will go through a sequence of methods to get your newborn to hopefully fall asleep quickly and easily.
Feeding
You’ll likely be feeding at night until at least 3-6 months old, so try respond to your baby’s demands for food quickly and quietly. That way she’ll hopefully drop off back to sleep quickly afterwards and so will you.
A baby who knows She’ll be fed when she asks for it will feel secure and will be more likely to be able to soothe herself to sleep later on. This bit’s tough on parents, but it won’t last forever.
Do the usual checks
So you’ve fed her and she still won’t settle? Run through a mental checklist of what else might be wrong, Could it be colic? (you can often tell by the high-pitched scream, their red face and drawn-up legs). Are they cold or hot? Do they need a nappy change?
Cuddling
Of course you’ll want to cuddle and comfort your crying baby. Some nights you won’t know why they can’t sleep despite your best efforts. But always try to put your baby back down in her cot when she’s drowsy but still awake so she learns to settle herself. Keep stroking her cheek if you need to.
Try swaddling
Newborns can feel more secure when wrapped up in their blankie. It works wonders for some babies, so it’s worth a go.
Stroke their nose
It sounds a bit weird we know, but a gentle stroking motion downwards from between the eyes, can relax and encourage them to close their eyes, according to some experienced moms.
Watch for the yawns
Young babies can’t really stay awake for more than two hours. If you watch closely you’ll see them yawn and their eyes may glaze over. This is the time to take them out of a stimulating environment to a calmer one and let them sleep. If you miss the cues, they can get over-tired and seem hyper-alert when in fact they’re craving sleep.
Lay your baby on a warm blanket
Some babies hate transferring from your warm arms when feeding/cuddling to a cold basket or cot. To avoid this, hold a blanket over them when feeding/cuddling and put it under them when you place them back in the cot. That way you’ve transferred some warmth and some of your reassuring smell.
Sort out blocked noses
A baby with a cold or who’s congested will have huge trouble sleeping (don’t we all?) Ask your pharmacist about saline nasal drops, but in the meantime try slightly raising the head-end of their cot either by putting a couple of books under the legs or with a small rolled up towel under the mattress. Careful not to raise it too high though.
White noise
Some parents swear that putting on the washing machine, tumble drier or vacuum cleaner near where their baby’s sleeping will send them into the land of nod – probably because it mimics the constant swooshie sound of life in the womb.
Rocking
This certainly works – either in your arms or in a rocking/bouncy chair – but beware! It might be useful for those nightmare nights where nothing seems to work, but it’s easy for a baby to get hooked on being rocked to sleep.
Then they come to need it every night and suddenly you’ve created what health visitors call a ‘sleep association’. Ditto driving them round and round the supermarket car park at 2am… Many parents have had this exact experience.
In our next article we will cover 6-12 months of age.