3 Tips to promote healthy sleep habits for your newborn
Let’s talk about newborns, one of my favorite topics! When it comes to newborns, I often hear from other moms how there is nothing you can do to teach your little one how to fall asleep unassisted or create healthy sleep habits. They believe that they need to sit back and wait till their baby is of a certain age to do this. Well I’m here to share some good news with you, that that couldn’t be farther from the truth. You do NOT have to wait till your baby is 4,5 or 6 months old to create a solid foundation for sleep. In fact I recommend starting from day one, or two weeks old for moms who need a bit more time to recover and get used to their new routine with a newborn.
While there are several tips and tricks for encouraging good sleep habits for your newborn, let me share three of my favorites here with you.
‘Put your baby down awake’. This literally means exactly what it says! Put your baby down AWAKE, but not just when it’s time to sleep, do this throughout the day to get your baby used to being in places other than the coziness of your arms (and no, this doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy your baby’s cuddles). Doing this will be especially helpful down the road when your baby is able to recognize where they’re sleeping and be able to fall asleep unassisted.
‘Wait and listen before rushing in’. Now I know what you’re all thinking, “what? Let my newborn cry?” That’s what I thought you were gonna say! Don’t worry, you aren’t letting your newborn cry-it-out! You’re simply waiting a minute or two to give them a chance to fall back asleep, to help you identify their crying and to allow them a chance to self-soothe before you rush in to do it for them. They will often surprise you in those short moments of waiting by actually calming themselves down and falling back asleep on their own!
‘Create an eat, wake, sleep routine’. There are so many awesome benefits to creating such a routine for your newborn. The earlier you start the better as this will truly help create a solid, yet flexible routine that will allow you to predict what’s happening next, and more easily meet your baby’s needs.
So don’t fret! Now that you know you don’t need to wait months to teach your baby good sleep hygiene, you can start right now. And remember, with any new learned skill or routine, practice and consistency will be your best friends.
