Miya Pearson
Newborns often struggle to settle to sleep and frequently wake up during the night to feed. While some newborns can take longer than others to settle, most newborns are unsettled for the first three months. However, there are several ways to help your newborn settle to sleep. Establishing a sleep routine from the first night is the best way to lay the foundations for good sleep in the future.
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What You'll Learn
Establishing a bedtime routine
Recognise Sleep Cues
Firstly, it's important to recognise your baby's sleep cues. Babies give signals when they're tired, and if you learn to identify these, you can encourage them to sleep at the right time. For instance, newborns might start showing tired signs after 30 minutes of being awake, while 3-6-month-old babies might get tired after 1.5 to 3 hours of being awake. Look out for signs like pulling at their ears, closing their fists, sucking on their fingers, fluttering their eyelids, or staring into space.
Create a Calm Environment
Before putting your baby down to sleep, ensure they are comfortable, calm, and relaxed. Create a soothing sleep environment by turning down the lights, closing the curtains, and keeping the noise to a minimum. A quiet, dim environment often helps babies settle. You can also use white noise if your baby responds well to it. Additionally, ensure your baby is well-fed, changed, and has a clean, dry nappy.
Develop a Consistent Routine
Consistency is key. Start doing things in a similar order each day. For example, you can establish a routine like feed, play, sleep. Over time, your baby will associate the routine with bedtime, making it easier for them to settle.
Put Baby to Bed Drowsy but Awake
Putting your baby to bed when they're drowsy but still awake can help them learn to associate falling asleep with being in bed alone. This promotes self-soothing, enabling them to calm down and fall back asleep independently if they wake up during the night. It's normal for your baby to take some time to settle and they might even grizzle a little. Give them a minute or two to settle on their own.
Gradual Withdrawal
If your baby is used to being fed or rocked to sleep, you can gradually transition them to settling independently. After your bedtime routine, put your baby in their cot while they're drowsy but awake. You might need to settle them a little. Then, leave the room after saying goodnight, and wait outside, checking on them occasionally to soothe them. Over a few nights, you can make it more gradual by moving further away from their cot each night.
Remember, every baby is unique, and it's normal for newborns to take some time to settle themselves to sleep. Be patient, responsive to their needs, and always follow safe sleep guidelines.
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Recognising sleep cues
Babies give cues or signals when they're tired, and learning to recognise these cues can help you encourage your baby to go to sleep at the right time. Crying is a sign of being overtired, but there are other signs to look out for, too. From 0 to 3 months, babies might start showing signs of tiredness after 30 minutes of being awake. From 3 to 6 months, they might be tired after 1.5 to 3 hours of being awake. If your baby has been awake for longer than 30 minutes (newborn) or longer than 90 minutes (3 to 6 months), they are likely to be tired.
Some signs of overtiredness include pulling at their ears, closing their fists, sucking on their fingers (which is also a sign of self-soothing), fluttering their eyelids, staring into space or looking confused. If your baby is overtired, it can be harder for them to settle.
Other signs of tiredness in babies include grizzling, which is common when you first put them to bed or when they wake in the night. If your baby grizzles, you could gently say, 'I'm here. Time to sleep' or make ''sh, sh' sounds. You could also sing or hum a few words of a favourite song.
If your baby is crying, you can use hands-on settling techniques such as rocking or patting your baby, or speaking gently to them. You can also try settling your baby in your arms, by holding and soothing them until they're calm.
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Creating a calm sleep environment
Keep the room calm and comfortable
A quiet, dim environment often helps babies settle. Turn down the lights or use a soft night light to help your baby recognise the bedroom. Keep the noise down and speak in hushed tones. White noise can also be beneficial if your baby responds well to it.
Establish a bedtime routine
A consistent bedtime routine is crucial for signalling to your baby that it's time for sleep. This routine can include activities such as feeding, bathing, reading a story, or changing nappies. By associating these activities with sleep, your baby will learn that bedtime is approaching.
Look for tired signs
It is important to put your baby down for sleep when they show signs of tiredness. Newborns from 0 to 3 months might start showing tired signs after 30 minutes of being awake, while babies from 3 to 6 months might get tired after 1.5 to 3 hours.
Ensure comfort and safety
Make sure your baby is well-fed, has a clean and dry nappy, and is dressed appropriately for the temperature and season. Swaddling can also provide comfort and security, but stop swaddling once your baby starts showing signs of rolling over. Always follow safe sleep guidelines by placing your baby on their back to sleep on a firm, flat, and level surface in their cot next to your bed.
Provide comfort and reassurance
If your baby grizzles or cries, provide comfort and reassurance. You can gently say, "I'm here. Time to sleep," make 'shh' sounds, or sing softly to them. If your baby is very upset, give them a cuddle, and if they need help settling, try hands-on techniques like rocking or patting.
Remember, every baby is unique, and it may take some time for your newborn to settle themselves to sleep. Be patient, responsive to their cues, and always ensure a safe sleep environment.
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Self-soothing techniques
It is a common misconception that self-soothing means letting a baby "cry it out" or ignoring their cries. Self-soothing is a skill that will help your baby throughout their life. Here are some tips to help your baby gain self-soothing skills:
Identify the Basics
Before assuming that your baby is cranky, review their list of needs. Your baby won't be able to self-soothe if their diaper is wet or soiled, their clothing is uncomfortable for the environment, there are too many distractions in the room, they have gas or need to be burped, they are hungry or thirsty, or they are overtired.
Establish a Routine
Babies love routine. Try to put your baby to bed at the same time every day and stick to a schedule to prevent them from becoming overtired. A consistent routine can include a specific order of activities, such as feed, play, sleep. During the night, keep the room dark or dimly lit and quiet.
Use Sleep Associations
Sleep associations help babies fall asleep and go back to sleep when they wake up during the night. These associations might include being in the cot, being rocked, being patted, using a dummy, or having a favourite object, such as a blanky or a teddy bear. You can offer this object every time your baby fusses during the day, and after a few days, put it in their cot for them to find at night.
Teach Them to Fall Asleep Independently
Putting your baby to bed drowsy but awake can help them learn to associate falling asleep with being in bed alone. This can also help your baby with self-soothing. Your baby is more likely to self-soothe if they fall asleep somewhere safe and familiar, like their cot, and then wake up in the same place.
Responsive Settling
Responsive settling is a sensitive way to settle your baby when they need help falling asleep. Look for tired signs, such as yawning or rubbing their eyes, and respond to your baby's cues. Hold and soothe your baby until they are calm, and then put them down in their cot. If your baby gets upset when placed in the cot, comfort them until they calm down.
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Transitioning sleep techniques
Responsive Settling
Responsive settling is a technique to help your baby settle when they are going to sleep. It involves looking out for signs that your baby is getting tired and responding to their cues as you help them settle. As your baby grows older, you can help them learn to settle themselves to sleep.
Sleep Training
Sleep training is a method to help your baby sleep through the night on their own. The goal is for your baby to be comfortable sleeping for several hours through the night without any assistance. There are several sleep training methods, including the Ferber method, the Fading method, and the Gentle Sleep Training method. The latter involves a consistent bedtime routine, following the same set of activities done in the same order, so the baby recognizes these activities as a transition from day to night.
Transition Settling or 'Camping Out'
Transition settling is a technique for babies aged 6 months or older. It involves gradually teaching your baby to fall asleep by themselves. You remain by their side to provide reassurance without physically helping them fall asleep. Over 1 to 4 weeks, you gradually increase the physical distance between you and your baby.
General Tips
- Emphasize the difference between night and day by keeping the room dark or dimly lit and quiet at night.
- Put your baby to bed drowsy but awake to help them associate falling asleep with being in bed alone and to promote self-soothing.
- Establish a bedtime routine with a definite wind-down period to help your baby transition from being awake to falling asleep.
- Ensure your baby is well-fed and has a clean, dry nappy before putting them to bed.
- Create a safe sleep environment by following safe sleeping guidelines, such as placing your baby on their back to sleep on a firm, flat, and level surface in a smoke-free room.
- Be prepared to change routines as your baby grows and enters different stages, as growth spurts, teething, and illnesses can all affect their sleep.
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Frequently asked questions
Babies give cues or signals when they're tired. Some signs your baby is tired include pulling at their ears, closing their fists, sucking on their fingers, fluttering their eyelids, staring into space or looking confused. From 0 to 3 months, they might start showing tired signs after 30 minutes of being awake. From 3 to 6 months, they might be tired after 1.5 to 3 hours of being awake.
In the first few months, your newborn may need physical or emotional assistance to settle and sleep. You can rock, pat, or speak gently to them as they settle for sleep. Make sure they are well-fed, changed, and have a clean, dry nappy. Keep the room calm, comfortable, and quiet, with low lighting.
You can help your baby learn to settle by putting them to bed drowsy but awake. This helps them learn to associate falling asleep with being in bed alone. You can also try establishing a bedtime routine, which will let your baby know it's time for sleep.
Responsive settling is a way to settle your baby when they are going to sleep. You respond to your baby's cues as you help them settle. As your baby grows older, you can help them learn to settle themselves to sleep.
Transition settling, also known as "camping out," is a sleep technique for a baby or child aged 6 months or older. You gradually teach your baby to fall asleep by themselves by providing reassurance, but not physically helping them to fall asleep.
