Gina Johnson
Sleep is essential for everyone in the household, and new parents often struggle with getting their newborns to sleep. While it is unrealistic to expect an infant to sleep through the night early on, there are several strategies and techniques that can help newborns fall asleep faster and encourage better sleep habits.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Consistent sleep schedule | Newborns sleep up to 17 hours per day but not in large chunks of time. |
| Safe sleep environment | Babies should sleep on a firm, flat surface, on their back, with no blankets, pillows, or toys in the crib. |
| Room-sharing | Recommended for at least the first 6 months by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). |
| Swaddling | Provides a feeling of comfort and security, preventing involuntary movements that can wake the baby. |
| Rocking and bouncing | Soothing techniques to help babies fall asleep. |
| Feeding | Avoid feeding cereal before bed as it can cause restlessness due to gas pain. Breast milk or formula is preferred. |
| Pacifier | Can help soothe the baby to sleep, but make sure breastfeeding is established first. |
| Dimming the lights | Creating a calm environment by reducing stimulation. |
| White noise | Playing soft music or tranquil sounds from a white noise machine or app. |
| Graduated extinction | Also known as 'Ferberizing', it teaches babies to self-soothe and fall asleep on their own. |
| Mindfulness techniques | Apps like Calm offer meditation and sleep stories to help adults and children relax and fall asleep. |
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What You'll Learn
Establish a sleep schedule
Establishing a sleep schedule for your newborn is an important step in helping them to sleep fast and well. Firstly, it's important to remember that newborns will sleep a lot—up to 17 hours a day—but not in the large chunks that adults are used to. Newborns need to eat every few hours, so they shouldn't go too long without feeding. Breastfed babies will eat 8–12 times in a 24-hour period during the first few weeks and months.
To establish a sleep schedule, you can start by creating a bedtime routine. This might include giving your baby a bath, reading a book, singing a lullaby, or rocking them to sleep. You can also try swaddling your baby, which can help them feel secure and prevent them from waking themselves up with their unintentional movements. Make sure to use a lightweight cotton swaddling blanket and leave plenty of room for their hips and legs to move.
Another important aspect of establishing a sleep schedule is creating a safe and comfortable sleep environment. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends room-sharing without bed-sharing for at least the first 6 months, as this helps with feeding, comforting, and monitoring your baby at night while reducing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Place your baby on their back on a firm, flat sleep surface, with nothing else in the crib or bassinet except a fitted sheet. Keep soft toys, pillows, blankets, and other loose items out of the sleep area to avoid any potential hazards.
As your baby grows, you can gradually adjust their sleep schedule to encourage longer stretches of sleep. By the time they are 5 months old, most babies can fall asleep on their own, so it's important to start putting them down awake rather than waiting for them to fall asleep first. You can also gradually move their feeding time earlier so that they don't associate eating with falling asleep.
Remember that every baby is unique, and it's important to be patient and positive when establishing a sleep schedule. Take the time to work with your baby's preferences and gradually implement a routine that works for both of you.
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Create a bedtime routine
Establishing a bedtime routine is one of the most effective ways to get your newborn to sleep fast and well. This is because newborns thrive on consistency and routine. Here are some tips to create a bedtime routine:
Start by setting a consistent and early "lights-off" time. This will help your baby understand that it's time to sleep. It's important to note that newborns don't know the difference between day and night, so a regular bedtime will help them develop this distinction.
Next, incorporate calming activities into your bedtime routine. You can try rocking your baby, singing lullabies, or using sensory soothing techniques like swaddling. Swaddling gives newborns a sense of comfort and security by mimicking the snug environment of the womb and preventing their arms and legs from flailing during sleep. Just be sure to use a lightweight blanket and allow enough room for their hips and legs to move freely.
Another important aspect of the bedtime routine is feeding. Newborns often fall asleep while feeding, so it's important to gradually move the feeding time earlier in the routine. This will help your baby understand that eating is separate from sleeping. Finish the feeding with a diaper change, and perhaps a calming book or song, before placing them in their crib drowsy but awake.
To create a soothing sleep environment, dim the lights, play soft music or tranquil sounds, and avoid screen time before bed. You can also use a pacifier to help your baby self-soothe, but make sure breastfeeding is established first.
Remember, the key to a successful bedtime routine is consistency. It may take time and patience, but your baby will eventually learn to settle down and fall asleep independently.
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Make a calming environment
Making a calming environment is an essential part of helping your newborn sleep. Firstly, it is important to ensure the room is safe. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends room-sharing without bed-sharing for at least the first 6 months or, ideally, until a baby's first birthday. This is because the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) is highest during this period. Keeping your baby in a crib or bassinet in your bedroom helps with feeding, comforting, and monitoring at night.
To create a calming environment, you should ensure the room is dark. As a baby has spent all its time in the womb, the distinctions between light and dark are new to them. A consistent and early "lights-off" time will help train your baby that it is time to sleep. You can also play soft music or tranquil sounds from a white noise machine or app. Turn off the TV and other screens, and ensure the room is quiet.
You should also ensure the room is not too hot. Keep your baby away from smokers and second-hand smoke, which has been shown to increase the risk of SIDS. To avoid overheating, dress your baby for the room temperature and don't overbundle. Watch for signs of overheating, such as sweating or feeling hot to the touch.
To create a calm environment, you should also ensure the room is free from hazards. Keep soft toys, pillows, blankets, sheets, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, and bumper pads out of your baby's sleep area. Look around for things that your baby can touch from a seated or standing position in the crib. Hanging mobiles, wall hangings, pictures, draperies, and window blind cords could be harmful if they are within a baby's reach.
You can also try swaddling your baby, which is when you wrap them snugly in a blanket to give them a feeling of comfort and security. It also prevents them from flailing their arms and legs, which could wake them up. Make sure to use a lightweight cotton swaddling blanket and leave plenty of room for your baby's hips and legs to move.
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Swaddling
Additionally, swaddling can be a useful tool in establishing a consistent bedtime routine, which is essential in teaching your baby to self-soothe and fall asleep independently. A regular bedtime routine, combined with the comfort of swaddling, can signal to your baby that it is time to relax and prepare for sleep.
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Safe sleep practices
Sleep is essential for everyone in the household, and true sleep deprivation can be dangerous for your physical and mental health. Newborns can sleep up to 17 hours per day, but not in large chunks of time.
Create a bedtime routine
A regular bedtime routine can help alert your baby that it's time to sleep. This can include a consistent and early "lights-off" time, as a retrospective study concluded that this was associated with longer sleep.
Safe sleep environment
The safest place for your baby to sleep is on a firm, flat surface, such as a crib with a tightly fitted sheet. The crib should have spindles no wider than 2-3/8 inches apart and sides that do not drop down. The room temperature should be comfortable, and your baby should be dressed appropriately to avoid overheating. Keep soft items, such as plush toys, pillows, blankets, and comforters, away from the baby's sleep area.
Safe sleep position
Always place your baby on their back to sleep, not on their stomach or side. This recommendation by the AAP has significantly reduced the rate of SIDS since 1992.
Room-sharing without bed-sharing
The AAP recommends room-sharing without bed-sharing for at least the first 6 months, or ideally, until your baby's first birthday. This keeps your baby nearby and helps with feeding, comforting, and monitoring at night. While room-sharing is safe, putting your baby to sleep in bed with you increases the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related deaths.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding has been shown to decrease the risk of SUIDS. If you are breastfeeding, wait until it is firmly established before offering a pacifier.
Monitor for hazards
Keep items with cords, ties, or ribbons that can wrap around your baby's neck, and objects with sharp edges or corners, out of reach. Ensure that hanging mobiles, wall hangings, pictures, draperies, and window blind cords are not within your baby's reach.
Remember, safe sleep practices are crucial to prevent sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), which includes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
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Frequently asked questions
While you can't force a newborn to fall asleep, you can help them feel sleepy by decreasing their cortisol levels. You can do this by creating a calming environment with soft music or tranquil sounds from a white noise machine or app. You can also try swaddling your baby, which can help them fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
It's important to establish a sleep routine and be consistent. You should also avoid unsafe sleep practices, such as putting your baby to sleep in a car seat or feeding them cereal before bed. Make sure your baby sleeps on their back on a firm, flat surface with no blankets, pillows, or toys in the crib.
You can try rocking your baby and singing a lullaby, or use light, repetitive movements like swaying or swinging. Dim the lights and avoid screen time before bed. You can also use a pacifier to help soothe your baby, but make sure breastfeeding is established first.
