Common Bedtime Mistakes
Five Sleep Habits to Avoid
Are you exhausted because your baby will not go to sleep or stay asleep? Did you know that over 40 percent of all children suffer from some sort of sleep problem? Even parents of "good" sleepers face naptime or bedtime struggles every once in a while. Getting your baby to sleep and stay asleep is one of the most daunting tasks of parenthood.
Mistake #1: Relying on motion or parent to soothe
When all else fails, resort to the swing or breast (when breast feeding), right? A lot of parents fall into the trap of using motion or the breast to get their infants to nap or fall asleep. If the baby is always sleeping in motion or being fed when they cry, they are not able to fall into a deep, more restorative sleep due to the stimulation of motion or the constant need to eat to be soothed.
Good habit: Use motion for calming, not sleep
It is okay to use motion to soothe a cranky baby, but once your baby has fallen asleep turn off the swing. The same goes for breastfeeding; feedings are for food, not comfort. Feed your baby and keep them awake after each feeding in order to break this habit, your baby needs to learn that they are eating because they are hungry they are not eating to soothe themselves to sleep.
Mistake #2: Not having or skipping a bedtime routine
You may believe that a routine consisting of a bath, a book, and a lullaby is not necessary at the newborn/infant age. However, having a series of calming, soothing and consistent sleep cues for your baby is vital in order for them to remember and sense a “sleep routine”.
Good habit: A comforting bedtime ritual
The key is to have a predictable series of sleep cues that help your baby wind down from the day. Molly Ott of Pink Newborn Services preaches to parents that a warm bath each night, a relaxing massage of lotion or baby oil, the lights turned down, the same bedtime story, quiet cuddle and then feeding your baby before bed is the start to a good night’s sleep.
Mistake #3: Bedtime is too late
Do you wait until your baby is rubbing his or her eyes, yawning, and ready to start fussing to realize it is time to go to sleep. When babies become overtired, it is much harder for them to fall asleep and stay asleep. Regardless of how many hours later than normal they are put to sleep they still wake up at the same time, and now you have an exhausted infant that makes your day exhausting as well.
Good habit: Set a regular bedtime
Babies and toddlers typically need between 11 and 12 hours of straight, uninterrupted peaceful sleep at night. Plan what time your child needs to be up (i.e. daycare or any other child services) and plan their bedtime accordingly and, make sure you keep that routine through the entire week. If the baby does not need to go to daycare that does not mean you change the schedule and put them to bed at a later time. Routine, routine, routine!
Mistake #4: Not knowing how to properly dress and swaddle your baby for bed
A lot of families are often hesitant about using a swaddle; however, it is proven babies sleep better while swaddled because babies are used to being snuggled tight in the womb, which provides comfort and security. The sudden, jerky movements of their arms and legs can cause your baby to startle. This is upsetting to the baby and causes over stimulation. When they are over stimulated, newborns cry in an attempt to block out the stimuli. The same goes for clothing, when dressing your baby for bed most parents think that with the swaddle and pajamas their baby will be too warm.
Good habit: Swaddle them tightly, and keep them cozy
When babies are swaddled, the jerky arm and leg movements are kept to a minimum, resulting in less crying. Swaddling also mimics the womb, which is comforting and soothing to your baby. When it comes to dressing your new one, for bed there’s a great rule to remember; dress your baby in the same number of layers you’re wearing plus one. But beware of overdoing it; babies dressed in too many layers are at greater risk for overheating and for SIDS.
Mistake #5: Not having the proper sleep environment
When decorating your nursery, most parents tend to get the cute bedding, with matching mobile, and curtains. But what they don’t think about is, how distracting and over stimulating these things can be to your new baby.
Good habit: Keep it dark, minimal and cozy
To maximize sleep, put infants to sleep in nearly pitch-black room while minimizing any stimulation. For babies to sleep well, on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the darkest, the room should be an 8 or 9. Room darkening shades are a must. You can use a fan or white noise machine to muffle any sounds from the street or the next room to recreate the sounds in the womb, which are comforting and soothing for your baby. Keep the nursery around 68-72 degrees to prevent overheating, which can lead to SIDS.