Sleepless nights have quite a synonymous turn for new parents as they expect their newborn to give them more challenges in getting their body clocks wound up. However, there are secrets to putting baby to sleep that new parents have been sharing in their communities.
Sleep is essential for all living beings, and while new parents are aware that they will go through stages of sleep deprivation, it is an entirely different experience altogether, especially for working parents.
Below are some practical ways that can help new parents get better sleep as their baby sleeps, too:
Keep It Warm
Newborns are still adjusting to their new world. This includes sensitivity to sound, light, and temperature. What does this mean for the parents, then?
Naturally, newborn babies have lived their whole lives thus far within their mother’s body. The warmth within is something that they are used to and, thus, something that they might just still be looking for.
Warming your baby’s blanket or wrap, placing them in the warmest spot in the room, or even putting a warm compress or bottle beside them while they sleep will mimic the warmth they were used to and aid in putting them to sleep and keeping them asleep.
Blackout Curtains
Since your newborn is still developing its own circadian rhythm, getting blackout curtains for your baby’s room can be helpful even if it isn’t needed. Having these curtains installed can mimic not just the warm tones that newborns were used to, but it also trains them into the world of having day and night.
Once trained, it can be easier in the long run for children to know when it is time for bed. Blackout curtains are also as good for newborns as they are for exhausted parents whose own circadian rhythm has been disrupted.
For the parents, blackout curtains can aid in getting deeper sleep and better power naps.
The Power of Napping
Routine helps in training our body, no matter how young or old it may be. Routinely scheduled naps for your baby will allow for better sleep for everyone.
Babies generally spend more time sleeping, no matter what time of the day. Thus, scheduling these naps throughout the day can be helpful in training their body clock and can also ease up the exhaustion of parents.
For working parents, these scheduled naps will not just allow them to predict when the baby needs to sleep again, but they can also allow them the schedule to take necessary breaks from work.
White Noise for Baby
Whether it’s the slow hum of a nearby machine or a playlist of lullabies, white noise works for babies as much as it does for adults.
Ensuring the presence of this sound every time your newborn is about to go to sleep will also condition them into falling asleep faster.
An even better training bonus for this is that this will still work throughout the early stages of child development or what we call the toddler phase.
Conditioning, in child psychology, deals with how the brain is trained to respond to specific stimuli when repeated. Thus, creating your newborn’s “white noise” can be effective in getting them to sleep better and can even carry out during their “Terrible Twos and Threes.”
Put Them Down While Awake
When push comes to shove, some parents have gone through schooling their newborn to fall asleep. However, for parents who can’t afford to enroll in these classes, some parents shared that they can also train their newborns to fall asleep on their own.
When your baby is starting to get sleepy, you don’t actually have to wait until they are fully asleep before you put them down in their crib. Most parents also struggle with keeping their babies asleep once they’re about to be placed in their crib anyway.
Thus, when they’re just about to fall asleep, you have the option to already put them in their crib and allow them to fall asleep on their own.
Ensuring Your Baby’s Sleep and Yours
Sleep isn’t for the weak. It is necessary for parents as much as their newborn needs it. For new parents, there is hope for that rest, and communities online are also opening up to sharing their own experiences for you to glean from.
This way, you’ll be able to ensure you don’t get sleep deprived too. Good luck!
