The saying may suggest you “slept like a baby” when you have an amazing night’s rest, but it can be surprisingly difficult to get a tired baby or toddler to sleep, and even more so to help them to sleep for longer chunks of time independently, as many parents know all too well.
However, there are some strategies you can use to optimise how your baby falls asleep and to give them the best possible chance of getting the sleep they need at nap times and overnight.
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For those of you who never came out the other side of the four-month sleep regression (myself included), or who want your child to sleep independently from the get-go, sleep consultant Belinda Claire has shared her top baby sleeping advice and the four tips that she swears by in the video below. Watch and take note!
Belinda Claire’s top baby sleeping tips:
1. Be Consistent
Belinda explains that babies thrive off routine and knowing exactly what’s going to happen next, so having a nap time and bedtime routine that follows the same few steps in the same order each day is a great way to help them know it’s time to sleep and unwind for bed.
2. Remove sleep props
Many mums rely on feeding, rocking and cuddling to get their babies to sleep, but according to Belinda, you should consider changing this if you want to teach your baby to sleep independently. Instead, she suggests feeding your baby when they first wake up.
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3. Don’t let your baby get overtired
You may want your baby to be worn out before bed, but if you miss their optimum sleep time and they become overtired it can be disastrous, leading to failed attempts to get them to sleep and frequent waking.
4. Optimise your baby’s sleep environment
Just like us adults, babies need to be comfortable to sleep, which typically means having a room at the optimum temperature – ideally between 16 and 20 degrees – and as dark as possible. Check out the Lullaby Trust safe sleep guidelines for more information on creating a safe and comfortable sleep environment for your baby.
Follow Belinda on Instagram @belindaclaire_sleepconsultant for more baby and children’s sleep tips.