Baby’s sleep routine
A sleep routine can be a soothing and comforting part of your baby’s night time ritual. It is a way for you and your family to incorporate sleep into the daily routine without it becoming a battle of mind over baby. As your baby grows, he or she will understand that bedtime comes after bath time, for instance. This may help baby start to settle down and sleep better if the routine is established early on.
There are many ways that you can establish a bedtime routine. Here are some tips and ideas you might want to consider:
- Start with a bath, some cuddle time, a song or story, a feeding then bed.
- Sing a special lullaby just before putting baby to bed.
- Try to do things in the same order with the same people involved at the same time. Your baby will recognize the pattern and associate it with bedtime.
- Turns lights low and make the house quiet.
Which ever routine you decide on, make it consistent and final. Make baby understand that this is a means to an end. Once you put baby to bed, let him fuss a little if necessary. After a couple days, he will realize there is no point in fighting it and he will fall asleep right away.
Keep in mind, your baby will remember the routine and expect the same thing to happen each time. If you pick baby back up after putting him down because he is fussing a little, this will become the routine he will expect.