5 TOP TIPS To Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Through The Night
Before I get started these next two points are critical:
* Recognising the difference between the newborn stage and the baby stage.
* The night and the day approach.
1. Focus On Your Baby’s Day Time Routine As This Will Have A Direct Result On Your Baby’s Sleep At Night
Eat, Play, Sleep, Repeat! Active larger feeds and structured awake times by day is very important, with self-waking and shorter snack like feeds at night – with minimal to no stimulation. Coming out of the newborn stage from month 3-4 your baby has learned sleep behaviour due to the pattern of the routine during the newborn stage. Ensure your baby is getting the required food intake for a 24 hour period during daylight hours. During the newborn stage this is done by gradually increasing milk intake per feed weekly, and capping night feeds.
2. Newborn Sleep Positions Are As Important As A Daily Routine For Achieving A Full Night Sleep
Room temperature, swaddle and tucking in! Be sure you have the perfect room temperature set, so your baby doesn’t get too cold overnight. When parents focus on overheating, it often ends up that babies are left exposed and not warm enough to sleep. Positive sleep positions from birth will also encourage self-settling – if your baby is well fed. A newborn responds well to feeling secure, a swaddle and tucking in to sleep positions makes a newborn feel cuddled and stops the startle reflex from waking them up unnecessarily. It’s very important to create a positive sleep environment (with their own personal space), where they can sleep undisturbed.
3. A Newborn’s World Is Centred Around Feeds And Digestion
Newborn’s are unable to self-wind for up to 12 weeks and need regular burping, more frequently and effectively than commonly thought and advised. The more air that comes out during and after feeds the more space for milk intake (larger feeds), which results in a more settled baby, between feeds and then overnight. Eating a wind forming free diet during the newborn stage whilst breastfeeding can also make a difference to your newborns digestive comfort and sleep. Less gas = more room for food = longer stretches of sleep = happy and rested mummy and baby!
4. Introduce A Split Feed Before Bed To Combat Daily Breast Milk Depletion
Breast, bath, bottle, bed. The split feed before bed ensures the last feed of the day is the biggest of all the day feeds. When breastfeeding your milk supply depletes throughout the day, regardless of milk supply. Supplementing with a bottle for the last day feed, before putting them to bed for the night combats this issue.
5. Fed Is Best Not Breast Is Best For Sleep
No baby will sleep well if left hungry! Increase and understand personal milk supply and flow. A baby won’t sleep if they’re not getting enough food during the day.
Milk making hormones are at their peak at night, because of sleep. Frequent night waking can actually reduce your supply. The more restful a nights sleep, the better the milk supply will be. Especially if you are making up for lost night stimulation, by expressing during the day, as part of my breastfeeding routine. Expressing at the right time can increase milk supply, which inturn increases milk intake, which then increases length and quantity of sleep.
Also, cap the quantity of milk intake and the length of time taken for overnight feeds, making sure all gradual milk intake is during daylight hours. For your full routine and sleep plan, grab a copy of my book 7pm to 7am Sleeping Baby Routine: 7pm to 7am Sleeping Baby Routine: The no-cry plan to help your baby sleep through the night.