Looking for some newborn sleep tips to help your baby sleep longer than two hours? Find out what I did when my newborn slept 7 hours without feeding so that you can try them too.
Having a newborn is quite an adjustment, especially if you are a first-time parent. It brings on a certain type of exhaustion that is different than anything you’ve experienced. Your lack of sleep can cause immense stress and can, for mothers, lead to postpartum depression. But all you need are some simple newborn sleep tips to help get things back on track!
In this post, you will learn about newborn sleep tips, including our nightly sleep routine and the baby products I use through the process. I hope there is something here you find helpful.
This post is all about newborn sleep tips to help your baby fall asleep longer during the night.
SIMPLE NEWBORN SLEEP TIPS
My baby was born on March 28, and May 20 was the first night he slept for 7 hours without needing to be fed.
Now, how did I get my almost two-month-old baby to sleep for 7 hours?!?!
There are a few minor details, but the main answer in a nutshell?
A routine.
A consistent one.
And I don’t mean a specific routine during the day, and I don’t mean immediately setting a routine the day your baby is born. It is something you build up to, adjust accordingly, and stick to.
In the beginning, the baby calls the shots, and it’s important to let them. They create the schedule for themselves, which in turn means that they create your schedule as well (although sometimes you might need to intervene and wake them up for feeds if they sleep too long).
But as they continue to grow and gain weight, you can start to incorporate a routine and slowly allow them to sleep longer during the night, assuming they don’t wake up on their own.
If they do wake up on their own and start to cry, be sure to tend to them. They haven’t learned to manipulate you yet. They are still at an age where if they cry, they actually need something from you.
*IMPORTANT! If your baby is not gaining weight consistently, DO NOT LET THEM SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT. I know you are soooo tired, and they look so peaceful, and it’s tempting to just crawl into your own bed and close your eyes and hibernate for the season. But Mama Bear, expecting them to sleep through the night is not healthy until they are eating enough and gaining the appropriate weight. Talk to a pediatrician and make sure they give you the go-ahead.
As you begin a routine, you want to make sure that their night routine is different from anything else they do during the day. This will set the day apart from the night and help them learn the difference between the two.
For example, when my baby sleeps during the day, I keep all the lights on and blinds open. I go about my business doing the dishes, playing music, talking on the phone, etc. This helps his internal clock learn that it is daytime.
However, at night, it is the opposite. Lights are dim and activities are quiet. This helps his internal clock learn that it is nighttime.
As the routine evolves, there will be a little trial and error in finding a time that goes smoothly for everyone involved. After some adjustments, my husband and I finally settled on bedtime for our son between 7-8 pm every night.
Personally, this baby sleep routine is what works for us, however, there are a hundred other routines that work for other moms and babies. Maybe you take your baby for an evening walk or try a bath before bed to help soothe them for sleep. It really just takes some experimentation to see what your baby responds best to.
(RELATED POST: 9 Must-Have Newborn Bath Essentials For First Time Parents)
So, this is what we did and what we still currently do.
Reminder, it is nighttime. Throughout this whole process, I am being QUIET and GENTLE and CALM. This is not the time to play and be loud and fun, no matter how freaking cute he is being. I still smile at him, but I am usually silent. If I do talk to him, it’s in a soft, soothing tone/whisper, but I am careful not to rile him up.
1. In The Crib He Goes
Around 7:00 pm, I will take my baby into his room and set him in his crib (separate rooms at this time are a personal preference).
2. Light Check
I will turn on the lamp beside the bed. A shaded/dim lamp is best, or some type of night light. You want to be able to see what you are doing but you want something dim enough to help set the sleepy mood. Then I turn off the main light.
3. Close Blinds/Curtains
I close the blinds (blackout curtains are a great newborn sleep tip. You can purchase them here or DIY your own here).
For the longest time, we just used towels to cover the window since we have faux blinds. I know, I know, we are fancy people haha. 😀 You can also put up a dark sheet or blanket to block out more light.
There are lots of solutions. Just be careful that the crib is far enough away from the window in case something were to fall if it wasn’t quite secured properly. You do not want it to land over your baby during the night and possibly suffocate them.
4. White Noise Is KEY
I turn on the white noise sound machine. Probably THE MOST IMPORTANT newborn sleep tip! White noise is a godsend and an absolute must in our home!
We have one called The Hatch, and we LOVE it! It is such great quality and is controlled through an app on your phone. However, it is a little expensive. We were lucky to have had it purchased off of our baby registry from a family member.
There are definitely cheaper options out there that would also work, but I have personally used The Hatch and want one for myself! Whether you get The Hatch or not, I highly recommend some type of white noise to soothe your baby. It will also drown out any noise outside of their bedroom that you or the rest of the family might cause.
5. Appropriate Clothing
Next on the list of newborn sleep tips is dressing my baby in the correct bedtime attire depending on the temperature. The recommended room temperature for a baby is around 69 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the temperature that we have set in our home.
I change his diaper, making sure to apply diaper rash cream. I put him in a onesie, in a sleep sack, and I cover his hands to keep him from scratching his face throughout the night.
If you are not sure how to dress your baby correctly depending on the temperature, do some research. If they are too hot or too cold, they can become uncomfortable and it can disrupt their sleep cycle.
A good thing to know though, is that it’s better that your baby be a little cold than too hot because overheating can increase the chances of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
6. Time to Eat
After he is changed and dressed, I feed him. Sometimes I will leave the lamp on, and other times I turn it off. If I turn it off, I use a nightlight provided by The Hatch Machine. It has options for all sorts of colors and brightness, which are really nice and still allow me to see enough in the darkness.
Either way, you don’t want it too bright so your baby can relax and focus on eating.
7. He Falls Asleep
Usually, he falls asleep while he’s eating. At this point, I can try to place him directly in his crib without him waking up, which sometimes works if he’s totally out of it.
But a lot of the time, he wakes up a little. So once I move him from his feeding position, I carefully put him over my shoulder and pat his back/bum. He loves this! This will help him to let out any potential burps, close his eyes again, and fall back asleep.
My baby prefers it if I am either standing and rocking him while I pat his back, or he likes it when I bounce softly on an exercise ball. When I feel him fall asleep, I gently lay him on his back in his crib.
8. He Might Wake Up
Sometimes my baby will wake up immediately after placing him in his crib. In this case, I simply pick him back up, put him back on my shoulder, and resume patting his bum and swaying.
In the very beginning, I let him lay there and fuss a little because I had read that you should put them down for bed drowsy. However, doing this made him more fussy and he would eventually start screaming. I found that it took waaay longer for him to fall back asleep once he was in this upset state.
So I opted to catch it early, picking him up sooner because putting him back to sleep was easier. Now that he is four months, I have been letting him fuss longer so he can learn to soothe himself.
9. Middle Of The Night Feeds
Throughout the night, when my baby wakes up to be fed, I remember to keep the lights dim and stay quiet. You want to silently change them and feed them in this environment so they stay tired and can fall back asleep easily.
10. Repeat every single night.
I have been repeating this process every night since I started it back in May, with only slight adjustments as he’s been getting older. Because of the consistency, he recognizes that it is time for bed and continues to sleep for long periods throughout the night.
I will be honest though. There are still some nights when he wakes up 1-3 times depending on how our previous day went, how hungry he might be, if he has an upset stomach, etc. But for the most part, he sleeps really well and I am so happy that he has learned to do so!
Just know that even if your baby starts to sleep longer through the night, there will still be nights where they wake up more than others. Although this feels VERY frustrating, it is also normal.
Currently, this our bedtime routine averages 45-60 minutes. Some nights it’s shorter, some nights it’s longer. Most of this time though is spent feeding him. The next most time-consuming part is rocking him to sleep if he needs it.
When I was first learning how to put him down, I used the exercise ball A LOT. I’ve read that this can be a good or bad method, depending on whose opinion you read. But it worked for us, so I stuck with it. Now that my baby and I have both learned the routine, I only use the ball once in a while if I feel like I need it.
Be Consistent!
Honestly, no matter what your baby bedtime routine is, just stick to it! It’s all about being CONSISTENT! Your baby will start to pick up on the routine you set and realize that it’s time for bed. It probably won’t happen overnight, but in time, your baby will learn.
Just know that no matter how you put your baby to bed or what baby sleeping tips you try, someone will always be there to tell you that you are doing something wrong or that you should’ve done it differently.
Sometimes though, you just do whatever you have to in order to survive the long days and the long nights. And that’s okay!
It’s also okay if your baby doesn’t sleep through the night right away. Every baby is different. I know you are tired, and maybe you have never done this before, but be patient with them and remember, they have never done this before either.
They need to feel your love and need to feel safe with you. They are learning to trust that you will take care of them.
You’re doing great, Mama. Take a breath. Take one day at a time and make sure to ask for help before you get too overwhelmed 💕
This post was all about newborn sleep tips to help your baby sleep longer throughout the night.
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