How to support your baby’s sleep

Sleep is crucial for us. That feeling of getting a good night’s rest starkly contrasts the broken sensation of waking up too early. And sleep’s even more important for your baby. Indeed, 80 per cent of the baby’s time in the womb is spent asleep and from birth to age two, babies spend more time asleep than awake. But how can you support your baby’s sleep? Read on to find out.

Know when your baby needs sleep

For a start, it’s important to know the signals your baby makes when it wants to sleep. You can see your baby is tired when it starts to rub its eyes, look away from stimulating items and shy away from taking an interest in its immediate environment. Once you’ve noticed that your baby needs to sleep, you should put them in the best environment for them to sleep. 

A bedtime routine

Setting up a consistent bedtime routine for your baby can help them recognise when it’s time to sleep. In the long-term this should help improve the quality of their sleep too. To achieve this, you should offer your baby cuddles, quiet storytelling, white noise and gently wind them down before bed. On top of this, you could signify bedtime by getting your baby changed into cozy baby pajamas.

Set the environment

You should also set up your baby’s sleeping environment so that it’s ideally suited for sleeping. For a start, babies should be placed on their back when they sleep. This is in order to reduce the chances of SIDS – a baby sleeping on their stomach is more likely to die from SIDS. On top of this, you can make other slight adjustments to improve sleep. The ideal temperature in the room is between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Furthermore, you should dim the lighting, change your baby’s diaper and keep your voice down before bed. 

Stimulation during the day

Ideally, you should give your baby a stimulating day to tire them out when it comes to bedtime. This can include mental stimulation: talking to your baby, reading to them, giving them stimulating toys and playing with them can all help. But this can also include getting fresh air too. By taking your baby for a walk in natural light you can help them develop as they experience the world. 

Sleep is hugely important for your baby and there are plenty of ways you can help. By working out when they need to sleep, setting up their sleeping environment, stimulating them and building a bedtime routine, you can give your baby the best chance of enjoying restful sleep.