The better your baby sleeps, the better you sleep too – and we think all parents agree that that’s essential! Sleeping well isn’t just about preventing irritable moods and feeling refreshed for the day ahead, it’s critical for health. It improves memory and learning, lowers risk of disease, helps prevent depression, and reduces inflammation. And that’s just as important for mums and dads as it is for your bub. So, here are some proven tips to help your family sleep better.
Move quickly when your bub gets sleepy
As soon as you see signs of sleepiness, it’s time to put your bub in their crib and let their natural biological rhythm take them off to dreamland. Doziness is created by a natural rise in melatonin, but if you wait too long, it wears off and that’s when the fussing starts! Don’t worry if you haven’t bathed your bub or done their bedtime routine, rather let them fall asleep as this supports longer, more restful sleep for them. When they’re looking disinterested and being quiet or staring off into space, that’s the time to act.
Create a restful environment
Noise can’t really be avoided, especially during the day when your phone is likely to ring, you’re working, or even watching TV. But if you make their nursery more isolated from noise and distraction, even the occasional loud noise is far less likely to wake your bub up, and that means you don’t have to tiptoe around your home. We recommend blackout blinds/curtains, turning the air conditioning to around 20 degrees, and using lightweight sleep clothing or sleep sack rather than bundling up your bub too much. A white noise machine placed across the room from the crib with a natural lavender aromatherapy diffuser (nothing with a flame) is also a good idea, as is closing their nursery door. Having a monitor will alert you when your little one needs you.
Develop a bedtime routine you can stick to
Consistency is key to a long and restful night’s sleep. Decide on a time and routine that works for you – usually a combination of a warm bath, a baby massage with a natural baby moisturiser designed for sensitive skin, story time cuddles, and a last feeding. The warmth of the bath water and the soothing massage help release melatonin and make your bub feel sleepy and cosy, while sticking to a consistent routine creates an expectation around going to bed that helps trigger your bub’s readiness for rest.
Accommodating sleep regression
Sleep regression is a 2-4 week-long occurrence every few months where your bub suddenly starts sleeping poorly, fussing, refusing to nap, and waking up often at night. It’s probably one of the most frustrating periods of parenthood, especially if your little one usually sleeps like a dream!
But knowing that it’s temporary and natural as well as understanding what is triggering the sleep regression can help you manage it better and even improve sleep quality a bit quicker. Common triggers for sleep regression include travelling, teething, illness, disruption to established routines, and growth spurts. Once you have an idea what’s behind your bub’s sleep issues, you can deal with it more effectively.
This might mean using medication for illness or soothing tooth pain, quickly recognising signs of sleepiness so you can put your bub to bed before overtiredness sets in, trying sleep training, or introducing more stimulation during their waking hours.
Organic and natural products for newborns and families
At KidsBliss, we specialise in high quality, natural home care, skincare, and baby care products that help keep your bub, home, and family safe and nourished. Not only are our moisturises and washes organic and natural, but they’re also vegan, chemical-free, and fully biodegradable – making them safe for you, your bub, and the planet. Perfect for daily use, sleep routines, and bath time routines, we’re here to make raising a family a little easier.
