Advice on how to establish a bedtime routine for your baby to help encourage good nap and sleeping patterns during the daytime and at night.
While many babies fall into a routine of their own accord and will sleep through the night automatically, the majority will need a little coaching. Establishing the right sleep associations from an early age is vital if you want to avoid long-term sleep problems. But no matter what age your baby, there's always something you can do to improve their sleeping habits.
Establishing a routine
Even babies under six weeks can be encouraged to help form the right sleep patterns. Follow these guidelines to help settle your baby at bedtime:
- Even newborn babies have to be awake some of the time during the day. Keep this to short spells of no longer than two hours.
- For a small baby to settle well in the evening it's important he takes a full feed prior to going to bed, is well winded and ready to sleep when you put him to bed.
- The bedtime routine should be calm and quiet.
- Keep the lights dim, and avoid lots of talking and eye contact during the last feed.
- Always settle your baby in his cot before he falls asleep. If he's become sleepy on the breast or bottle, rouse him slightly before putting him in his cot.
- Make sure your baby is tucked in securely. Some younger babies may benefit from swaddling.
- Allow your baby five to 10 minutes to settle himself to sleep. If he's getting upset, pick him up and offer him more to eat. Hunger is one of the main causes of young babies not settling in the evening, particularly with breastfed babies. Resettle him in his cot again and leave him for a further five or 10 minutes. If he's still unsettled, repeat the same procedure. Being consistent is key to this technique working, and in the long-term it's more reassuring for your baby than changing tactics at bedtime. Do not be tempted to take him downstairs either. Bringing him back into his daytime environment will only confuse him.