Getting More Sleep

Getting Baby to Sleep Better

• From the very beginning, put baby down to sleep drowsy, but awake. That way they will learn to fall asleep by themselves. This is a very good skill for a baby to have.
• When baby is about 6 weeks old, you should start trying to develop a 30 minute bedtime routine. Do exactly the same routine at the same time each night. This will help baby learn to fall asleep by himself. You might start the routine a little late in the evening at first, but gradually start the routine earlier and earlier by 15 minutes every couple of days until baby sleeps through the night. With our babies, 7:00-7:30pm seemed to work well because baby was drowsy, but not overly tired. Each baby is different, so just find out what time works best for your baby and be consistent.
• Gradually start doing a shortened version of the nightly routine before each nap time.
• Baby will be easier to put to sleep if he or she isn't overly tired (wired).
• Swaddle your baby before putting him or her to sleep.
• Do more research. We highly recommend "Healthy Sleep Habits for Happy Child" by Marc Weissbluth, and the BB Sleep Solutions program.