When I came home with my baby for the first time it was exciting & surreal. Shortly after that I started wondering if I will ever get any sleep again! Those first few months with a newborn can leave you feeling a bit delirious. You long for the nights where you will get more than 2 hours sleep at a time! I know because this was me!! I ended up in a google swarm of confusing, mixed messages about baby sleep patterns. Getting your baby to sleep through the night doesn’t have to be confusing. These days I’m just putting my daughter down and walking away to have my own peaceful and quiet evening. (Something I thought I wouldn’t get until she was at least 1 year!) I get 10 hour sleep nights from her and it’s great for both of us. I am sharing my simple routine and tricks for getting your baby to sleep through the night.

Rituals

The most basic step is to establish an actual routine. We do the classic bath, milk, book, bed ritual. You can do any variation that works for you and your baby as long it is the same every night. The routine triggers your baby’s brain that it is bedtime and time to wind down. You want to do this at the same time every night as well. In the beginning it may seem like things are not working but after a while it does click. I started a sleep routine around 2 months but I didn’t see any real progress until about 3 months of age. Patience is key here.

Environment

Putting the baby down can definitely be a process in itself. You must ensure that the environment is conducive for baby to sleep through the night. He/she probably won’t want to go to bed when you want them to- so any noises or major distractions will give them an excuse not to settle down! Remember that your baby came from a relatively quiet and dark place (mama’s womb). Mimicking that environment especially in the earlier months will help soothe them and help them sleep longer.

• Keep the room temp comfortable (between 68-72 degrees F).
• Minimize bright lights. A night light or dim lighting should be fine but bright lights should be turned off.
• Use white noise. This is optional but definitely helpful. You can use your own voice to do a “shush-ing” sound.
• If the baby is rooming in, try to also be ready for bed yourself or be prepared to leave the room so baby isn’t looking for you or distracted by your movements.
• Lay baby down awake- but not asleep. This helps them to learn the art of self-soothing for the long road ahead.

Transitioning

When we transitioned Kira to a full size crib in her room at 4 months, she would scream when we put her down. Her bassinet was much smaller than this humungous crib she was suddenly put in and she was used to seeing her parents next to her when she woke up. During the transition I would leave the room and allow her to cry for just a few seconds to see if she would find a way to self soothe. If not I would go back in and hold her, rock her, sing to her and put her back in her crib. I would do this as many times as I needed to. I did not bring her back to our room or in our bed. After about a week she started to fall asleep on her own. By staying in the room to soothe and placing her back in the crib she realized that this was the new way to be put to bed. Your baby will adapt.

Pro tip: Don’t place baby smack in the middle of the crib but more so against the backboard so it gives them a sense of security.

Challenges

Even with all of this in place you can still fall into difficulty getting your baby to fall asleep and stay asleep. Your daytime routine has alot to do with your baby’s ability to stay asleep through the night. Here are some important things to consider

• Are they eating enough throughout the day?
• How much sleep are they getting during the day? (Their longest sleep stretch should not be during daytime naps.)

Those 2 factors played the biggest roles in Kira’s ability to sleep through the night. Once we got a good daytime schedule going with her feedings and naps- her nighttime sleep improved drastically.

Getting your baby to sleep through the night does not have to be overwhelming! And remember that it’s never too late to get start your own routine with your little one. This works for toddlers too! Have patience and give it a go! I’m rooting for you!! 🙂