20 tips for quiet sleep for your child

“My baby wakes up for long periods, especially at night” This is the most common complaint from all mothers, some would relate that to the baby’s nature “being fearful” for example, and others to the mother’s inability to cope with the child, especially if the newborn was her first. Disregard all the different false tips that are spreading around; and read through 20 advices given by specialized pediatricians that would help your baby-and yourself- sleep better.

1 Avoiding Eye Contact

If you are to trying to help your little one fall asleep peacefully, avoid looking directly to his/her eyes. Maybe you think that eye contact relaxes your baby and helps him/her to sleep, but in fact it excites your baby in an indirect way and he/she would think that you want to play. So, always try to close your eyes when you are getting your baby to sleep as it tells him that “it is bedtime”

2- Bath time

Bathing with your child is the best way to help your baby sleep and makes him/her feel safe and relaxed. Warm water, combined with soft, loving strokes with a washcloth, can relax just about anyone.

Tip: Avoid playing with your child during bath time, keep activity low, and give your baby a simple massage that would help him/her fall asleep

3- Co-Sleeping

Although many parents are opposed to the idea of sleeping next to their child, studies show that children who co-sleep with their parents grow up with higher self-esteem and less anxiety. So, make you child feel safe by placing a co-sleeper or bassinet next to your bed.

4- Dream feed

Most of the babies wake up at the middle of the night hungry. Therefore it is advised by the pediatricians that babies should be fed before going to bed immediately, or even while they are asleep. This would give him a satiety and comfort for a longer period

5- Empty the Crib

Some think that putting the babies’ favorite toys beside them would help them sleep and feel safe however; it actually distracts them from sleeping and excites them to play. Therefore, don’t empty your baby’s crib from any toys especially those who make noise.

6- Fragrance

Some mothers prefer to put some beneficial oils, which help to relax the child, especially before going to sleep, but you have first to know if your child has an allergy in the nose and skin against these oils and scents. This may be the main reason for waking your baby in the middle of the night.

7- Ideal Bedtime

Setting an established bedtime the child is one of the important things that will help your baby sleep quickly, and will also help you to get some rest. Pediatrician Nancy Silva has explained that between 6:30 to 7:00 PM is the most appropriate bedtime for babies under 1 year old. She also explains that early to bed doesn’t necessarily mean early rise, yet it can even help your baby sleep more hours.

8- Jammies

Mothers usually worry about their babies from cold, thus they make them wear many layers of clothes during bedtime. However, this may be the main reason for the child wake up in the night. So, make your child wear comfortable cotton clothes.

9-Keeping Cool

Most of us can’t sleep if the room temperature wasn’t right. The same goes for your child, he/she feels heat and cold just like us. So, put your baby in a suitable room temperature to help him relax and have a good night.

10- Lights Out

Most of the mothers believe that a room with dim light is better than a dark room for the child so he/she would feel safe. But this is a mistake a, the child in such a young age doesn’t know the feeling of fear yet. So, try to make the room as dark as possible during bedtime.

11- Massage

Doctors say that babies and toddlers who enjoy a 15-minute bedtime massage fall asleep faster than those who don’t. So, make sure to massage your baby’s body and make him/her relax.

12-Naps

Some mothers think that napping is only a short period of sleeping that makes the child wakes up throughout the night, but this is another mistake. In fact, napping is as importance as lone-time-sleeping because the mental and physical capacities of the child grow during them. So, Don’t wake your child up during naps.

13- Overnight Diapers

If your child has afflicted diapers during sleep, do not try to change them during that time. able to absorb the water beside your child will not feel them. But the change will make him/her wake up in a bad mood.

14- Music to sleep by

If your child sleeps and the pacifier is still in his mouth, try to remove it from his mouth while he is sleeping, because if it fell out of his mouth during sleep it will wake him up and feel anxious.

15- Quirky Fixes

Most parents follow different ways to help their children to sleep, some parents take their children on a tour by car and some mothers play a certain type of music to help their children to sleep. Follow any way to help your child to sleep and feel safe.

16- Routines

Follow a certain routine when you try to put your baby to sleep, for example, his position in bed, reading certain stories or certain music, these methods are only a message to your child that it is bedtime. It is preferable not to change tactics until your child get used to it.

17-Tell your child a story

try to read story is interesting and enjoyable for your child and stay away from any sad stories , The child notice your tone of voice if you are happy or sad and perhaps may lead to weeping , so read to your child happy story .

18-Talk to your child

In order to discharge the child verbal energy you must choose the type of yor talk , so that your talk must be happy and icluding beautiful future , to insure that the dreams that child will see during his sleep will be beautiful because The disturbing dreams will disturb him also

19 – Differentiate between night and morning

Although child will ultimately sleep longer at night, some newborn babies sleep at night and morning as well . To help your baby to sleep longer at night , differentiate between siesta and normal sleeping at night by setting regular routine, playing calmly with the baby, reading for him, give him warm shower, singing for him and easing lightening.

20 – Differentiate between night and morning meals

As the newborn baby will need to be fed on hourly basis, he will wake up many times at night. To keep these meals healthy and less disturbing for baby sleep, Dr Penelope Leach in her book “Your Baby & Child” suggested that mothers should make night meals calmer than morning ones.

In other words, when baby feels restlessness at midnight, go and feed him before he fully wakes up, don’t speak with him or light up but keep calmness to understand that it is not time for playing. On the contrary, interact, caht and play with your child during morning.