How to put a newborn baby to sleep: tips that work guide

One of the issues that most brings parents to mind is how to put a newborn baby to sleep effectively. We know that it is not always an easy task, but there are a series of recommendations that you can carry out. Each little one is a world, so the most important thing is to learn to know him and detect what happens to him at all times to satisfy all his needs in the best possible way. Among them, bedtime ;).

Guidelines on how to put a newborn baby to sleep

First of all, it is important to know the sleep cycles of newborn babies. Up to six months of life, the little ones sleep between 16 and 18 hours a day . On the other hand, babies sleep between 1-3 hours at a time . In this way, after six months is when they begin to have a defined sleep rhythm, and can reach up to five hours of night sleep .  

During this first stage, the little ones do not distinguish between day and night . This is because they come from a gestation period in which they were comfortable and well protected in the mother's womb. Therefore, the process of adapting to the world can take a few months , until they become aware of its existence and the routines that this entails .  

The first thing you should know is that the baby should always sleep on his back, on his back . Studies indicate that since the practice was introduced, the rate of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome has dropped considerably.

Create routines, they are very important!

Routines in children in general are very important for them to feel safe , comfortable and calm in their day to day. Habits help them create a healthy lifestyle and grow with a certain education and in a pleasant environment.  

The same thing happens with routines when it comes to establishing and falling asleep. And, since newborns spend more than half a day sleeping, starting their sleep habits as soon as possible is very important to ensure that they always sleep well.  

From when the little one is born to three months, the routines may not be as we want. But, you can start practicing them to develop them better from 4-6 months of the little one .  

It is best to start by creating relaxing routines that help you fall asleep and also gradually teach you when it is time to sleep at night. For example, give him a bath, massage and caress him, sing him a lullaby, and then put him to bed . It is very important to finish this routine already in the room where you are going to sleep. Thus he will associate that environment with the moment of rest.  

So how do you put a baby to sleep in his crib? Even if the bed is in the parents' room, you should practice the routine of your choice and eventually let it fall asleep on its own. To achieve this you will have to put him to bed still awake but with drowsiness . In this way , what you will remember before falling asleep will be your crib and will associate it with the safe and comfortable space you need to sleep.  

This is a behavioral ideal, but you can gradually try to reach this goal . For example, in the mentioned routine, the first days, after the massage, caress it in your arms. Then try to make the caresses and the lullaby move completely to the crib. And finally, perform half a massage already in the crib, to try to make him fall asleep directly or with caresses or the lullaby after.  

Something that you should keep in mind is not to offer him activities that stimulate him excessively one or two hours before bedtime. If so, when it's time to put him to bed at night, his level of arousal will be very high, so it will take him much longer to fall asleep.

Eating while awake

This is sometimes a challenge, since with milk feedings the baby feels full and sleepy. But, it is important to keep him awake so that he associates food with wakefulness . To achieve this, talk to him, pet him or gently stimulate him with something that attracts his attention.  

This becomes more necessary when the little one has problems with gases . So, it is convenient to keep him awake in his arms for about 10 or 15 minutes after taking it to perform the exercises that facilitate the expulsion of these gases.

On the other hand, although they usually wake up after approximately three hours of sleep, it is not convenient to wake them up to eat . Unless it is a recommendation from his pediatrician , let him sleep what he needs and consider.  

In the case of overnight feedings , you can wait a few minutes before seeing what happens to the baby. If he calms down on his own, it will be because he doesn't need anything urgently and he may go back to sleep.  

If this is not the case, the ideal is to carry out the action of feeding it in the most boring and brief way possible . Take it, nurse it and put it back to sleep. To do this, try not to talk to him too much or stimulate him in any way. This way you will understand that it is not time for "revelry" , but that you should sleep at night. The same goes if you need a diaper change.

How to put a baby to sleep fast? The effectiveness of the nursing chair

It is well known that walking and rocking the baby to sleep around the house is a good sleep tactic , especially to put a one-month-old baby to sleep. Although , as you already know, it is important to finish this ritual in the room where the child sleeps.  

A very practical alternative to this technique are the nursing rocking chairs . Both for breastfeeding and bottle feeding, these armchairs are perfect for achieving a correct and comfortable posture for both parties . And if, in addition, you add the perfect rocking of the rocking chair, it will be easier to sleep!  

Everything you need to know to choose the best nursing chair !

For this trick to be effective, place the nursing chair near the crib where the little one will sleep. Try to create the perfect atmosphere for him to sleep and feel comfortable. It is very important to maintain an ideal temperature and dim lighting conditions to relax. Remember that sleeping him in the right environment will make him associate space with bedtime.

The advantages of always having it close

The first weeks of the baby, up to approximately six months, the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is higher. Always having it close is a fairly common recommendation to be able to better control your sleep and that nothing happens to you while you sleep.

For this reason, at Alondra we always recommend having a co - sleeping crib to sleep a newborn baby and always have it close . If you don't want to co-collect with your baby, having a mini-cradle will also be of great help, since they are small beds, normally 50x80 cm, and with wheels . This allows them to guarantee mobility throughout the house without any effort . In addition to providing your baby with his own personal space.

If you decide to practice co-sleeping , they are perfect to do it in a totally protected way. This is called safe co-sleeping , because the cradle gives him the space he needs and allows him to receive all the benefits of the practice.  

To give an example, the response time to breastfeed at night is shorter, so sleep is not disturbed as much, neither for the baby nor for the mother . Also, being close to the parents, the baby relaxes and sleeps better. The same thing happens with parents when they see and have better control over the little one.  

Co -sleeping safely , with a specific cradle or mini-cradle for the baby is of vital importance . Thus, the risk of SIDS is greatly reduced. Once you have finished the co-collection period with your little one, put into practice the routines that best suit you to go from co-sleeping to the conventional crib .

The dream according to the months of the baby

Children's sleep needs change as they grow . When they are newborns they sleep many hours, but in shorter intervals. When you start to grow , the hours of sleep are gradually reduced and the intervals increase.

from 0 to 3 months

The first few months of the little one are more susceptible in terms of how they fall asleep. They have just arrived in the world and their sleep times are very characteristic and quite defined. As we have already told you, they sleep between 16 and 18 hours a day, in naps of 1-3 hours each .  

What you can do to put a newborn baby to sleep is start introducing him to the routines of the new world around him . During the day there will be more stimulation and noise around him, while when it starts to get dark, try to establish a much calmer environment around him. So you can start to set the normal rhythm of life, so that little by little he gets used to it.

From 3 months to 1 year

From three months to six months, a gradual decrease in the hours of sleep is observed. Thus, from the fourth month he will sleep 12-16 hours . The same will happen from the sixth month until he is one year old , he will sleep between 13 and 15 hours .

It will be from 4-6 months when you should implement more strictly the routines for sleeping a baby that we mentioned previously. Thus, the little one will learn to sleep alone and will not feel so much frustration. For this reason, the introduction of routines will be gradual . In this way, you will learn to better manage the separation, especially at night.  

Naps in this period will also gradually reduce in time and number of times a day. They will take 1 to 4 half hour to 2 hour naps at a time .

from 1 to 2 years

The little one is getting older! Sleeping time is reduced to 11-14 hours , but now with a more regular schedule. Naps are cut back to one mid-morning and one in the afternoon . But, remember that the latter should be rather soon. You should avoid taking an afternoon nap close to bedtime.

After one year of age, it will be even more important to set a time to sleep at night . Continuing with the set routine will also be key for you to take the sleep habits that the family wants. During this period, nocturnal awakenings will also be frequent, although the hours that you will remain asleep will increase .

3 to 5 years

And we continue with the reduction of sleep time! During these years the little one will sleep between 10 and 13 hours a day , with a more regular schedule. Naps will become more and more dispensable , so you will have to occupy your time with various activities .  

In any case, routines will continue to be just as important. In the same way that slowing down the pace of activity as night falls. Depending on the bedtime you have set, you should start your bedtime routine earlier or later. In any case, it is important that it is always the same routine and at the same times .

You already have all the keys on how to put a newborn baby to sleep ! Now comes the most difficult part... putting all this into practice. But remember, don't despair if you don't make it. Each little person is different, so you will have to adapt to your baby. You will see that , with time and practice, he adapts to you and the way of family life you want to lead. Forward! It's your time and you're going to do great! ;).