10 tips to help your baby sleep through the night

Creating the right sleep environment to help your baby sleep through the night is important. It’s hard enough as a new parent to manage a new-born’s routine so finding that your baby wakes up every hour is no laughing matter. Helping your baby sleep through the night is trial and error process and finding something that works well for you and your baby.

If you are looking for a way to get some well-earned rest whilst your baby sleeps like a baby, then read on to find out the top tips to help a baby sleep through the night. Try some or all of these and see what works for you and your bundle of joy.

1) Swaddle your baby for a better night’s sleep

So many parents and sleep experts swear by this method. A newborn has the tendency to move their little arms a lot – and this can wake them if they accidently brush their hand across their face.

A baby is also born with in innate startle reflex till around the age of five months, where they feel like they are falling in their sleep. This sensation of falling often causes a jerk-like movement which can wake your baby up. Having a tight swaddle helps with this feeling as it stops them from feeling startled and waking up. Many parents think that this results in a better and longer stretch of sleep for a baby.

2) Dreamfeeding a baby

Ever heard of dreamfeeding? It is when a baby is fed when the parent goes to bed, so that the baby is eating in a sleepy state. IT means that you get a longer stretch of sleep when you are just getting into bed, so your baby is less likely to wake up on their own for a feed. Usually, if you can get a newborn to go a 3 hour stretch during the night from birth to 6 weeks then that is really good!

3) Reduce the duration of naps during the day

We understand that it is hard to wake a sleeping baby during the day but having a long stretch of sleep during the day can affect their night-time sleep.

If your baby sleeps for more than 2 hours in one go, then you may want to wake them for a feed and a play. If you think that the baby needs a longer nap, then you can increase the nap duration to 2.5 hours. This should help a newborn baby sleep better at night.

4) Eat, sleep, wake cycle

When your baby wakes up from a nap, then it’s a good idea to feed them right after because they will have the most energy to take in a full feed. Then it is time for them to play and get tired enough to want to sleep again. Parents have said this works for some babies as the eat sleep wake cycle makes them less dependant on needing a feed in order to fall asleep.

However, if your baby needs the comfort of feeding before a nap then that is okay too! You simply need to do what works for you and your baby.

5) Use a bedtime routine

Babies love routine and predictability. The familiarity of a routine is soothing and calming to a baby. Think about having a relaxing bedtime routine, like having a warm bath, a story, switching on the white noise and then lay down gently for a good night’s sleep.

6) Using white noise to help baby sleep

Some parents like to drown out the chaos of the house by buying a white noise machine which often tends to make a buzzing sound to soothe the baby into slumber.

7) Change your baby’s nappy

When your baby wakes up for a feed, immediately change their nappy before the feed so that they can sleep in a dry environment right away and won’t wake up feeling uncomfortable. However some parents say that their newborns tend to poop right after a feed in the night, especially in the first few weeks when the baby’s digestive system is sensitive, so feel free to change the nappy after a feed for the first few weeks, but switch back to changing the nappy prior to a feeding after that phase.

8) Don’t wait until your baby is overtired

Sometimes an overtired baby will find it harder to sleep and also find it harder to stay asleep! Therefore, a routine is key and making sure they tend to sleep around the same time every night.

Keeping a baby awake in hopes of tiring them out will in fact result in over-stimulation, and they will have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep.

9) Temperature is key

Having the right temperature to help your baby fall asleep is important. Create a comfortable temperature to promote good sleep for your baby and make sure they are not too hot or too cold. Achieving a room temperature of between 16-20°C is best with light bedding and lightweight sleeping bag to ensure baby safety.

10) Buy a baby Ely Mattress

Baby Ely cotton mattresses provide support and comfort for your baby to help them sleep for longer during the night. They are free from chemicals, naturally insulating and breathable and naturally hypo-allergenic. They are free from fire retardant and chemical sprays and cleverly regulate your child’s body temperature.

Ely baby mattresses are made from coconut fibres and Natural Latex, which behave in the same way as a layer of pocket springs but on a much smaller scale. They’re surrounded by organic wool, which regulates temperature and is hypo-allergenic, whilst also being a natural fire retardant.

They’re a safe and comfortable sleep solution for your baby to sleep through the night.