25 Jul Tips for helping the new baby sleep like a baby
Sleepless nights and overtired parents are part and parcel of new parents caring for newborn babies. It can be a very challenging time and getting into a sleep routine that works for parents and baby is different for every family.
For the first few weeks, babies set their own sleep schedule. Generally they wake up to feed on a 2-4 hour cycle, and often have their day and nights reversed. Keeping up for parents can be hard and the best advice for new parents is to try and sleep when the baby sleeps getting help from friends and family whenever you can. After all they do say it takes a village to raise a child.
In the first few months, circadian rhythms develop and babies will begin to have a regular sleep-wake cycle and body clock. Try and encourage this by differentiating night from day, keeping the baby active and in a light room during the day and the opposite at night. Remember that sunlight is a natural trigger to promote wakefulness in adults by supressing the release of Melatonin, a sleep promoting hormone.
Try and recognise your babies sleep patterns as they grow, and attempt to bed them to bed when they are sleeping rather than asleep. Put them to bed at the same time each night and allow them to fall asleep with as little help as possible.
The sooner they learn to fall asleep by themselves and settle themselves if they wake in the night, the sooner they will be sleeping through and everyone will be getting the rest they need.
https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-news/tips-helping-the-new-baby-sleep-baby