How to start a bedtime routine with your baby?

Sleeping is an integral part for your child’s brain development and likewise equally important for you as well. Each baby may behave different, while some may sleep soundly throughout the night, and some may be a night owl; extremely hyperactive seeking your attention.

 

About Baby Sleep Problems:

Your baby may wake up crying because they are hungry, need a nappy change, feeling uncomfortable, or simply because of a change in their sleep cycle. There’s no proper rulebook for parents to deal with this night time disruptions. However, overtime once your baby grows old you will be able to understand your baby sleep problems better and set up a bedtime routine.

 

What’s the Ideal Time to Start a Bedtime Routine for Your Baby?

When your baby is around 3 months old, you should establish a sleep routine. Keep a track of your baby’s sleeping habits and be consistent. If your baby shows the cues of sleeping consistently then it’s the ideal time for you to start a bedtime routine. If your baby is having trouble getting to sleep, be consistent and persistent in implementing a routine for a few weeks and watch for the results.

 

Is it Necessary to Set up a Bedtime Routine for Your Baby?

Newborn babies do not know the difference between day or night. They’ll wake up in short span because they are hungry or uncomfortable. This disturbed sleep may cause extreme mood changes in your baby, resulting in them feeling cranky and crying. By nurturing a good bedtime routine, they’ll feel safe, thus, indeed providing them with stability.

A good newborn sleep routine helps in:

  • Sound sleep: A peaceful bedtime routine that follows a consistent pattern every night signals to your baby that it’s time to take a nap. This way you’ll spend less time to settle your baby to sleep. They’ll naturally shut their eyes and fall asleep.
  • Provides comfort: Have you noticed your baby finding it difficult to staying asleep? This is a condition known as sleep regression that many babies go through during the first year. In this condition, it’s quite arduous to put your baby to sleep. Luckily this is a phase and once your baby acclimates to her new developmental abilities, sleep patterns should return to baseline.
  • Improves sleep quality: Consistent bedtime routine helps babies to attune their body to the sleep cycle, thus, improving their sleep quality. Although you may develop your own set of activities and routine, you’ll generally want to reserve active games for the daytime and calmer activities for the evening. This prevents your baby from getting wound up and overstimulated right before bedtime.
  • Strong bonds: Bedtime routines are the best way for you to understand your babies needs much better. By doing the bedtime routine with your little ones, you can forge strong bonds with them. This not only creates a stable environment but also makes them feel safe.
  • Feel relaxed: Your baby will feel at ease with the regular sleep pattern, and this will help you to relax after a long day.
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Tips to Introduce a Bedtime Routine for Your Baby:

  • Start early:
    Closely observe your baby’s sleep routine. Watch out for the cues such as rubbing the eyes, yawning, looking away, or fussing. These cues indicate that your baby is feeling sleepy. Keep a track of the time your baby sleeps for a long duration without waking up. Start a pre-sleep routine before his natural sleep time. Suppose if your baby sleeps well between 8.00 PM to 1.00 AM. Start a bedtime routine around 7.00 PM or 7.15 PM.
  • Create the right ambience:
    Put your baby to sleep in a quiet room. Dim the lights, and maybe even play some white noise to soothe your baby to sleep.
  • Consistency is the key:
    The whole point of a bedtime routine is to vigorously following the same routine every day. Your bedtime routine could involve:

          1.Giving them a warm bath

          2.Massaging their body

          3.Changing into night clothes

          4.Reading a bedtime story

          5.Singing a lullaby

          6.Cuddling and finally, wish them a goodnight.

    You can choose whatever works the best for you and your baby but make sure it’s consistent.

    The consistent bedtime routine will make your child feel stable, indeed, sleeping peacefully

  • Put your baby to sleep in the same place every day:

Babies tend to not fall asleep in a new environment. Ensure you put your baby to sleep in the same crib every day and also at the same time. If you are travelling out, make sure to carry a travel crib that your baby is familiar with.

  • Put your baby to sleep in the same place every day:

Babies tend to not fall asleep in a new environment. Ensure you put your baby to sleep in the same crib every day and also at the same time. If you are travelling out, make sure to carry a travel crib that your baby is familiar with.

  • Keep it simple: Choose activities that are feasible to your lifestyle. Make sure to keep a simple bedtime routine that you can follow for a long time.
  • Change the routine overtime: At the beginning, the bedtime routine for your baby may include a warm bath, followed by a massage or reading a bedtime story. Overtime, your baby’s needs will change. So, adjust the bedtime routine based on their needs.

 

Why is your baby not sleeping despite a bedtime routine?

Certain times your baby will wake up in the middle of the night and cry loudly. Newborn babies usually sleep for a short span. You can soothe your baby to sleep by either feeding them, singing a lullaby or simply comforting them. Despite that, if you notice your baby crying inconsolably for no reason, it means your baby has colic. You must remember that colic is not an illness, and while your baby may be in pain, it will pass. It starts around week one and peaks around six to eight weeks, after which it normally subsides as your kid grows. To soothe colicky babies, try Woodward’s Gripe Water. It is an ayurvedic, non-alcoholic solution with ingredients such as Dill seed oil and Sarjikakshara. These two ingredients together ensure perfect digestion and ensures a safe solution for colicky babies.

Bedtime routines should be pleasant not just for the baby but for you as well. Modify the bedtime routine as you wish and see what works the best for you. If your baby is not able to sleep due to Colic, try Woodward’s Gripe Water. It’s been trusted by mothers worldwide for over 170 years.

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