When a baby is born she does not know what is night and what is day.
In case you are reading this articles in anticipation of your first child then (as if you didn't already know) you should expect to be woken up persistently, no matter what the time, for the first few weeks.
Partly, this is due to the fact that a baby's stomach carries a maximum of three to four hours worth of nutrition.
Hence every few hours she will be waking up and crying.
Without wanting to sound cruel, you should whenever possible try and impose the fact that night is for sleep from very early on - this does not mean letting her cry when she needs attention but doing things in a way that gives her less attention than she would expect in the daytime (e.
g.
try and keep the lights off for instance.
) You can also try and make her nap a little less in the afternoon time as this will naturally tire her out more during the night time and help her sleep better.
Here are some very effective tips on helping your baby sleep far better.
Did you know that for a lot of adults with persistent sleep problems stem from the early development years of a child's life? Hence it is important for your child to associate sleep with a sense of restfulness and peace - and you can help create those conditions.
Here are the tips that you can use to induce far better sleep for your baby: When your baby naps in the day time use a well lit area - this will help keep the naps shorter and may encourage him to sleep better at nights.
Feed your baby more during the day - this will help him meet his needs during the night so that he is likely to sleep better.
Carry your baby more, particularly in the evenings as this keeps him relaxed which is likely to lead to a more restless transition to sleep.
Remain flexible - if the sleep routine you are trying does not seem to be working then do not be afraid to try something new.
Be alert too - where do you notice your baby sleeping well? If there is a "special place" then try and make that her sleeping place.
Try and ensure your baby has a pleasant day - as odd as it may sound, the more peaceful your baby's day the greater the chance that your baby will also enjoy a good night's sleep.
Some research shows that babies that are held more during the day sleep better at night - is there any way you can work this into your daily routine? Depending on the baby, sometimes a warm bath and massage can lull babies into sleep at night.
You do need to see if this is right for her as this method can actually make some babies more stimulated.
Trial and error is the way to find out.
A blend of soothing stimuli can help your baby sleep better too.
For instance after a warm bath and massage, hugging your baby and then breastfeeding her is very soothing and can help bring the onset of sleep.
What your baby wears during sleep can also be a factor - babies in the early months are known to prefer sleeping slightly tighter (snugly wrapped in a nice baby blanket).
If your baby is prone to allergies it may irritate her more during the night - when this is the case remember to use pure cotton sleepwear.
Try and minimize the chances for physical discomforts.
Things such as having a peaceful and quiet environment, ensuring that her diapers are dry and comfortable and making sure that the air is free or irritants are very important.
The room temperature can also have a significant impact on your baby's sleep.
Apart from ensuring that the bed is suitably warm the best temperature for sleep is 70 degrees with a 50% humidity.
You also need to decide exactly where your baby should be sleeping.
Some parents insist that your baby sleep in his own crib in his own room.
Still other parents want their baby in their bedroom.
In case you are reading this articles in anticipation of your first child then (as if you didn't already know) you should expect to be woken up persistently, no matter what the time, for the first few weeks.
Partly, this is due to the fact that a baby's stomach carries a maximum of three to four hours worth of nutrition.
Hence every few hours she will be waking up and crying.
Without wanting to sound cruel, you should whenever possible try and impose the fact that night is for sleep from very early on - this does not mean letting her cry when she needs attention but doing things in a way that gives her less attention than she would expect in the daytime (e.
g.
try and keep the lights off for instance.
) You can also try and make her nap a little less in the afternoon time as this will naturally tire her out more during the night time and help her sleep better.
Here are some very effective tips on helping your baby sleep far better.
Did you know that for a lot of adults with persistent sleep problems stem from the early development years of a child's life? Hence it is important for your child to associate sleep with a sense of restfulness and peace - and you can help create those conditions.
Here are the tips that you can use to induce far better sleep for your baby: When your baby naps in the day time use a well lit area - this will help keep the naps shorter and may encourage him to sleep better at nights.
Feed your baby more during the day - this will help him meet his needs during the night so that he is likely to sleep better.
Carry your baby more, particularly in the evenings as this keeps him relaxed which is likely to lead to a more restless transition to sleep.
Remain flexible - if the sleep routine you are trying does not seem to be working then do not be afraid to try something new.
Be alert too - where do you notice your baby sleeping well? If there is a "special place" then try and make that her sleeping place.
Try and ensure your baby has a pleasant day - as odd as it may sound, the more peaceful your baby's day the greater the chance that your baby will also enjoy a good night's sleep.
Some research shows that babies that are held more during the day sleep better at night - is there any way you can work this into your daily routine? Depending on the baby, sometimes a warm bath and massage can lull babies into sleep at night.
You do need to see if this is right for her as this method can actually make some babies more stimulated.
Trial and error is the way to find out.
A blend of soothing stimuli can help your baby sleep better too.
For instance after a warm bath and massage, hugging your baby and then breastfeeding her is very soothing and can help bring the onset of sleep.
What your baby wears during sleep can also be a factor - babies in the early months are known to prefer sleeping slightly tighter (snugly wrapped in a nice baby blanket).
If your baby is prone to allergies it may irritate her more during the night - when this is the case remember to use pure cotton sleepwear.
Try and minimize the chances for physical discomforts.
Things such as having a peaceful and quiet environment, ensuring that her diapers are dry and comfortable and making sure that the air is free or irritants are very important.
The room temperature can also have a significant impact on your baby's sleep.
Apart from ensuring that the bed is suitably warm the best temperature for sleep is 70 degrees with a 50% humidity.
You also need to decide exactly where your baby should be sleeping.
Some parents insist that your baby sleep in his own crib in his own room.
Still other parents want their baby in their bedroom.