Ways to Help Your Infant Establish Good Sleep Habits

Ways to Help Your Infant Establish Good Sleep Habits

It's normal for your child's (and your) sleeping patterns to be all over the place during the first few months of life. It is difficult to set any form of sleep routine in the beginning due to the adjustment of having a baby to care for, as well as the fact that they will sleep for shorter periods of time because they will need to eat more frequently. When your baby is three months old and has started experiencing longer periods between feedings, it's time to start building a schedule to assist them develop excellent sleep patterns.

At Educational Playcare, being in good physical and mental health is so important to us, that it is one of our Core Values. Sleep is an important part of children’s growth as it helps support their mental and physical development. Even in infancy, while children are sleeping their brains are busy working. Research shows that when your baby moves in their sleep, it is a sign that their bodies are learning the connection between their brains and their muscles. Developing good sleep habits at a young age will also help them as they grow older as sleep habits can affect a child’s weight. Children who suffer from sleep deprivation may be affecting their leptin hormone, which is the hormone that tells a child they have eaten enough. If this hormone has been impacted, a child will continue eating even though they have had enough which can lead to obesity.

Some children will require more sleep at night and take short naps during the day, while others will require less sleep at night and take longer naps during the day. Though there is no exact time range that will meet the needs of each and every kid, children aged 0-3 months should sleep between 5 and 18 hours per day, and children aged 3 to 12 months should sleep between 9 and 14 hours per day.

So, how do you help your infant fall asleep and stay asleep through the night?
1. Families can begin establishing a nighttime routine with their infant around the age of 6-8 weeks. To aid your infant's relaxation, bedtime practises should be peaceful and quiet. Once you've found a routine that works for your baby, stick to it. This will assist your baby understand when it's time to go to bed.
2. One of the main reasons why babies have trouble sleeping through the night is that they mix up their days and nights. It's crucial to teach children how to tell when it's day and when it's night. Open the windows and let the light in during the day, play, and be more energetic. Make sure the room they sleep in is dark and the atmosphere is peaceful at night. This will assist them realise it's time to go to bed.
3. Participate in relaxing activities with your infant as nighttime approaches. Give them a bath, rock them in a rocking chair while singing a soothing song, or read them a book, for instance.
4. Place the infant in a tired but not sleeping position. This will assist your youngster in learning to fall asleep on their own rather than relying on being rocked and calmed.
5. Make use of a white noise machine. From the time they were in the womb, babies have been exposed to comparable sounds. These sounds will not only be calming and familiar, but they will also aid to drown out any outside disturbances that might wake them up.

It is important to remember that all babies are different and what works for one family may not work for another. Likely, you will need to use trial and error to find out what works best for yours, but once you establish your family’s routine, it is important to continue to be consistent.