When it comes to your baby sleeping through the night, there are multiple factors that come into play. Does your baby have a bedtime?  Are they overtired?  What type of environment are you providing for them to sleep in?  

These are all things to keep in mind when putting your baby to bed, in order to get the most out of their nighttime sleep. 

To give you a head start on what may seem like a daunting task, I’ve put together my top 5 recommended tips to help get your baby sleeping through the night.  

5 Steps to Follow to Get Your Baby Sleeping Through the Night

From the moment your baby is born sleep becomes a main point of concern.  From worrying if your baby is getting enough sleep to wondering if you should wake your baby to eat, it’s easy to become obsessed with sleep. 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed trying to come up with new ways to get your baby to sleep more, the good news is my 5 steps are simpler than any hoops you’re currently jumping through.  And when used consistently, these steps have been proven to help little ones (and their parents!) sleep better throughout the night [1]. 

1. Optimal Environment

The first thing we want to take into consideration when getting our little ones ready for bed is the sleep environment we are creating for them. This is what sets the stage and sends the signal to your baby that it’s time for bed.  Here are a few things I recommend when it comes to your baby’s sleep environment:

• Keep the room cool
• Keep the room dark
• Keep the room quiet
• Keep the room boring 
• Keep the room safe

Read more about creating an ideal sleep environment for your baby, here. 

2. Consistent Routine

Studies have shown that implementing a bedtime routine helps your baby to stay asleep longer, as well as decrease night-wakings [2].  If you feel overwhelmed creating a bedtime routine, remember that it doesn’t have to be complicated!  Strive to take 20-40 minutes each night completing just 5-6 steps with your little one. 

For some guidance on how to do this, check out my recommended (and science-backed) routine, here.

3. Early Bedtime

Setting a bedtime for your baby prevents them from being overly tired and promotes longer stretches of consolidated night sleep [3]. As naps fluctuate with age, having a set bedtime will allow your baby the opportunity to get their total sleep needs! For young babies, it's perfectly fine (and normal!) for your baby’s bedtime to be later, in order to be more in line with when you are going to bed yourself.  Bedtimes will become earlier as your baby’s naps transition and their wake windows stretch. 

Here is what I recommend as ideal baby bedtimes:

• For babies 0-8 weeks - 8-10 pm
• For babies 8-12 weeks - 8-9 pm
• For babies 3 months and older - 7-8 pm

4. Avoid Drowsiness

A common phrase around baby sleep is “drowsy but awake,” but I recommend putting babies down completely awake! So understanding the difference between awake vs. drowsy is key. If your baby is at all drowsy during their bedtime routine, they’ve already begun the journey to sleep. When your baby starts falling asleep in your arms, they will most likely wake up when you lay them down; Then you find yourself starting all over again. Or if they do manage to stay asleep then when they naturally wake in the night they’ll still need your help to get to drowsy once again. Putting your baby into their crib wide awake will help them to settle into their sleep environment, and fall asleep independently allowing them to discover their own soothing techniques. 

5. Into bed awake

Going along with avoiding drowsiness, I like to give the following scenario to demonstrate the importance of putting your baby down for sleep, awake. Imagine you are watching TV on the couch, you fall asleep, and when you wake up you’re no longer on the couch, but in your bed.  You’d be wondering how you got there, and it would be difficult to go right back to sleep.  The same goes for your little one! If they fall asleep in your arms being rocked or fed and then they wake up in their crib, they could become alarmed and the experience could be quite stimulating for them. For babies under 4 months of age, going to bed awake may be difficult at first, but practice as often as you can and it will get easier!

Consistency is Key in Baby Sleep

When it comes to implementing these 5 steps, consistency is key!  No change is going to happen overnight, and it may even be difficult when first implementing these steps. They’re new for all of you!  If you don’t have success the first night, don’t lose hope.  Keep trying and be as consistent in your efforts as possible.  You and your baby will get there. 

If you find yourself still struggling with your little one’s sleep, please know that you are not alone and that I am here to help. Download one of my comprehensive sleep guides or schedule a call with me for some personalized support.

Resources:

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6587179/

[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34245182/

[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32861189/