Nothing is sweeter than watching your little one sleep – peaceful…and quiet.
But that can be short lived if they are not accustomed to sleeping through the night; which can be a task in itself. Now this Mama does not do well with interrupted sleep, so there’s a few things I did to ensure that my little ones learned to sleep through the night – as soon as possible.
Now when they are infants (usually the first few months) no matter what – expect to lose sleep. They have to eat every few hours, and no amount of routine or well wishing will change this. Usually between 3 and 6 months your little one will get to a point where they can at least sleep a straight 6 hours – and this is when you want to implement a routine to help keep it that way.
Routine. As I mentioned, implementing a routine is the best way to get your baby to sleep through the night. Whether its a bath then cuddle time, or story time, pick a routine and then stick to it. When my kids’ are on a night time routine not only do the evenings go smoother, but they fall asleep a lot faster. So pick what your doing and when, and stick to it!
Put Baby to Bed…Alone. Ok this one was especially hard for me – but if your little one gets used to sleeping on you, or with you – well Houston, we have a problem. I got a bit laxed when my son was born (#3) and allowed him to sleep in bed with me since his Dad was traveling so much – he is now 8 years old and there are still nights I have to fight to get him into his own bed. . and even then, he wants one of his sisters to lay down with him. Lay them down when they are tired, but not all the way asleep, and allow them to get used to being alone. Let them cry it out a bit (if needed) but eventually they will get used to being in bed and falling asleep there. This will also help a lot when it comes to waking up – most babies that go to bed and learn to fall asleep on their own, will also learn how to entertain themselves a bit when waking up (you’re welcome).
Put Baby to Bed with a Full Belly. This was key for my kids; breast milk or formula won’t always keep baby in bed for the entire night – giving them a full belly before bed with GERBER CEREALS.
GERBER CEREALS are also amazing as you mix it yourself – this way you can use your baby’s own breast milk or formula – a taste they are already familiar with – to help them make the transition. It’s a flavor bridge into solid foods. Plus you can mix a perfect ratio of cereal – breast milk to give your baby just the right texture, thin or slightly thicker for those early spoon feeding experiences – and it’s really fun to let them feed themselves!
