Babies sleep tight and sound when they’re well-fed and when nothing irritates or causes them discomfort.
It’s like the story of "The Princess and the Pea". It is a literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about a young woman whose royal ancestry is established by a test of her sensitivity.
The story tells of a prince who wants to marry a princess but is having difficulty finding a suitable wife. Something is always wrong with those he meets and he cannot be certain they are real princesses because they have bad table manners or they are not his type. One stormy night a young woman drenched with rain seeks shelter in the prince's castle. She claims to be a princess, so the prince's mother decides to test their unexpected guest, by placing a pea in the bed she is offered for the night, covered by huge mattresses and 20 feather-beds.*
A newborn baby is very new to its outside environment, having spent almost 9 months inside her mother’s cozy womb, the natural nourishment and the secureness she received from her mom. Hence the baby is very sensitive to the smallest of sensory stimuli, even in a closed environment.
New Moms and Dads, you needn’t fuss. There’re a few ingenious steps to create a bedtime routine for your newborn.
- Observe sleeping patterns by jotting down the time your baby shuts her eyes every day. Monitor when she is fussy and when she slips into sleep with ease. This helps you move the time of sleep that’s ideal for the baby so that you too can catch up with good and sound sleep.
- Set up a daily ritual for your newborn which helps the baby adjust her internal clock for bedtime. It’s favorable to keep away electronic gadgets, switch off the television set, read something or sing sweet lullabies to the baby to help her slip into sleep with relative ease.
- Start the new bedtime routine when you and your baby aren’t burdened with something that needs more attention. If you’re a working parent Friday might be a good day to start as you would have the weekend and not be overly occupied with office work. Also choosing days that would be less stressful for the baby. Like family ceremonies, visits to the doctors, vaccination appointments and such events where the baby will experience the strain of commuting or travel. Or too much sensory stimuli.
- Sleep training requires a room that’s warm and comfortable. Too hot or too cold and the baby could feel uneasy to sleep or could be woken up during naps. Too much sunlight from the windows could also unsettle her.
- These sleep training techniques work best within the first 3-4 months. And consistency is key to help your baby settle well with the bedtime ritual and routine.
Please share your thoughts, reactions and suggestions. Were these bedtime routine ideas helpful?
What was your experience of teaching a bedtime routine for your infant/newborn?
Share your experiences in the comments section, or DM us your feedback.
Do log in to www.thetinylane.com for the best sleep solutions with our sleep-inducing swaddle wraps. Tiny Lane Swaddle Wraps mimic a mom’s womb because of the magical advantages of organic bamboo fabric the swaddles are weaved in.
*Source: Wikipedia
