Some preparation before the arrival of your baby can make sleep much easier for your newborn and ensure you get as much sleep as possible too.
There are a number of simple techniques and tools that will mean your baby settles quickly and sleeps for longer. You can wing it and hope for a sleeping baby, or invest in the following (rather than lots of really cute outfits and fussing about how to decorate the nursery!
These wonderful books and DVDs will show both parents simple techniques to calm crying and help baby sleep much longer. Dr Karp is a well-known American pediatrician with over 30 years of experience. His 5S's include swaddling, ssshing and swinging.
Check out The Happiest Baby for more info and to order.
"Tonight I put Ryan down to sleep and he started to grizzle after 5 minutes. I went in there, picked him up, put him on his side and shushed in his ear...the crying stopped immediately. I then sat down with him on my knee and 'jiggled' him, and slowly the eyes closed and the head relaxed. After a couple of minutes I was able to put him back in his bassinet and that was 40 minutes ago. It was incredibly empowering to be able to calm him so rapidly and so amazing that it worked JUST like on the DVD!" Annalise
We really like the simple EASY routine recommended in this book. It helps you read your baby's sign language, showing you whether your baby is hungry, tired or uncomfortable.
Using the EASY routine helps get your baby into good sleep habits from early on.
Click here for our helpful books, DVDs and digital downloads.
Swaddling is the number one technique for calming crying, getting your baby to sleep and to sleep longer. It's essential for all new parents to master the art of swaddling, so everyone gets as much sleep as possible.
Effective swaddling will help your baby sleep through the night earlier too, from 8 weeks old.
You can choose from traditional square wraps or fitted easy wraps. Easy wraps such as Miracle Blanket mean you can instantly wrap your baby without needing to learn how to swaddle. We highly recommend the Miracle Blanket or our sweet Sleep Store Zip Swaddle.
We recommend purchasing at least 2 newborn size wraps.
"I purchased the miracle blanket because she seemed to be getting her arms out of all the others I don’t know whether it is pure coincidence but the first night that she was in the miracle blanket, she slept a total of 11 hours!!!! 7pm – 6 am. She repeated the same the next night, and has continued to have long sleeps. I’m shocked at how she went from 5.5 hrs and is now making it from 9 to 11 hrs before needing a feed – I can only guess that the miracle blanket has been the major change with her – THANK YOU!!!!!!! P.s – she also seems to be settling a LOT quicker for her sleeps during the day – another thing I think the wrap is helping with." Vicki.
"I purchased the miracle blanket because she seemed to be getting her arms out of all the others I don’t know whether it is pure coincidence but the first night that she was in the miracle blanket, she slept a total of 11 hours!!!! 7pm – 6 am. She repeated the same the next night, and has continued to have long sleeps. I’m shocked at how she went from 5.5 hrs and is now making it from 9 to 11 hrs before needing a feed – I can only guess that the miracle blanket has been the major change with her – THANK YOU!!!!!!! P.s – she also seems to be settling a LOT quicker for her sleeps during the day – another thing I think the wrap is helping with." Vicki.
Babies are used to loud noise inside the womb, and playing familiar sounds makes settling much easier. The Marpac Hushh or Whish are both amazing white noise machines, specifically designed for use with babies. We also recommend Baby's First White Noise CD if you want to use a CD player, as it sounds like an hour of continuous ssssshing. Almost all babies respond to these effective tools.
Choose a white noise option that has volume control, can play all night and doesn't require batteries.
Yes I know you've probably decided your baby isn't going to use a dummy, but some babies just love to suck, which could be a finger, breast, bottle or dummy. Apart from sucking, a baby's only other way to wind down is by screaming! I know which option I prefer out of a dummy or loud screaming!
Look for dummies with a good shape for newborns, and that stay in well.
Newborn sleep changes and develops quickly, most parents will agree, knowing when your new baby requires sleep is hard and learning how to adapt to their changes to routine and needs isn't straightforward, particularly when you're tired and exhausted.
You can get your digital eBook copy downloaded now for an extensive range of tips and advice on Newborn babies sleep, from 0-3 months...no jargon or judgement, just practical solutions!
