Teach Your Baby to Sleep Through the Night

If your baby or toddler is sleeping through the night, great! However if your child is not getting enough quality sleep at night, it can impact on their development and behaviour (eg lots more crying or tantrums).

And what about the impact that months or years of broken sleep has on Mum and Dad’s health and energy? It's hard work being a parent, even when you are well rested. You have every right to a full night sleep once your baby is old enough to not need feeding during the night, which is usually after about 4-6 months.

Research shows that 50% of 6 month old babies not sleeping through the night are still having sleep problems as preschoolers! So make the decision to teach your child to be a great sleeper, rather than relying on luck to change their sleep habits. And the quicker you start to teach your baby to sleep through the night, the quicker they will sleep through!!!!

Some tips

The following tips for teaching babies over 4 months to sleep through the night may be just what are needed for your whole family to get a full night’s sleep:

1. Teach your child to fall asleep without being fed or rocked to sleep, so she learns the skills to resettle during the night. There are many techniques you can use, depending on her age and what you are comfortable doing. Click here for more information on self settling.

2. Use a structured daytime routine, with set feed & sleep times, so your baby knows what you expect & when. Ensure your child doesn’t get over-tired during the day, by having bedtime by 7pm, continue with day sleeps and avoid short catnaps in the car. Overtired babies and children are harder to settle and often have disturbed night sleep.

3. Use a relaxing bedtime routine, including bath, stories in bed and music to help your child unwind and fall asleep.

4. Have a consistent sleeping environment so your baby or toddler stays warm and safe all night. Use a quality baby sleeping bag, such as a Woolbabe, so there are no blankets to kick off.

5. If your baby is over 7 months old, introduce a comfort blankie to help your child soothe herself at bedtime & during the night.

6. Do a dreamfeed (feed your baby while she is asleep) at about 10pm, to ensure your baby has a full tummy to last through the night. From 4-6 months babies can usually last from 10pm until morning with no night feeds, and from about 9 months, they should not need any feeds after 6.30pm until morning.

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