WINTER and the change in temperature and light throws everyone out of kilter.
But for babies this can undo the good sleep work they may have been practising in the months beforehand.
As every parent knows, a good sleep routine is the key for you and your baby.
If you are finding the change in weather has caused your little one to be disrupted, there are some things you can do.
Lisa Lewis, a sleep consultant, has revealed her top tips to soothe babies into sleep.
She told TheDozyOwl: "These are my mantras for getting babies to sleep every night.
"The 5 Bs are 'sleep cues' that will help the baby start remembering what needs to happen come the evening time.
"A strict routine will help them unwind and relax.”
BATH
Try to always leave bathing your baby until the end of the day.
After coming out of a warm bath, their body temperature will begin to cool which promotes tiredness and a deeper sleep.
Once your baby is used to their routine, this first step will signal that it is time to wind down, assisting the following steps.
BEDROOM
Once your baby is in the bedroom, ideally, they stay there, helping them understand that this is now the place they stay for the night.
Make their room a relaxing, quiet, and dark space to avoid any stimulation before bed.
The temperature of a bedroom is key during the colder months.
A room too warm will prevent your child’s core body temperature from decreasing in order to sleep, and too cold a room could act as a stimulant, counteracting the effects of their warm bath.
BOOKS
Babies/children are never too young for books…
Hearing the soothing voice of their primary care givers will make your baby feel safe and calm, evoking sleep.
If consistent in their bedtime routine a baby will normally drift off as you read.
BOTTLE/BREAST
Whether you bottle or breast feed, try to be in a comfortable seated position whilst feeding to prevent you from shuffling and disturbing their slumber.
This is another lovely calming time of their day.
Not only does having a warm drink before bed make your baby drowsy, but this will prevent them from waking up hungry later in the night.
BED/COT
Ideally, always put your baby into their bed or cot when they are sleepy and not in a deep sleep.
This will prevent them being startled and teach them to self-settle.
We have also previously revealed to be aware of 'wake windows', which can help your tot into a good pattern.
It will ensure you get into a routine and mean they aren't getting under or overtired.
Settling them for a nap or bedtime at the end of a wake window will be much easier for both of you.
If they’re 3-6 weeks old then it's likely to be tiny awake periods, with a nap window between 1hr15-1hr30 from their last wake time.
For 6–12-week-olds it'll be at 1hr 30mins -1hr 45, and at 12-16 weeks – 1hr 45-2 hours.
When they get to 5 months, they can stretch to 2hr 15 minute windows and 6-12 month old’s can push that to 2 hours and 30 minutes.
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