Getting Baby to Sleep Through the Night
I’ve put off writing about sleeping babies because I’ve been so sleep deprived that the very thought of sleep makes me want to cry. I’ve always been a good sleeper. I’ve been known to sleep through house alarms, severe thunderstorms and even a Category 3 Hurricane when we were living in South Florida! I typically need about 8-9 hours of sleep and have always been able to get it…until my precious daughter Laurel arrived. The past 5 months have been a blur of feedings, diaper changes and keeping up with my almost 3 year old. I’ve tried not to think about the fact that I haven’t slept more than 2-3 hours straight in over 5 months but I think there is finally an end in sight! I didn’t have this issue with Britton, as she like me is a sleeper – 12-13 hours at night and a good 2 hour nap during the day. Laurel on the other hand cat naps throughout the day (20 minutes at a time) and on a good night goes 5-6 hours before waking. However last night she went almost 11 hours. I think I’ve finally found the secret to her sleep after months of experimenting with various sleep methods. I thought it might be helpful for other parents out there struggling to get their little one to sleep through the night if I provided a list of all the suggestions I’ve received or read about.
- Swaddle (not just for newborns!)
- White Noise (A sound machine set on ocean waves has done wonders!)
- Set Bedtime Routine (can include a warm bath, rocking, singing, reading…anything that will signal that it’s sleep time, the key is to do the same thing every night)
- Pacifier
- Swinging or Rocking
- Lavender scented oil or bath soap (I love California Baby Calming)
- Snuggle (we still have a 5 minute snuggle with our 3 year old before she falls asleep)
- Ferber Method…(I personally couldn’t handle this “cry it out” method but it’s worked for a lot of moms I know!)
- Happiest Baby on the Block 5 S’s (swaddle, swing, shh sound, suck pacifier, side lying position -especially for newborns)
- Wait until they’re ready – unfortunately for mom and dad, sometimes it just takes time!
Please feel free add your own suggestions as a comment!
My daughter is struggling with the sleep issues with her son as well. She had one night with 6.5 hours sleep, but for the most part it is 3-4 hours as well. Sullivan just turned 3 months old, and we are trying something new.
My daughter is changing up her diet, cutting out citrus, wheat and dairy. Cutting these out just to start, and she will reintroduce them in a couple of weeks one at a time, to see if she can figure out what is making the baby so gassy. Not sure if it will work, but it is worth a try for sure.
I hope you get some much neeed sleep soon, as a mom to five myself I totally understand those sleep deprived nights.
I am enjoying reading your blog, and found it via the link you left on our DrGreene.com discussion boards.