Top five sleep-time tips for your baby.

Oh! The constant struggle for putting your baby to sleep. It's a continuous fight between your sleep-time routine and your baby's sleep time. I can not describe how hard can it be since sleeping is something so essential for human beings. I thought I was going to go crazy when I had my first baby and I experienced this kind of sleep deprivation. I decided I needed to inform myself about every possible solution and try them until one of them worked.

Before I start my research, I didn’t know how crucial sleep trainers were. Usually, these are women (or men) that teach you great techniques to establish a sleeping routine for your baby. I got in touch with one, and she got me the best advice ever. Once I learned all this, I applied with Etan and, surprise, it worked tremendously well! I got so many hours of sleep that I was so rested and not grumpy at all. And, most importantly, Ethan was a happy baby. Since I know this is a common struggle for every mom out there, I want to offer you the most trustworthy tips for establishing a baby sleep-time routine.

You need to start the sleep-time routine as soon as you can.

My mom used to say to me: don’t leave for tomorrow what you can do today. Your baby needs to understand the importance of sleep-time routines as soon as he can; this meaning: from 6 to 8 weeks. These weeks are a perfect time to teach your kid he has to get to bed and sleep a particular time. As your baby gets older, he’s going to understand cues such as: “Time to go to bed. You have to wake up early tomorrow.” Once you start the routine, establish specific hours for sleeping-time. Remember, your baby is learning about everything, he’s not going to apply a sleep-routine by himself.

Identify the main problem with your sleeping routine and establish a solution.

What do you think is the reason why your baby can’t go to sleep? Is it because he needs to eat something? Maybe he needs a bathroom to calm himself first? You must identify why is your baby not sleeping and resolve that problem right away. With Sarah, my second baby, we discover she needed to be nursed right before taking her to her crib. Once I fed and nursed her, she felt utterly calm and sleepy. Every baby is different, and each one is going to have specific needs.

Your baby can’t sleep on the same surface as you.

It has been proved that a baby who sleeps in the same bed as his parents has more possibilities of suffering Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) due to the chance of dying asphyxiated. Moreover, once you start sleeping with your baby, he’s going to get used to having you around, and this is not good. Your baby needs to understand that sleeping-time means being alone in his room. Another reason why we don’t recommend you let your baby sleep in the same bed as you? Well, this decision might interrupt the dynamics you and your partner have.

Sleep-training is completely appropriate.

Have you heard about the Ferber method? This method is a controversial one used for establishing a proper sleep-time routine. It consists of letting your baby in his room for specific periods of time despite his cryings. Now and then, you’re going to check how is he doing and the separation process is going to be gradual. At some point, your baby is going to understand he or she needs to soothe himself to sleep. Using this method is entirely appropriate, and it won’t harm your baby. Many moms have tried it, and they assure good results.

Sleep-time routines take time and work.

Yes, sleep-training isn’t easy. It's a process that takes time, work, and all the love in the world. Eventually, your baby is going to grow, and his sleep-time routine is going to change, this means you will have to start over again. Mom and mom-to-be, resist and hold on because the results are going to worth it.

Sleep-training doesn't work for some kids, and that’s okay.

It has been proved that some baby can’t sleep at night, and this has to do with genetics. According to a Canadian research: “Researchers in Canada studied sleep records from nearly 1,000 identical and fraternal twins in Quebec, and found that genes largely determine whether children sleep through the night. However, children's ability to nap during the day is controlled more by their environment.” So, it doesn’t matter how much you try; he’s going to have a hard time trying to sleep. If this is happening with your baby, then you should try to talk with a pediatrician.

Try to follow this five tips and, please, let us know how they work for you. We always love to hear and learn from your experiences. And always remember: hold on there, momma, you got this.