Hey Mamas!
Having a baby, watching that little one grow up and being their mom is one of the most wonderful things in this world. There is something beautiful that is birthed in you when you birth that sweet little person and it changes your life forever. No one can make you laugh and make you cry all within a couple of minutes like your bounding toddler can. Nothing brings that depth of peace when your little one falls asleep on your chest and snuggles in. These little years are so wonderful and special and so hard and difficult all at the same time. There is a lot of helpful, and maybe not so helpful advice that comes at you from all angles. We all want to be good moms and do the very best we can for our children and there is a lot to learn about how to do that. I want to be able to help assist you on the sleep journey.
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Having 4 kiddos myself and being deep in the “mom of littles club” I know how important sleep is and I bet you do too. My kiddos NEED it and in order to be a happy, pleasant mom I NEED it too. There is so much growth and development that happens while our littles ones sleep. They need good, deep, restorative sleep.
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I have 5 helpful tips to get you on track for good sleep for your kiddos. If you follow these tips, it will make it so much easier for you little one to go to sleep and stay asleep.
Tip 1: Choose an early bedtime.
Kiddos don’t usually sleep in in the morning until around age 6 so the best way to get the sleep they need or even make up for lost sleep during the day is going to bed early. Bedtime should be from 6:30 - 8. They need 11-13 hours of night time sleep. Yes, they need that much sleep!
Tip 2: Put your child to bed in the same place every night.
This will help them feel safe while they go to sleep because they know where they are and they know that this place means sleep and that’s what’s expected of them. Do this even for most naps. This is why we don’t sleep in different places all over our house. You sleep deeper and feel more safe when you know where you are while you are sleeping.
Tip 3: Create a predictable bedtime routine.
Consistency and predictability are really important for toddlers and babies. They like to know what comes next before it happens. This is why they tend to watch the same movies or read the same books over and over again. Routines help them transition from wake time to sleep. Keep it 20-30 minutes long and the same every night. This is helpful for you, Mama, if you are struggling to sleep as well.
Tip 4: Put your baby to bed awake.
I know this is a scary thing and it’s so much easier to transition them while they are sleeping but it will cause issues later on. It’s a really important step to good sleep. They will learn how to fall sleep on their own the more that you practice this step. Sleep is a skill they need to learn, you can’t learn it for them. These 5 tips will allow you to help them to learn this skill.
Tip 5: Wait a few minutes before intervening when your baby wakes up.
Obviously if there is any sickness or danger, go to your baby right away but if it’s a safe and normal wake up then wait just a few minutes before intervening. Babies and adults alike, wake up multiple times during the night. Usually these are brief, and we don’t even know the did it. However, many babies will immediately start to fuss when they wake up because they haven’t learned or are learning how to put themselves back to sleep. If they continue to fuss or cry go in and offer comfort to help them go back to sleep.
Every child is different and there isn’t a magical button that works instantly and all the time, but with some work and investment your family can be sleeping well. Studies show that up to 30% of babies have sleep problems and 75% of parents would like to change their babies sleep habits. So if you’re struggling with sleep issues you’re not alone!
When your baby is old enough to learn how to use a spoon, it will be a really messy process as they figure out how to work the spoon correctly, but they will never learn unless you let them try. Sometimes it can be a little “messy” as your little one learns the skill of sleep. Don’t be discouraged, keep working at it. If you need some support, I LOVE helping families get their sleep back. I develop a customized sleep plan for solving your child’s sleep problems and coach you through the process. You aren’t alone in figuring this out and I can help adjust as we need to.
If you have any questions please feel free to reach out at rockingthisbaby@gmail.com or check out my website www.rockingthisbaby.org. I would love to help you get on track and get your whole family sleeping again!
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