Baby sleep…..it's the biggest mystery as a new parent, RIGHT? Check out these tips to make night time with a young child not a total nightmare.
This post is written in collaboration with AT&T, Baby's Journey, and The Motherhood.
A few of my friends just had their first babies. As they bring their little ones home, I can't help but remember those first months. Rough, right? My husband joked that I was obsessed with sleep. I read seven books about baby sleep. Why? SURVIVAL!
Now that Lydia is older, I'm proud to say she's a GREAT sleeper…..and bedtime is easy. I know that the habits we created when she was an infant have led to a calm environment surrounding sleep.
Three Simple Things That Helped Us Survive Nights with a Baby:
- Routine, Routine, Routine: I'm talking more about this in the video but I can't stress enough….children thrive in a calm, predictable environment. The same things, at the same time, every night.
- Sneak a Peek: Thank goodness for our video monitor. Ironically, our old monitor broke a couple months back. We'd been using an audio monitor and I HATED it. So when we had the opportunity to try the AT&T Smart Sync™ 5” Internet Viewable Touch Screen Video Monitor, I jumped at it (public service announcement…..at the end of this post, I'm giving an AT&T Smart Sync away to one of you). The AT&T Smart Sync reminded me of why I loved having a video monitor. Being able to see Lydia? Priceless. Our daughter talks in her sleep ALL THE TIME. In the early days she babbled, laughed, and yelled. It was amazing helpful for me t0 be able to sneak a peek on the monitor, that way I could decide if she needed me. And this monitor? You guys it's AMAZING. Aside from the monitor itself, we can also use an app on our phones or tablets to see Lydia sleeping. Within the monitor we can take pictures and track stats. There are even alerts for medicine reminders (which would have been amazingly helpful when Lydia was being treated for her birth defect)!
- Stay Calm: In the middle of the night, everything seems like a crisis. RIGHT? My biggest piece of advice? Figure out a plan BEFORE the crisis hits. Is your husband soothing first? Are you nursing? Do you wait a minute or two? Whatever your plan is, be sure that it is clear to you and your partner….and stick to it!
The AT&T Smart Sync is available at Babies ‘R Us.
For more information, visit HERE!
Renee says
April 21, 2016 at 9:06 amMy best sleep tip is to lay baby down when they are drowsy, but not fully asleep!
Helen Banner says
April 21, 2016 at 11:18 amI don’t have any tips – that’s why I love this post!
Aurora PL says
April 21, 2016 at 9:21 pmI don’t have any, I my case I need to swaddle my bb for better sleep
Gabby Anderson says
April 22, 2016 at 10:07 amMy best baby tip is don’t let the baby fall asleep in your bed unless you never want them to leave
Candace Galan-Calderon says
April 22, 2016 at 10:07 amI breastfed so I would co-sleep and lay down breast feeding on my side, did it with 3 babies and worked great but I wouldn’t recommend it if you are a heavy sleeper.
carol clark says
April 22, 2016 at 10:33 amuse lavender soap or use regular soap and then use lotion with it in it it helps so so so much
Stephanie Phelps says
April 22, 2016 at 10:47 amLike you stated in your video routine routine routine! And if baby does get up do not turn on the light you don’t have to keep it nice and calm and quiet so you can get them back to sleep quickly!~
Andi says
April 22, 2016 at 11:41 amWe used Baby Wise at 8 weeks. Saved our lives!!!
Stacey Roberson says
April 22, 2016 at 12:05 pmI usually let me daughter fall asleep in my arms, then I put her gently in her co-sleeper. She seems to sleep for longer periods with this method. Once she starts sleeping in her crib, I will probably climb in there with her until she’s asleep.
Gillian says
April 22, 2016 at 1:22 pmFor my baby when he was a newborn, the best tip was swaddling! He couldn’t sleep well without being swaddled. Now that he is too big for the swaddle we are trying to lay him in his crib drowsy, but not fully asleep. It is a great idea, but we are rarely successful!
Laura Royal says
April 22, 2016 at 4:56 pmA warm bath and little baby massage really helps mine get ready for sleep.
jessica z says
April 22, 2016 at 5:55 pmI don’t have any tips, but I like [email protected]
Sandra Watts says
April 22, 2016 at 7:21 pmThe only tip I can give is be patient. It all works out eventually.
Christina C. says
April 22, 2016 at 9:26 pmSet up a routine. Read to baby while she drinks milk. Then brush their teeth. Turn on white noise and dim the light. Put them down while still awake. Give them a lovie. Do this every night so they know the routine.
Sana HS says
April 23, 2016 at 3:49 amI’m having my first baby in less than a month and I don’t have that much experience and knowledge about baby sleep, but from what I’ve heard, you need to create a sleep routine for your baby: bath and body massage at night, cosy environment (not too hot or too warm), light clothing, no lights or stimulations at least 30 minutes before bed time 🙂
I hope I’ll be able to do it with my baby ??
Holly Thomas says
April 23, 2016 at 2:05 pmI agree with routine, gotta be consistent!
Leigh Anne Borders says
April 23, 2016 at 8:00 pmWe really do not have any tips other than sleep or rest when the baby is.
Emily Endrizzi says
April 23, 2016 at 8:58 pmMy best tip for getting a baby to sleep is to co-sleep. That was the best thing for me.
heather walborn says
April 24, 2016 at 10:14 amMy best sleep tip is to not be as quiet as possible during naps! If you leave the house entirely too quiet baby gets used to no sound during sleep & then you can’t get anything done during naps!
Jessica Funderburk says
April 25, 2016 at 8:59 pmI was a hot mess with our first. For two whole months. Scary, right? Haha. Baby #2 was a breeze, she was born with an internal alarm set for every 2 hours, then four hours, then six. I was AMAZING at the whole life/mom thing. Yep. Then there was three. Oh boy, was there. It took three children and 11 years for me to realize that not on did I suck, but my baby was out for blood. Two years I fought her to sleep and then one day…poof. It was like a light switch and she became the boss at awesome sleeping.
My advice: hold strong and know when to tap out. Walk away and take a moment to recalibrate. A moment of weakness can be the difference between a bad situation and a good one. Breathe and then breathe again. ?
Kelly Powell says
April 25, 2016 at 9:38 pmMy youngest is just beginning to sleep in his own crib at about a year old. He shares a room with his brother which seems to calm him down if he knows that he is not alone. We play a soft lullaby which helps him stay asleep. He still wakes up throughout the night to nurse, but hopefully we’re not far off from sleeping through the night.
Laura S says
April 26, 2016 at 1:01 pmSleep when they sleep.
serena says
April 26, 2016 at 2:39 pmMy best baby sleep tip is to try and not overthink it. Every time I try something to make him sleep a little bit longer, it always backfires on me!
Kristen says
April 26, 2016 at 3:29 pmThis video monitor is very cool. Also having a routine is always key! Thanks for sharing!
Julie @ Logger's Wife says
April 28, 2016 at 9:45 amStaying calm…that’s a tough one for me right now. Baby #2 is just over 2 weeks old and I forgot how hard this whole night time thing is. I’ve always joked that I’m a great mother…except between 10pm and 6am. lol.
With routine: don’t be afraid to change the routine if you need to. Baby M is so young that putting her down drowsy but not asleep doesn’t work yet. So bed time right now is: diaper, nurse, small formula bottle (she’s a preemie and needs the supplement 3-4x a day), check diaper check again, swaddle, make sure she is fully asleep, into the bassinet. If she isn’t fully asleep first, she is grumpy and has a hard time falling asleep for the next 45min or so. Not worth it right now. The routine will change as she gets older. #ShineBlogHop
Maria says
April 28, 2016 at 11:18 amI hear ya about sleep, especially in those first few months. It’s such a commodity, and, like you, I was obsessed with getting as much of it as possible. I agree with you about establish a routine. This worked well with my daughter. It signals her to wind down at bedtime and makes everything so much smoother. Thanks so much for sharing this with us on #shinebloghop!
Hil says
April 30, 2016 at 10:49 amI can survive the early days, its 16 months later it’s killing me!!
Thanks for sharing at #everythingkids
Jana Seitzer says
May 2, 2016 at 9:15 pmWhat a cool baby monitor! I can’t believe how far tech has come! Thanks for stopping by the Best of the Blogosphere Linky Party!