How Do I Get My Baby To Sleep Through The Night?

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I am writing this post and also using my own advice to get my infant to sleep through the night. When she was born, we had a great routine and she only woke once through the night. Now, at seven months old she has decided sleeping is not for her.

As she is not my first child, I understand what is going on and am here to offer advice for you moms who might become frustrated with bedtime.

There is no need to have your house turned upside down and you exhausted because your baby won’t sleep. With simple but consistent ideas and routines you, your hubby, and most importantantly, your baby will sleep through the night.

Reasons why my baby won’t sleep?

There are multiple reasons why your baby won’t sleep or won’t stay asleep.

• From an early age on, your baby may need to feed,
• They may want a more consistent bedtime and routine.
• It could be a comfort issue where they feel a little anxiety from separation, now that they’re aware.
• When teething starts they may feel discomfort enough to pull them out of deep sleep.
• Sickness also comes into play as your baby may not be able to breathe or they have a fever.
• Comfortable clothes can cause discomfort.
• Last, their diaper may need a change.

Understanding your baby’s needs before you change or try something new is crucial. Each baby and age are needing different things at different times. Parents also have different schedules, so rarely is this a one size fits all concept.

During the first 2 months, your newborn’s need to eat overrules her need to sleep. She may feed almost every 2 hours if you’re breastfeeding, and possibly a little less often if you bottle-feed.

Your baby may sleep from 10 to 18 hours a day, sometimes for 3 to 4 hours at a time. But babies don’t know the difference between day and night. So they sleep with no regard for what time it is. That means your baby’s wide-awake time may be from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.

By 3 to 6 months, many babies are able to sleep for a stretch of 6 hours. But just as you think your baby is getting into a nice routine — usually between 6 and 9 months — normal developmental stages can throw things off. For instance, when your baby begins to associate bedtime with being left alone, she may start crying just to keep you around.

WebMD

Getting Your Baby to Sleep Using HAPPY.

Hunger- Newborns and up to a year, babies are often hungry. As you probably have this figured out early on you may forget. Using my own experience as an example, my baby and I had a great feeding routine at night until one night she just would not stay asleep. As she is seven months old I thought, “what the heck is going on?” Going through the list of are you feeding her, check, is she sick, diaper full, etc. I couldn’t figure it out. It wasn’t until I talked with my experienced mother did I figure out I wasn’t feeding her enough.

I would nurse her during the day and feed her extra food, but it just wasn’t enough food. After realizing this, I started feeding her throughout the day and two hours before I would lay her down at night. Bananas, cereal, squash, whatever she wanted, and was healthy for her, and let her eat her fill.

I honestly thought she would get the biggest bellyache of her life the first night I did this, but I let her tell me when she had enough. Signs like turning her head to say, “no,” and so on. That night she didn’t sleep all through the night, but she slept a lot longer in between and it was more peaceful.

Anxiety- At the start of six months, babies seem to develop a few separation issues. They know when mom and dad aren’t there and often cry when they leave the room. This often causes clinginess and the change in not wanting to be passed off to someone else.

This was the second problem with my baby not wanting to sleep. She could be in the perfect state of dreamland until I tried to lay her down. Waking up almost immediately, she would reach out to pull me back or touch me.

I knew she was experiencing separation anxiety so I started trying something new. Before laying her down, I picked one of her favorite toys which is Sophie the giraffe or a bunny blanket. Knowing how babies have a keen sense of smell, I would have her hold the toy or blanket as we were cuddling. This meant she not only had her favorite toy, but it also smelt like mommy.

I know some moms who put a few drops of breast milk on the favorite object. Mixing your favorite lotion with a couple of drops of lavender oil is also extremely effective. Anything that represents mom or dad and their scent.

Playful- Make your feedings during the day lively and playful. Then at bedtime keep them calm and quiet. This will help your baby understand the difference between day and night.

This should be the same for all activities. Make them lively and fun during the day and towards the evening keep them peaceful and calm. Television or other screen time is not a good idea before bed. It stimulates the brain which is the opposite of what you want to happen. Soft music is a healthier choice and is more effective in getting your baby to sleep at night.

Pajamas- Every night it’s important to keep the same routine. This should be done no earlier than half an hour before bedtime. Whether it’s a bath, then pajamas, a book, and bed, there needs to be a specific ritual that will help your child understand it’s time for bed.

Babies and children often dislike change. Keeping a solid routine helps their anxiety and lets them know what they can expect. This also helps parents as it will signal calmer emotions.

Yucky- Whether it’s during the day, right before bed, or in the middle of the night your baby’s diaper should be checked. This might sound simple, but a lot of parents, when woken in the middle of the night, are half asleep and don’t think to check their babies’ diaper.

Beyond the normal, yucky diapers can be the result of an upset stomach, teething, sickness, or the introduction of new foods. Burning butt doesn’t sit well and your baby will not sleep if they have it.

Sickness

There is no getting around the discomfort your baby will feel when they are sick. You can ease their discomfort using oil diffusers and rubs, but if they are congested enough sometimes nothing works as well as a little TLC. Yes, you need to get some sleep, so I would recommend taking shifts with your spouse or asking a parent or another friend for help so you can get some quality rest.

Teething

During teething, your baby will often want to feed more than usual due to the comfort they get. A nipple often feels good on the sore gums and eases their pain for a short time. Fever and drooling are also signs that your baby is starting to cut teeth.

Numbing jells are also available to place on the swollen gums. Be careful only to put the recommend amount on and try not to touch their tongue.

Chew toys and even a lid work well for them to chomp away at. Cool objects also feel soothing, so put a toy in the freezer for added comfort.

If you use the HAPPY method and look out for sickness and teething you will be a pro in learning how to get your baby to settle and sleep at night.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to leave a comment or contact me at heather@heatherearles.com.

-Heather Earles