One of the hardest things new parents must learn to deal with is their newborn’s sleep schedule. Nannies, because they work with newborns so often, know that each baby is different, and that families must adjust parenting strategies to the personality of the child as well as their own guidelines for what is and isn’t acceptable.Try these tested and true methods for getting your little one to sleep.
What the Experts Say
Sleeping tips are pretty basic. First, try to establish a consistent bedtime routine that works with your schedule. Often, this routine can last anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes and will typically include a bottle, bath and book.
Getting Started
One way to get baby to fall asleep on her own is to start right. Although it can be tempting to hold a newborn all day long, it can also establish sleep patterns that are difficult to break later. So from the beginning, put baby down for naps so that she doesn’t become dependent on sleeping in Mommy or Daddy’s arms. Additionally, as a newborn, she will often fall asleep while nursing or taking a bottle, but if you try to feed her after naps and establish a wake-sleep-eat cycle, you can avoid a problem many parents run into when the baby can’t fall asleep without taking a bottle or nursing.
Comforting Baby
However quickly a baby learns to sleep on her own, parents can expect some crying. Figuring out how to soothe baby without jeopardizing her sleeping schedule can be difficult but well worth it.
Parents use two basic methods to move past the crying. Parents usually try the gentlest first, allowing baby to cry for 10 minutes before going in to sooth her. Parents should avoid picking her up, and should try patting her on the back and talking to her until she quiets. The next night, wait 20 minutes before going in, and the next night wait 30 minutes. And so on and so on. The idea is that after a few nights, baby will fall asleep on her own.
The second method is usually the one parents try only if the first doesn’t work. Many parents find that going in every 10 minutes or so makes baby angrier instead of soothed, so they go cold turkey and let baby cry it out. It is important for parents to realize that some babies may only cry for 15 minutes before falling asleep, while others have staying power that can last more than hour.
For those babies with staying power, checking on them frequently can prolong the crying, although you may decide to do so anyway to make sure baby is OK. Babies who are especially focused may need as much as a week of nights where you let them cry it out before they give in and begin falling asleep on their own. Working parents may find a nanny needed to get a difficult infant to sleep through the night.
Remember, as the parent, you are ultimately responsible for deciding what is best for you and your baby. Figuring out the best way to sleep is part of that, and it may take some trial and error before you get it right. If you decide to hire a nanny, try eNannySource.com.
