As a new parent, you’re undoubtedly over-the-moon in love with your adorable baby. You love taking care of your little one and are delighted to be a mom or dad. But it’s not all peaches and cream. In fact, you’d gladly pay someone $1 million if they get your newborn to sleep for more than an hour at a time.
Alas, newborns can be remarkably stubborn when it comes to slumber. Fortunately, there are a number of parenting hacks you can try to help your baby fall asleep — so you can as well. Check out the following ideas:
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Take Your Baby for a Drive
There’s something magical about the motion of a moving vehicle that can lull even the fussiest baby to sleep. With that in mind, secure your newborn into his or her car seat and head out for a drive around your neighborhood; sometimes all it takes is a few loops around the block for your infant to doze off.
Of course, in order for this trick to work well, your vehicle needs to be as quiet as possible. Put on some soothing music at a low volume and make sure you have the right tires so your ride is smooth and soothing instead of loud and bumpy. As TireBuyer.com notes, tires that advertise themselves as “extreme” performance and which are engineered to conquer the Rubicon trail often deprioritize comfort, including quietness.
Thus, if your tires emit more noise than you’d like and you want to replace them with something quieter, look for tires that advertise a smooth and quiet ride. Once they’re installed, be sure to keep them well-maintained.
Use the Power of Light and Darkness
By the time your tot is a few weeks old, you can start teaching him or her the differences between day and night. During the daytime, allow plenty of natural light to get into the house, and/or take your baby outside. Meanwhile, at naptime, put your infant in his or her bassinet or crib in a well-lit room. In the evening, lower the lights in the house as much as you can, and use a dim nightlight in the nursery instead of a bright one.
By making the difference between day and night as clear as possible, your baby’s biological clock and responses to light will kick in, and he or she will learn darkness means it’s time to sleep. With this in mind, when your infant wakes during the night, resist the urge to turn on a light in his or her room or carry them into a well-lit room; instead, soothe him or her back to sleep in the dark bedroom.
Keep the Room and Your Baby Comfy
Sometimes your baby will have a hard time sleeping for the same reasons you do — his or her jammies are scratchy or his or her room is too hot. If that’s the case, choose natural fibers like cotton for your baby’s pajamas instead of synthetics, which can cause babies to feel itchy and uncomfortable.
If the sleepwear is not labeled as flame-retardant, which is often the case with cotton baby clothing, make sure these outfits fit snugly on your infant. Additionally, keep the nursery on the cool side — between 65 and 70 degrees — to ensure your little one gets a good night’s sleep.
You’ll Get There — We Promise!
It may be hard to fathom, but your sleep-resisting infant will one day be a teenager who stays in bed until noon. Don’t worry, though — you won’t have to wait 13 years to get a good night’s sleep. By following these tips, you and your baby will soon be sleeping through the night.
