One of the most persistent problems that parents tend to face is trying and failing to get a baby to sleep effectively. This is something that might well crop up again and again for you, and if so you are probably going to need to make sure that you are doing all you can to make the problem vanish. As it happens, there are a number of steps you can choose to take which are going to maximize the chances of getting your baby off to sleep, and in this article we are going to take a look at some of these.

Understand Their Sleep Needs

A lot of parents spend a lot of time not fully understanding exactly what a baby’s sleep needs really are. This can then lead to a lot of confusion which could otherwise be pretty much completely avoided, so it’s something that you are going to want to think about looking into early on in the process.

One thing to remember is that babies need to eat more than they need to sleep during the first two months of life. That being said, a baby might sleep between 10 and 18 hours a day, but they can’t tell the difference between day and night, so it could well be that they are awake during the night. That could be a problem for you, but it doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with your baby.

Start A Routine

Just as with adults, babies need a routine if they are going to sleep as well as possible. You should aim to start a routine as soon as possible, and it’s a good idea if you have worked out in advance what it is going to be. Your baby needs regular and consistent cues from the environment around them, so you need to make sure that you are making a point of that as best as you can. That means turning the noise down, dimming the lights, and doing all those other little things that help to get the baby’s internal body clock working right. Then it’s just about introducing a number of calming rituals, which are themselves hugely important for ensuring that your baby gets off to sleep in time.

Choose The Right Mattress

It should go without saying that your child needs to be comfortable if they are going to fall asleep. One of the most vital decisions here is to ensure you are choosing the right mattress for them, which can be a difficult decision to make. However, it is essential, and it is going to make a huge difference to how well and effectively they do actually sleep. If you are thinking about buying a bassinet mattress, make sure that you shop around for the best one, and that you are putting safety before comfort above all. If you can do that right, you should find that you find the right mattress, and your baby can get off to sleep much easier and faster.

Safety Concerns

As a parent, you probably have a natural inclination to be worried about the safety of your child. There are a few key safety concerns that you do need to think about if you want to make sure that your baby is going to remain safe throughout the night. For one thing, always place your baby on their back to sleep, and make sure that you keep them and yourself – and the home – smoke-free during pregnancy and after birth.

Beyond that, you should also place your baby in the same room as you for the first six months, and breastfeed them ideally if you can. Finally, make sure the place they are sleeping on is always firm, flat, dry and waterproof, otherwise they could end up being uncomfortable or even damaging their spine, which may still be developing. Do all that, and their safety should be assured.

Swaddling

Finally, a word on swaddling. This is a very important part of the process of getting them off to sleep. For one thing, your baby has a natural startle inclination, which means that they can easily feel as if they are falling, and that makes them jerk awake. If you swaddle them tightly, they are not going to feel this way, and they will sleep more deeply and for longer periods of time as a result. This is one of the most important things to remember.

Do all that, and your baby should sleep well, without too much trouble at all.