One of the most difficult challenges for new parents is finding ways to help newborns sleep better. There are a variety of reasons why a newborn may not be sleeping well such as hunger, colic or when they have their days and nights mixed up. Regardless of the reason, parents who are struggling with a newborn who has difficulties falling asleep and staying asleep for longer than an hour or two, there is good news. There are several tips that will be beneficial in helping your newborn sleep better.

Babies typically require about 15 hours of sleep during a 24 hour period. Newborns will usually fall asleep during the day around four or five times for about an hour each time and during the night they will rest for about five hours, wake up, eat and fall back asleep for about five hours. It is typical for a newborn to wake up through the night only to eat and fall back asleep. The goal is to get to this point and there are tips to help new parents help their baby get the rest they require.

Schedule the newborns bedtime between 6pm and 8pm. It is important to stay as close to the same bedtime each night as possible. If your baby is overly tired, she will fight sleeping as opposed to drift off quickly so it is vital that you avoid any over stimulation at least two hours prior to bedtime.

Make sure your baby has naps at least four times through the day. When she sleeps well for a nap, she will fall asleep easier at nighttime. The naps should last about an hour and your baby should take naps in a quiet area. Avoid letting your baby sleep in a swing or stroller as this will not be a restful sleep during the first six months, the shorter and more frequent the naps are during the day, the better she will sleep at night in one of her baby bedding sets.

It is common for newborns to eat one or two times through the night and your baby will begin to go longer through the night without eating at her own rate. However, she will feel full by giving frequent feedings through the day. When a newborn wants to nurse frequently through the night, it may not mean she is hungry, but that she wants to feel her parents touch, so it may help to place your hand on the baby’s tummy for a few minutes to relax her. When a newborn has a full tummy at bedtime, it will reduce her need to eat after a short period of time during the night.

Although it is often difficult to give your newborn a bath every night, a brief bath and massage afterward will be beneficial for her to rest more soundly. The bath should be given at least an hour before bedtime in order to give the baby time to relax before going to bed. Give the baby a massage with lavender baby lotion to help her relax even more after the bath.

During the daytime, have the room bright with sunlight or lamp lighting and when you put the baby to bed, turn out all lights, except a small nightlight. If your baby sleeps longer than two hours at a time during the daytime, wake her up to eat every three or four hours. This will help her to be fuller when she goes to sleep and reduce the amount of times she wakes up to eat during the night. When you do feed your baby during the night, do not turn on bright lights and try to not get the baby excited as this may prevent her from falling back asleep.

One of the best ways to help newborns sleep better is to swaddle the baby. When the baby is swaddled, it helps them to feel comforted. It also sometimes helps to prop the baby up on a small wedge. A soothing CD may help her fall asleep, if the CD is played at a very low volume. One of the best tips for parents when it comes to rest, is for you to rest when your baby is resting.

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