As a parent, one of the biggest challenges you face is getting your baby to sleep soundly and continuously through the night. Lack of sleep can take a toll on your and your baby’s well-being. That’s why you must find the correct practices and supplies to help lull your little one into a peaceful sleep. From soothing music to dim lighting, sound machines, swaddles, and sleep sacks, there are a plethora of sleep aids that can help your baby sleep through the night. And there are habits you can develop with your baby too!
In this article, we’ll explore some of the best practices and supplies to ensure your baby enjoys a sound and complete sleep. Let’s dive right in!
Practices for Babies To Fall Asleep
Getting a baby to fall asleep can be daunting, but some tried and tested practices can help. Many of these are actions you’re probably already doing with your little one, so developing them into a habit won’t take a lot of work. For those you haven’t started yet, you can still start them now and help your baby have more restful sleep.
Get the Bedroom Ready
Whether you are co-sleeping or letting your little one sleep independently, one of the first things you must do to aid their sleep is to prepare a safe and comfortable bedroom. Do not use loose bedding, and ensure you use a cozy mattress covered with a tight clean sheet. Store pillows, stuffed toys, cords, blankets, and other bedroom items that can cause choking or asphyxiation.
To make your little one feel more comfortable, ensure the room is well-ventilated and has just the right temperature. Younger babies are still developing their temperature regulation, so you must pay extra attention to what they wear and their environment.
Establish a Bedtime Routine
After getting their room ready, establish a bedtime routine with your baby. This will be challenging during your baby’s first months as they are used to the dark womb and haven’t developed their body’s circadian rhythm. Nevertheless, with some assistance, you can help them know that daytime is for waking and activities, while nighttime is for sleeping.
You can do this by keeping your baby busy and active during the day. Giving them daytime light exposure also helps in inducing sleep. When nighttime approaches, slow down and get them ready for bed. Babies have nap time too, but daylight can affect your little one’s sleep, so try using curtains and blinds to block off some light.
Skin-To-Skin Contact
When mothers breastfeed, the oxytocin hormone is released in higher amounts contributing to maternal well-being, allowing them to relax and impart a light feeling to their little ones too. So, do not shy away from skin-to-skin contact, as your closeness to your little one can calm you both. Premature babies also experience this calm when given kangaroo care or when their caregivers carry them skin-to-skin.
Gently rock or pat your baby as it is soothing for them. You can use a crib that can be rocked, a rocking chair, or a cradle as tools to help your little one doze off. Just make sure to be gentle in rocking to ensure your baby’s safety.
Practice Proper Swaddling
One of the leading causes of babies’ waking up is getting startled—even by the slightest sound. This situation is a normal baby reaction called the startle reflex, and one way to avoid it is through swaddling. When your baby is swaddled, they and you can enjoy a long and sound sleep all night long.
You need to be careful in swaddling, though, ensuring that it is not tight in the chest and hip areas to let your baby breathe properly. Also, make sure that your baby is lying on their back when swaddled—don’t use swaddles when they can already roll onto their tummies.
Prepare Some Soothing Sounds and Scents
Relaxation begins when your baby’s senses are relaxed, and you can do just this with the help of some background sounds and soothing scents. It is best to play some white noise for babies, which you can effortlessly search for online. You can also opt to play some classical music as it is proven to have a positive effect on a baby’s cognitive development. When it is too quiet, your baby will be more sensitive to noise, making them easily startled.
Meanwhile, when it comes to scents, lavender is the most popular as it is known to give better sleep for babies and adults. Lemongrass and jasmine are also helpful in calming your baby and getting them ready to sleep.
Invest in the Best Baby Sleep Aids
Investing in high-quality sleep aid for babies can significantly improve your baby’s sleep quality and overall health, as well as your own. From white noise machines to swaddles, many options are available to help soothe your little one and promote a calm and longer sleep environment. Consider investing in these products; you’ll be grateful you did!
White Noise Sound Machine
White noise machines can come in different forms. You can go for the most affordable recordings available on the internet and play them on a speaker. But note that there are specially made white noise players for babies with the cutest designs. Those with adorable baby animal shapes and attractive colors will fit right inside your baby’s nursery.
Baby Sleep Sacks
Some baby blankets need a lot of work to be turned into a swaddle, and they may be too big that they may cover your baby’s face. With that, you can invest in a baby sleep sack. Some sacks look like onesies and overalls, and some look like baby sacks but are loose, have a soft feel, and are flexible enough for your baby to fit in.
These sacks ensure your baby is swaddled safely and can prevent sudden infant death syndrome that may happen to newborns. Just make sure your baby’s chest and arms are positioned properly for their safety and comfort.
Blackout Curtains, Blinds, and Night Lights
Blackout curtains and blinds can help keep the light out of your baby’s room so they have a good night’s sleep. So investing in them is indeed worth it. Pick the ones with no cords to avoid the risk of your baby entangling in them. To ensure the room isn’t pitch black, invest in a nighttime light that isn’t too bright to cause any problems.
Pillow Spray
Since lavender, jasmine, and lemongrass scent are best suited for your goal to make your baby doze off, get these scents too. Skip the scented oils and get pillow sprays instead. You can apply some on your baby’s pillow and sheet for them to fall asleep faster. They can enjoy the calming smell all night long. These pillow sprays are also helpful to older children and adults like you.
Audio Player
On top of a white noise machine, you can also let your baby hear actual words and languages through stories. Your voice is soothing, and the words you say will be an early introduction to your little one’s language development. But if you need a little rest, audio devices come stored with children’s stories you can play for your baby to listen to.
Musical Mobile
Meanwhile, if you want to entertain young infants and let them exercise their motor skills, skip the white noise machine and pick a classic musical mobile. They are a good newborn sleep aid. The sound and the sight of stuffed toys going round and round can help your little one fall asleep faster. Meanwhile, they can reach for the toys when awake, which can help develop their muscles and bones.
Sleep Trainer Clock
A consistent bedtime routine is essential for your baby. Get assistance from a sleep trainer clock that changes its light color or sound to remind you when it’s sleeping time or waking time.
You may even teach older children the time and colors of the clock so they understand the schedule themselves. You can also pick designs that play lullabies and nature sounds for multipurpose use.
Get Your Baby Sleep Aid From Ashtonbee
Helping your baby develop good sleeping habits is essential for their development and well-being, as well as for your own. From creating a safe sleep and comfortable environment to establishing bedtime routines and investing in high-quality sleep aids, many effective practices and supplies are available to help your baby sleep soundly through the night.
If you’re looking for different sleep aids, be sure to check out Ashtonbee’s selection of products. From supplies like baby pillows, bed rails, and more, we’ve got you. Shop now!
