The one question every new parent asks must be 'how many hours sleep does my baby need?' Of course a lot of it depends on the baby, but in general newborns need between 15 and 19 hours sleep, to include night-time and nap times. This Help Baby Sleep mini guide is primarily concerned with night-time sleep (the sleep that keeps parents sane!) but most of the advice is relevant for nap time as well.
Help baby sleep with a nice, predictable routine before bedtime and it won't be a shock when he's left alone to go to sleep. A relaxing bath followed by cuddles and a bottle or breast will help him realise it's time for bed, and hopefully be relaxing in the process.
Babies have been swaddled for centuries. It comforts them and stops their unruly arms from flaying around, which can be quite frightening (don’t forget newborns really don’t know what their arms are for or that they belong to them.)
Simple swaddling method
Lay a blanket flat and place baby on top in the middle so his shoulders come just below the top of the blanket.
With arms by his side bring the right side of the blanket over and tuck it in between his left arm and body, then tuck under the body.
The right arm should now be wrapped and the left arm should be free.
Now take the left side of the blanket and bring this over his arm and body, tucking it under the right side of the body so the blanket is quite tight (not too tight though.)
There you have it, one swaddled baby!
Click here for more Help Baby Sleep methods
I often think that parents underestimate how much sleep a baby needs - they need A LOT. If baby isn’t sleeping well at night it might be because he’s overtired and not getting enough naps during the day. Try putting a newborn baby down every couple of hours (i.e. he wakes up, you put him down for a nap two hours later. When he wakes up from that nap put him down again two hours later.) Whatever you do, don’t despair. Experiment with nap times until it suits you and baby.
I would also advocate putting baby straight into her own room. It's a lot less disturbing for her (and you - babies make an awful lot of noise during the night) and it gets her used to being on her own. This is, however, a matter of personal preference.
Click here for more Help Baby Sleep methods
This is probably the best piece of advice I was given when I had a baby. Just before you go to bed gently lift baby out of her cot and feed her (I was bottle feeding). She won’t wake up (hence the term ‘dream feed’) and this will help her (and you) go longer in the night without waking up.
Click here for more Help Baby Sleep methods
Don’t be afraid of the dummy - if they help baby sleep then go for it. Giving your baby a dummy to sleep doesn’t mean they’ll be sucking one every second of the day until they’re 3-years-old. If you only give it to them at nap time and bed time dependency shouldn’t be a problem. But don’t be surprised if your baby rejects it - not all babies like the dummy.
Click here for more Help Baby Sleep methods
Take baby out every day, even if it’s just for a stroll to the shops. He learns something new every time he opens his eyes so make his world exciting and fun to be in. And tire him out along the way. Activity during the day will help baby sleep at night.
The most important thing is not to give up. Every baby is different and it's just a case of finding what's right for your baby.
If you're struggling then try keeping a chart of when baby eats and sleeps and gets grumpy. You'll soon find a correlation between tears and tiredness and can act accordingly.
