When babies are first born, they aren’t gifted the natural ability to sleep for long periods of time like human adults. In general, most babies on average only sleep for periods of 1 to 4 hours, some even only sleeping as little as 30-minute stretches. This can be incredibly exhausting for new parents whose bodies have become accustomed to sleeping for 6-10 hours at a time. When you are awoken from a deep sleep, and forced to not only wake up but take care of a screaming little baby, it can start to wear down on your body.
If you’ve wished that your baby slept longer stretches, you aren’t alone. The most important thing to remember is that this too shall pass and you aren’t the only person in the world going through a period of a sleepless baby. Some day, all of these restless nights and all of the exhaustion that you feel will be nothing but a memory. Still, it doesn’t hurt to try to give your baby the tools in order to start sleeping for longer periods. Here are some of the best expert tips for getting your baby to sleep longer stretches.
Don’t Run In At The First Whimper
Even though it can be difficult not to run into your baby’s room at the first indication of even the slightest whimper, it’s important to do some breath work, take a moment of patience, and you may find that your baby wasn’t actually awake at all but crying in their sleep.
Sometimes new parents make the mistake of thinking that they’re doing the right thing by running in immediately when a baby is crying, but in fact, you may actually be waking them up and causing them to lose much-needed rest.
Try Co-Sleeping
If you have a baby that just won’t seem to sleep by themselves in their crib, you may want to explore co-sleeping. This can be a great way for new breastfeeding mothers to be able to get some sleep but also be able to breastfeed throughout the night.
It’s as simple as rolling over on your side and breastfeeding your baby without having to get up in the dark and sit in a chair. You can easily sleep and breastfeed at the same time and you will find that many babies are so comforted by you being there that they’ll sleep much longer.
Use White Noise
Many people are under the impression that babies need silence in order to sleep well. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. When babies are in the womb they are constantly hearing the voices of their mother and whoever she’s talking to. They also hear all of the rushing blood and gurgling of the stomach.
Next time you put your baby down try putting on some white noise. You may be surprised at how much longer they sleep as a result.
