by Marcia J

Created on: April 03, 2007   Last Updated: May 10, 2007

Having a new baby means losing some sleep, but it does not have to mean sleep deprivation. No parent should expect to find a magic formula to make their baby sleep through the night. You should not assume that you are doing something wrong if it doesn't happen for you right away. That said, there are things you can do to help move your baby in that direction.

The first step is to establish a schedule that works for both you and your baby. The best way to do this is to keep a log of when your baby sleeps for at least two weeks. You should start to see a pattern emerge. Once this pattern is visible, develop a schedule based on it. This will help you to anticipate when your baby will be getting sleepy so you can lay him down before he is over tired, making bedtime easier.

Develop a routine for bedtime, to help your baby transition from day to night. Allow enough time so that you can be relaxed and move at your baby's pace. Keep it simple. For example: change his diaper, put pajamas on, read a book and cuddle. It is very important to lay your baby in his crib when he is tired but still awake. This is essential for a baby to learn to soothe himself to sleep.

If your baby still wakes for a feeding during the night, keep the lights dim and don't play or talk to him too much. You need to establish the difference between night and day for him.

In order for your baby to sleep through the night, he needs to be able to soothe himself when he wakes during the night. When you hear him wake up, give him a few minutes to try to soothe himself. If you go and pick him up right away, he will not learn this important skill.

If he wakes up very early in the morning, let him lay in his crib for a little while playing by himself. This will teach him that he can be alone and doesn't need to be stimulated constantly.

When your routine is well established, you can start to be a little more flexible. The order of events is more important than the exact time. Some variance is good to help your baby learn to adapt to different situations, such as going on vacation. There is no one right way for all babies. If there is something that is not working, change it.

Once you establish a routine that works for you and your baby, you will find that he sleeps for longer periods at a time. It takes time, so keep at it. If you are consistent, you will start to see results.

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