Kiddipedia
We know how vital sleep is to your child’s growth and development. It’s important for you too, so the less night time waking there is, the better. Here’s 9 tips to create a ‘sleep-friendly’ nursery and help your baby sleep well.
Have a ‘wind down’ routine
A ‘wind down’ routine helps your baby know when it’s bedtime and this can prepare them for sleep. Usually this involves feeding, a bath or wash, change and into sleepwear, then some quiet time while your baby settles. Reading a story or turning on their favourite sound machine can help to lull them off to a peaceful night’s sleep, which means you can sleep well too!
Watch for sleep cues
Sometimes your little one might get tired earlier or might not want to settle until later. A baby’s sleep patterns change periodically as they grow and develop so keep an eye out for these sleep cues, so you know when to start their wind-down routine:
• Yawning
• Rubbing eyes
• Staring into the distance
• Jerky movements
• Fussiness
Swaddle your baby
Swaddling helps to recreate the security of the womb, allowing your little one to sleep more deeply. It also helps to prevent the ‘startle reflex’ which can cause your baby to wake.
Control the temperature
Babies sleep better when they are warm, but not overheated. A room thermometer is a great investment and offers peace of mind. The room should ideally be between 16-20 degrees celsius to help your baby sleep comfortably.
Choose calming colours
When decorating your nursery, think ‘calm’ and ask yourself which colours would invite sleep. Modern trends see a lot of greys or neutral tones with splashes of contrasting colour.
Screen out sound
Your baby won’t need complete silence to sleep, but noises like dogs barking, children playing, or machinery/traffic sounds can disturb your little one. A good sound machine can help to screen out these noises and create a calming environment to help your baby sleep. ClevaMama Night Light & Sound Machines offer a range of white noise, nature and reiki sounds to calm and soothe your baby. Both sound machines come with ambient light and a sound-activated cry sensor to aid self-soothing.
Moisten the air
Indoor air can be very dry, particularly in winter when central heating is on. This can dry out your little one’s sinuses, causing restlessness and waking. Keeping a humidifier in your baby’s nursery can moisten the air, helping your child to breathe easier.
Keep it dark
For your baby to sleep soundly, it’s a good idea to ensure there is enough darkness in the room. It doesn’t have to be pitch black, but dark enough for sleep. This is especially important if you live in the city or somewhere where there’s a lot of light pollution. If normal blinds aren’t thick enough, you could use a blackout blind. This is great for winter daytime naps when the sun gets lower during the day.
Prepare for the clock change
The clocks will go back on Sunday 7th April this year. While most people will enjoy an extra hour in bed, we all know that parents with babies and young children will struggle with the change. The best way to manage the transition is to change your little one’s sleep schedule gradually. In the week leading up to the clock change start putting your baby to bed 15 minutes later each evening. This will help them to adjust gradually so (hopefully!) they will wake a little bit later in the morning. You may also need to adjust nap/feeding times accordingly.
ClevaMama® is an international Award Winning baby brand. As the baby bedtime and bathtime experts, ClevaMama’s mission is to make the job of parenting easier so you can enjoy more worry-free, special moments with your babies. ClevaMama do this by providing safe, clever, award-winning products which offer value for money and peace of mind for parents. Available online and in independent baby retailers.
Our shop link is https://coorproducts.com/shop-clevamama/ and the link to the sleep aids mentioned in the article is https://coorproducts.com/product-category/bedtime/pregnancy-and-baby-sleep-aids/
