5 Things to Avoid that May Lead to Bad Sleeping Habits for Babies

It’s past 3am, you feel drowsy and tired, but your baby won’t sleep. This is a common scenario for many parents. Getting infants to sleep is challenging and even frustrating. However, sometimes the root of this problem is in your daily routines. Find out the things to avoid just to give you and your baby to have a better sleep at night.

Every parent adores their child. But sometimes you can’t help the frustration from arising when you’re exhausted from trying to get your baby sleep. Especially when you think of: (1) What if you fall asleep while the baby is still in your arms? (2) Is he/she getting enough sleep? And (3) how can you work the next day when you’re always sleep deprived?

Babies sleep differently to adults. Many of them sleep well during the day and stay awake at night. This can be due to their activities, environment, and feeding schedules. To help your little one develops good sleeping habits, here are things to avoid during the day and before bedtime.

1. Bright light 24/7. Babies do not recognize day and night. You can help them determine that it’s night and time for sleep by using light strategically. Open the windows, turn the lights on if needed, or expose the baby outside during the day. Then put the baby in a dim light room during nap time. This allows the baby to connect dim light to bedtime making it easier for him/her to drift off. In addition, dim light helps the infant fall asleep as it releases hormones that make the body feel relaxed.
2. Active games at night. Many parents think that an overtired baby will doze off fast. This is wrong. Active games like jumping, running, and peekaboo can make infants over excited. This can make them more active instead of falling asleep. Try playing soothing songs few minutes before bedtime to help your child feel calm.
3. Skipping naps. It’s normal for infants to sleep multiple times a day. They need this to grow so it’s important not to interrupt or skip their nap times. In fact, several catnaps in a day are helpful for babies to sleep well at night. This is because unable to nap as much as they need increases their stress hormones making it difficult for them to drowse.
4. Carrying the baby to sleep. Don’t get your baby accustomed to sleeping in your arms. This would make it hard for them to soothe themselves back to sleep when they are awaken in the middle of the night. It’s better to teach your child to sleep on their own. So, they can easily get back to dreamland when their sleep is interrupted. It’s also important not to pick up your baby when they wake up at night. Wait for a few minutes and see if they can manage to doze off again without your help.
5. Frequent small feedings. It’s important to make sure that your little one fills up their tummy enough to sleep through the night. This prevents the baby from waking up often due to hunger. If your baby likes snacking, e.g. only breastfeed for 5 minutes then ask for milk again after an hour, then he/she is not eating enough to last for a long sleep.

Note: Newborn babies require frequent small feedings. At least every two to three hours as their stomachs are small.  It’s crucial not to overfeed infants under two months old as this can cause health issues. Moreover, not feeding them for more than three hours can cause dehydration. You can start night weaning your baby at the age of three to four months old. When their tummies are big enough to take few ounces of milk that can last for up to six hours.

Babies sleep more lightly than adults. This is one of their defence mechanisms to protect themselves from getting too hot, cold, hungry, or being in an awkward position. It’s critical to make your little one comfortable during bedtime to help them sleep all night.