5 top tips for promoting sleep

Here are 5 top tips for promoting sleep with your little ones.

The majority of babies I see with sleep issues are over tired. They then become irritable and cannot go off to sleep despite being exhausted. Just like when we get our “second wind” after going out late. Are you able to predict when your baby is ready for a sleep by knowing when they woke up? What are your babyʼs tired signs and can you recognise them early?
Have you provided an environment conducive to sleep? Is the room temperature ok? Many babies begin to wake overnight as they are cold. Always consider the temperature at 3am as this is the coldest time of the night. Do they have a clean nappy, full tummy and have had some wind down time before trying to settle them?
Make sure you have a strong support network. Someone to help you bounce ideas off and give you a break to have some sleep your self. It is a sign of strength not weakness to ask for help. Remember the old saying “it takes a village to raise a child.” How true this is-often we try to go it alone however asking for help during the tough times is ok.
Be kind to yourself and have patience as it can take a while to see real improvement once you are consistently putting changes in place. Donʼt expect it to all happen overnight.
Stay calm and relaxed. Your baby can pick up on your feelings and will be less likely to settle if you are anxious and feeling stressed.

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148 Comments

- - mom94125 said
  - 02 Jan 2015
    1:26 pm
great advice for the mums on here

- - meedee said
  - 31 Oct 2014
    11:25 pm
Friend of mine had her baby in a co sleeper next to her bed. He was a good sleeper but once he hit 4 months that all fell apart. It turned out that she and her husband were disturbing him. She was very upset about moving him into his own room but the first night she did he slept for 11hours and never looked back…lol

- - mom57184 said
  - 17 Jul 2014
    10:37 pm
Thank you for the advice – just have to remember point 4

- - eestigirl said
  - 24 Jun 2014
    2:41 pm
If only there was a one rule fits all for getting babies to sleep. My neighbour was full of advice because her first baby was a good sleeper. Baby number 2 was the opposite even though she had thought she had all the answers.

- - catgrrl3 said
  - 27 May 2014
    9:45 pm
wish I had these tips years ago

- - kazh said
  - 23 May 2014
    10:52 pm
Mine are no longer babies, rule no. 1 wear them out during the day and hope they don’t pass out in their dinner
- scottie replied
  
  31 May 2014 , 4:38 pm
  I think they are the toddler rules – especially once they stop taking a nap during the day
- - christial said
  - 15 May 2014
    10:18 pm
I think patience and calmness are the hardest things when you are lacking sleep yourselves! But you just have to remember that getting stressed over it is now going to help the situation at all!

- - jenny9761 said
  - 10 Mar 2014
    3:41 pm
Thanks for these good tips

- - mummy liana said
  - 04 Mar 2014
    12:37 am
thanks for sharing was a great read

- - angel_mon said
  - 01 Mar 2014
    10:49 pm
also important to get them checked out medically. We have been through this with our daughter and after 2 years we finally found out why she doesnt sleep well, she has sleep apnoea, stops breathing every few hours

- - yyon4699 said
  - 27 Jan 2014
    4:41 pm
Number 5 is so true. My bub knows if I am calm. She will also be good and stay quiet. Unlike when I am upset and anxious, she became surprisingly cranky.
- ginoula5 replied
  
  27 Aug 2014 , 1:58 pm
  They can pick up on how you feel that’s for sure.
- - vikram77 said
  - 11 Jan 2014
    4:44 am
Thanks for sharing this great article. I enjoyed reading it.

- - stacey_max said
  - 07 Jan 2014
    10:31 pm
A good read, thanks for sharing.

- - mal_005 said
  - 06 Jan 2014
    8:17 am
I desperately need help in the sleep department. We have tried everything, even attending sleep classes at the local hospital. My baby just does not sleep well. It has gotten better and we do get a few nights here and there uninterrupted but I can not figure out what is different on those nights.

- - tobysmummy said
  - 05 Jan 2014
    2:57 pm
My mantra was always “sleep begets sleep” when my little guy was a baby.