7 tips for a good night's sleep

Do you dream of a good night's sleep? Do you wonder when your little one will start sleeping better and you'll be refreshed in the morning? If you're running out of patience and losing hope of sleeping soundly with your baby, take advantage of our tips. With them, you'll teach your child to sleep through the night.

1. Don't fully wake up during breastfeeding

Night awakenings for breastfeeding during the first six months of a child's life are completely normal. A tiny baby of a few weeks doesn't distinguish day from night, and the small capacity of their stomach makes them hungry quickly. The intervals between feedings during the first period of infant development are approximately 3 to 4 hours. And although you simply have to wait for this most difficult period to pass, start signaling right away that night feedings are not the same as a meal during the day.

When your baby wakes up at night, don't turn on a bright light. Turn on the bedside lamp, and when you change the baby and they eat, immediately turn off the light. Ideally, don't turn it on at all. Don't make eye contact with the child and don't talk to them, because this way, you're encouraging them to play.

2. Establish a fixed schedule

A large amount of emotions during the day can affect the quality of a child's night sleep. If you want your little one to sleep peacefully, limit the amount of stimuli. An unexpected visit to grandma's or a night out in a crowded store with loud music can disrupt the rhythm and night rest.

Babies like a fixed schedule. The established rhythm and repetition of rituals give a sense of security. A little one functions well in an ordered world, in harmony with their own sensations. For a sensitive little one, any change is a great source of discomfort. Stressed by the multitude of new experiences, they will relax at night by waking up often.

3. Consider co-sleeping

The reason for night awakening is not always hunger. If your little one wakes up more than 2 to 3 times during the night, they probably need closeness. They miss your touch and smell. If the need is strong, the little one can wake up even every hour. A good solution and a chance for a good night's sleep can be to take your little one into a big bed.

Newborns who sleep with their parents rest better, wake up less often, and cry less. Sleeping with a baby facilitates night breastfeeding, makes it less constraining, and the mother is more rested.

4. Eliminate problems

If the little one wakes up more often than usual, the reason may be teething, a wet diaper, a high temperature in the room, or a dry or stuffy nose. You will prolong your little one's sleep by reducing the causes of waking. At night, apply pain relief gel to sore gums for teething babies. Ensure the correct temperature, change the diaper, ventilate the room, and ensure good hydration.

5. Take care of comfort

An itchy tag, a too-tight bodysuit, a too-warm blanket, and a hard mattress can wake up a little one. Before putting your baby to bed, check that the plush toy and cover don't scratch the baby's delicate skin, and that the mattress is suitable. It is advisable to choose a mattress that meets basic hygiene standards and has a positive opinion, for example, from the Institute of Mother and Child.

6. Teach them to sleep without a pacifier

A strong need for sucking often means that the little one will not fall asleep without their pacifier. There is nothing wrong with this, as long as they don't wake up every time their pacifier falls out of their mouth. If you want to avoid sudden awakenings, remove the pacifier from your little one as soon as they fall asleep.

A pacifier only for falling asleep is also a good solution due to the development of occlusion. Sleeping all night with a pacifier and jaws thus separated can affect their abnormal development.

7. Don't be overprotective

A six-month-old baby sometimes needs a moment to calm down. When your little one wakes up at night, don't run to them right away. Give them time to fall back asleep without anyone's help.

However, don't delay if the awakened baby cries louder and louder. Learning to fall asleep according to the principles of restraint is not good for the child's development.