We all know that when you have a newborn baby, it is very difficult to get rested. Newborn babies are very demanding and I know of myself as I love my sleep, I’m going to let you know how to sleep train your newborn baby using “No Cry Method” whether you are breastfeeding or you using formula. This is the great method that I personally implemented on my baby and it has worked really well for me. I’m excited to let you know about this method so that you can get a little bit more rest in those first couples of weeks in your baby’s life. I’m a mom of two and I love to share my experience and information that worked for me and might be helpful for you in your motherhood journey. You can take care of your baby in the best way possible by following the simple tips to sleep train your newborn baby.
1. Sleep Cycle
I have found that around the two week mark in your baby’s life, they have a sleep cycle that actually has 4 to 5 consecutive hours of sleep although they take a really long nap. Now I found at the beginning it was really good for me to write down at what time they were feeding and what time they were napping. You can write it on the notepad app, I just write it down on a piece of paper to know at what time they are tampering in my baby’s sleep. So basically you want to make that 4 to 5 hours span of sleep at night time. During a day, you don’t want your baby sleeping over 2 to 3 hours. If your baby is sleeping more than 3 hours in a day than it’s definitely time to wake them up. I personally wake my baby up after two and a half hours of sleep so that baby can realize it’s not night time.
2. Create an Environment
One way to know that it’s sleeping time at night is to create an environment for your baby that stimulates night time. When it’s dark, dim lighting, and things like that, you really want your baby to know that as it is dark so it’s time to sleep.
3. Feeding and Napping
Basically, what I do at the beginning after two weeks of my baby’s life, I would do one last feeding and diaper change around 11 or 12 o clock at night time. I know it sounds pretty late but if I can stay up that late, I can do one last feed and diaper change to make sure that my baby is ready to get a 4 to 5 hours span of sleep so that I can also do some quality rest during the night. So what I’ll do is I’ll breastfeed my baby and I’ll change their diaper to make sure that baby feels dry and nice. I’ll create this little bit nice routine.
4. Calm your Baby
I’ll put some smoothening lotion on my baby’s skin or do whatever needs to calm my baby. I’ll avoid the noise. I’ll dim the lights to make sure that its super dark in the room and put my baby in the bed to let baby know that its sleep time. I’ll continue this routine when my baby is a bit older too because it really works.
5. Bath Time
I find another good part of your newborn night routine. You can actually give your baby a bath from mid hot water so that they feel more relax and I guarantee you that after giving them a bath with hot water, they are going to feel super sleepy.
6. Dream Feed Time
Once I feed my baby around 12 o clock at night, he’s back up for another feed around 3 or 4am. This is definitely called the business feed or a dream feed where it’s all business and no play. Try to not make eye contact with your baby. You don’t need to chuckle at them or wake them up too. It’s actually called a dream feed for a reason. So you just pick them up and then put them straight back down after feeding. If your baby does have reflux which my baby does as my son had really bad reflux, you still need to put them down straight on their back.
7. Rock and Play
I found out that the “Rock and Play” is really good for 0-3 months but after that point, I do not recommend for putting your baby in rock and play after 3 months. They are actually much better on their back on a flat surface. But the rock and play were really great for my son so that I can put him down so that he can be a little bit upright. If he does spit up the milk then it’s okay in this age. Put your baby back after this so that they can sleep for another 2 to 3 hours and then it’s time to wake up for the day.
Whatever method you use to get your baby go back to sleep, it’s totally up to you. You can need nursery baby to sleep or rock your baby to sleep, you can do what’s best for your baby and what works for you. Just make sure that a 4 to 5 hours span of sleep during the night is essential and then later on it’s a lot easier to have an earlier bedtime for your baby and then you have a fewer amounts of feeding during the night.
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