Baby Sleep Mistakes – 8 Things You Must Avoid
Getting baby to sleep through the night - this is what every mother wants for her child. However, when it comes to baby sleep time, most of the mothers commit mistakes as they really don’t know what they should do and what not. If you’re trying everything and still not getting your little one to sleep, you might be making some of these common baby sleep mistakes.
Read through and learn how to correct them!Having Unrealistic Expectations:
All Babies are different and so their sleeping habits are. Just like you can’t change your habits overnight, you child also takes some time to establish good sleep habits. Expecting too much from your child in the beginning will do nothing expect to put you on a freeway to anxiety and depression. So, lessen your expectations and stick well to your baby sleep plan!
Ignoring Baby’s Sleep Cues:
If your infant is yawning, rubbing his ears or eyes, turning his head from side to side or making ‘jerky’ movements, it simply means that he is ready to sleep. Not paying attention to these sleep cues can cause your baby to become overtired, which could further make his bedtime more difficult. Put your child to sleep as soon as you realize he is tired enough to fall asleep quickly.
Not Following a Consistent Bedtime Routine:
A consistent bedtime routine plays a vital role in taking your baby’s mind to a relaxed state which is the key to a sound, restful sleep. It doesn’t matter what your bedtime routine is - bath, read, bottle, bed or bath, cuddle, lullaby, bed - what matters the most is whether or not you repeat the same things every night. Have a consistent bedtime routine and follow it strictly until you child learns to fall asleep on this own.
Keeping Your Baby Awake During the Day:
It’s a commonly held myth that keeping a newborn awake during the day helps him sleep better at night but in reality, this is patently untrue. Allowing your baby to stay awake during the day simply makes him overtired and fussy, which leads to a night party that usually happens between 1 am to 4 am. To avoid your night problems, let your infant sleep for some time during the day.
Not Swaddling the Baby:
All babies, especially premature infants, love swaddling because being wrapped in a lightweight baby blanket make them feel like they’re still in the mommy's womb. Swaddling not only helps your little one sleep better and longer but also reduces the risk of SIDS to a large extent. If your infant kicks his blankets off very often, consider using a baby sleeping bag instead.
Mixing Sleep and Food:
Given that babies take more time to digest their food than adults, make sure to feed your infant at least one hour before the bedtime so he could digest his food easily and efficiently. Also, giving your newborn a bottle at bedtime can make him dependent on the food to fall asleep. So it's better not to feed your little cherub while he is asleep.
Over Stimulating Your Baby:
If you’re wondering why your baby is not sleeping, check if he has become over-stimulated. Over stimulation makes it difficult for infants to calm themselves to settle down and sleep. Be aware of that cute mobile over the cot as this can distract your baby rather than encouraging him to sleep. Try to keep your newborn’s sleeping environment as calm as possible!
Not Using a Baby Flat Head Pillow:
One of the most common baby sleep mistakes new parents unknowingly make during first few days of life is not keeping their infant’s head in the right position during sleep. As a result, their baby becomes more prone to flat head syndrome – a condition where the back or side of the baby's head becomes flattened. Fortunately, this condition can be easily prevented by using a flat head pillow that is designed to keep the baby’s head in the proper position while sleeping.