Sleep tips for your newborn baby

Slaaptipsvoorbabys informs about the sleeping behaviour of babies and toddlers with the aim of creating more night(rest). In this blog, certified child sleep coach Myrthe gives a couple of excellent tips for your newborn baby.

The arrival of a baby often means that the world is turned upside down for a bit, especially when it's your first child. Many parents find the first weeks after childbirth very hectic.Everything revolves around the baby and there will be little to no sleep for all involved. After all, sleepless nights are part of it, right? Child sleep coach Myrthe thinks otherwise. “Of course, every baby is different, meaning one baby may be able to sleep better sooner than others, but a parent can still have a huge effect on their baby's sleep habits.”

In this blog, you'll find 4 tips that you can apply immediately after the birth of your baby. All of these tips help build healthy sleep habits for your little one.

“Awake time is the maximum time a baby can be awake for. A newborn baby needs lots of sleep during the day and will tire quite quickly. The older the baby gets, the longer the awake time will get, and the less sleep a baby will need during the day. By taking this awake time into account, you will be better aware of what the right time is to put the baby down for a bit; this will increase the chance that your baby sleeps faster.”

“As I explained above, babies need enough sleep. Too much sleep during the day can lead to worse nights, but too little sleep during the day can also have a negative effect. Although some babies need just a bit more sleep than other babies, we do know the average amount of sleep that a baby needs per month. Over the course of the first year, the amount of sleep needed decreases slightly. Why is it interesting to take these types of averages into account? That is how you can prevent your baby from getting either too little or too much sleep during the day, thereby helping you prevent sleep problems.”

“Always have your baby sleep in the dark, even during the day. This may sound crazy, but the dark stimulates the production of melatonin, the hormone that makes you sleepy. Light actually stimulates cortisol, the hormone that makes a baby more alert. Some babies are extremely sensitive to light/dark, and these babies often sleep better if the room they sleep in is truly dark. Darkness also does not harm the day- and night routine.”

“Even though the days fly by and the nights are tough, my advice is to start every day at a certain time. This can be anywhere from 6am to 7.30am. Choose a time and wake your baby up at that time every day, even on weekends and when the nights are tough. Wake up your baby at this time, make sure to make the room light, and feed them. This creates a clear day- and night routine for your baby and immediately gives a certain structure to your days.”