Is your newborn giving you fits every time you put her down to sleep? Do you feel like you could star in the next blockbuster zombie movie if it keeps up for even a single night longer?
Don’t feel too bad, most new parents go through it. Fortunately, there are a few simple and easy things you can do to help
As long as your little one’s sleep issues have no medical roots, there are plenty of ideas out there to help. There are even some great and rather unusual ideas, too.
But first things first though.
If you are having trouble getting her to catch a full 20 winks, make sure nothing is wrong. If her bedroom isn’t too hot or too cold, her clothing isn’t too tight or too loose, there is nothing physically wrong, and she is properly fed, move on to other options.
Some of the more off the wall ideas to try that actually have some results include:
* Massage. This is becoming a more common way to get even the tiniest of newborns down for the night. A simple, gentle massage or even patting can go a long way toward helping you to get baby to sleep. Don’t think deep tissue massage for a newborn, just a simple rub down in a soothing environment often helps greatly.
* White noise. This is an oldie, but a goodie. Basic background noises that don’t demand attention can really help you help baby sleep. Thinks like ceiling fans, special tapes and even dolls that play white noise can all help a great deal.
* The washing machine. It is not at all unheard of for parents of newborns to place their little ones in their car seats on top of running washing machines. The gentle movement (as long as the washer is balanced) coupled with the noise tends to sooth some little ones greatly.
* Warm sheets. Babies do not like to be cold. After all, they have spent roughly nine months is a pretty hot environment. To ensure you don’t set her down on a too cold surface, consider turning up the temperature in her room a little more or even getting flannel crib sheets.
* Swaddling. This is an old wife’s trick that works wonders. New parents are sometimes set aback by this one though. Swaddling involves nothing more than special clothing or blanket wrapping that keeps her arms and legs held in tight – just like they were in the womb in her last days inside. This is a great way to not only help baby sleep, but to calm her when she’s upset.
* Music. Think beyond regular lullabies. Some babies actually prefer slightly louder music. This tends to be especially the case if mom and dad listened to loud music a lot while she was in the womb. Rock and roll beats won’t destroy baby’s mind. Just make sure the volume isn’t turned up so loud to hurt her ears.
Learning how to help baby sleep sometimes requires thinking outside of the box. Be creative with your ideas.
As long as they won’t hurt her and they don’t jeopardize her safety while she’s sleeping, they are worth trying. If it works, you’ll thank yourself for being creative.
But what works for one baby might not necessarily for another. The trick is to find what works for your little one and stick with it.