Top 3 Ways to Help a Newborn Sleep

Why is it so hard to get your new baby to sleep? Some babies are amazing little sleepers and others need a little help. Here are my top 3 ways to help a newborn sleep.

1. Shushing Machine

Babies spent 9 months listening to the loud whoosh sound of your heart and now they are in this huge QUIET world. Some babies find the silence lonely and unfamiliar. When your baby is crying what do you do? Shh, shh, shh! You naturally make the familiar heartbeat sound that soothes them (nature is amazing!) but doing this for a few hours is exhausting.

Here at the studio in Saint John, we use the Baby Shusher here. This little machine can sit in their crib or dresser, uses double A batteries, can be turned up or down and lasts about 30 minutes. I love the fact the batteries are screwed in for extra childproofing and safety. 

Babies will listen to the familiar whoosh sound and fall asleep.

2. Swaddling

Swaddling is an art. We swaddle your babies everyday and can say some babies love to wiggle out. Those swaddle wraps that are on the market are awesome! If your baby is struggling to sleep, swaddling may be the answer. As they get older they love to stretch out but when they are fresh and newborn, swaddling may make them feel all squished and comforted like the womb again. 

That mild pressure of feeling like they are being held can help them drift off to sleep and stay asleep a little longer. For safety reasons follow the manufacturers instructions and next swaddle around the neck.

3. Warmth

The third way to help babies sleep is about about the temperature. Babies have immature little systems and do not regulate body heat as well as we do. They like it WARM. If their hands or feet are cold, they are often too cold. Turn the heat up, dress them in more layers. Use sleep sacks for crib sleeping to keep them warm and safe. 

Often parents complain their babies wake up the moment they lay them down and often it is because of that cool bed feeling. We might love to lay down and feel the cool side of a pillow but babies do not. Rub the mattress with your hand and warm it up before lying your baby down. Do not use a heating pad (there are cases of babies being accidentally burned) but rubbing and making friction can do the job. 

We Use these Tips

I hope these 3 ways to help a newborn sleep will help! As professional baby handlers we are using these tips for every session to help a newborn to sleep because we know how critical each one is for a good nap! They may not seem like the simple answer but all three can help little ones drift off to sleep easier.