If your child is past the newborn stage but they are still not able to sleep properly then they may need a bit of extra help. There’s nothing wrong with this, and sometimes there’s not much you can do other than simply work through it. With that said, if you know that there are still things you haven’t tried then take a look below to find out what other steps you can take.
Make it Clear When Night is
The first thing you need to do is try and teach your baby the difference between night and day. Babies vary a lot in how long it can take them to develop a solid routine, so try and make sure that you are helping them understand all of this. At night, try to keep the lights dim, and keep talk and play to a minimum. Frequent feeds are a very important part of your child’s development too, and some parents may find it beneficial to offer extra feeds during the night. Other people choose to wake their baby up in the middle of the night as it allows them to top up their stomachs without waking up crying. Dream feeds are based on the idea of scheduled awakening, with the idea being that you wake up your child a little before they are due, and soothe them back down by rocking. Over time, this can help you to increase the gaps between the time they awake, as you have more control of them.
Get some Daylight
Babies’ sleep can sometimes be affected by daylight and their body temperature. Time spent outside, especially in the afternoon, can help babies to sleep for longer at night. Some parents hope that if they keep their baby awake during the day then this will help them to sleep at night. The issue with this is that it can ignore your infant’s sleep development and it also risks you missing out on the cues that your baby is giving. Some people also find that as a result of this, their baby becomes overtired, which can present a whole new set of issues. If you want to help yourself then take note of when your child looks tired. They may have clenched fists or they may rub their eyes a lot. It’s also possible that they will become fussy or that they will become quiet, look away when you’re looking at them, or yawn. Things like this can help you indicate that your baby is tired, and keeping them awake at this point won’t be good for them.
Keep them Close
It’s fine for you to keep your baby close to you. It may be that you keep them in the same room while you watch TV or while you relax in the evening. Contact napping is normal and fine when there is someone with you as they can make sure that you don’t fall asleep by accident too. If you have a baby fighting sleep at 3 months then developmental milestones could also be to blame. In instances like this, you need to make sure that you are supporting your child through it. This is a phase and it will pass, and sometimes all you have to do is last it out. Keep your child close and don’t be tempted to use the cry-it-out method, because although some people say it works, it can be emotionally damaging to your child to think that you aren’t there to help them when they need it. With that said, as a parent, sometimes you become sleep-deprived and just need some space and time. In situations like this, rotating shifts for the baby between you and your partner, or members of the family can be good. You also need to make sure that you are asking for help if you feel as though you need it. Not sleeping when you have a child is a very difficult situation to be in, but every day you make it through one day closer to it being all over.
If your child is really struggling then you may find that swaddling helps them. Swaddling helps them to settle and if done properly, it is perfectly safe as well. This could be something that is worth trying if you have tried everything, and you never know, it may just give them the help they need to feel at ease. If you can try this along with other things then it will greatly impact your self-confidence.
