5 Quick & Easy Newborn Sleep Tips from Experienced Moms
This blog post provides 5 quick and easy newborn sleep tips from experienced moms to help you answer the question, “How to get my newborn to sleep through the night?” Know what to expect the first few weeks of sleep for your newborn and how to help your newborn sleep better at night.
Although I kind of think this question is wishful thinking (because no newborn sleeps through the night… sorry to disappoint!) I do think you can help your baby sleep a little longer at night, so you can sleep longer too!
Our littlest of three babies is only 2 weeks old. We are in the the middle of the newborn-sleep-deprivation-need-more-sleep-at-night-how-do-I get-my-newborn-to-sleep-longer stage!
I totally feel you, mama. I need a nap, too. So this is why I compiled a few blog resources to help you sleep a little longer and recover a little quicker from postpartum.
I tried to summarize the below blog posts to make it quick and easy for you! I hope these newborn tips and resources help your newborn sleep longer and help you start feeling more like yourself again sooner!
There are affiliate links in this article. This means if you click on a link, I might earn a commission at no additional cost to you!
1. Be strategic
The Top 10 Baby Sleep Tips That Will Help You Get More Sleep | The Military Wife and Mom
The author of this blog goes through the top 10 strategic newborn sleep tips that every mom should know. And I wholly support all of them! I say “strategic” because these tips cover a broad range and embrace an attitude of “whole-sleep” concept for creating the best sleep environment for your baby.
She talks about dreamfeeding and using white noise to help your newborn fall asleep and sleep longer. She mentions the benefits of baby sleep routines, which are oh, so important. This article is a great blog post to start with if you are just getting started on finding the best newborn sleep tips for babies.
The author also mentions the use of a swaddle to get the baby to sleep better. Our kids LOVED to be swaddled at night. And since our littlest is 2-weeks old right now, I’m remembering how grateful I am for this swaddle and this one in wrapping him up in love.
2. Understand the normal amount of sleep your baby needs
Newborn Sleep Patterns | Parenting Science
If you’re all about learning about why newborns sleep the way they do and understanding newborn sleep patterns, then this is the article you should check out! This “survival guide for the science-minded” parent is backed by research and supported by journal articles. The article discusses average sleep times for newborns as well as when newborns start sleeping longer through the night.
Like did you know the average newborn sleeps between 16 and 18 hours per day?! Also, did you know that it might take up to 12 weeks for your newborn to really get this whole day/night thing figured out?
Having a scientific back-up to tell me that I’m not alone makes me feel a little bit better. I mean, I’m still sleep deprived and what not, but at least I’m not alone! And neither are you!
3. Keep everything to a minimum #Reallifeadvice #momadvice #momlife
Newborn Sleep Tips I Wish I Had with My First Baby | Lovely Lucky Life
From an experienced mom, the author of this blog summarizes newborn nighttime sleep tips succinctly, “I keep the stimulation to a minimum – dim lights (we have a dimmer on our ceiling fan), minimal talking to baby, and, honestly, I don’t change her every time I go in to feed unless I can tell that she’s pooped. I feed her, burp her, and put her back in her crib.”
I love this advice because it’s oh so true. With Little One, I changed the diaper the second I saw a tiny hint of blue.
With Little Three…well, if the diaper doesn’t feel too full and I don’t smell poop, and he’s asleep… I might just wait til the next feeding session to change that baby.
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4. Learn how to swaddle a newborn correctly
Swaddle a Baby The Right Way (with pictures) | MamaNatural
I don’t know about you, but I’m often a visual learner. This article from MamaNatural shows 3 different ways to swaddle a newborn to sleep better at night.
The author also discusses why babies benefit from swaddling and when to stop swaddling. This article is great if your little newborn is a Houdini who magically gets her arms out of every swaddle. A great swaddle at night can go a long way to better sleep for the newborn, mama, and daddy.
My personal tip: swaddle TIGHT. Your newborn will like it better than you think. Don’t be afraid to swaddle nice and snug.
5. Expect your newborn sleep patterns to change from week-to-week
The Ultimate Newborn Sleep Schedule | A Mother Far From Home
I don’t know about you, but I like to know what to expect. Even if it’s just an average. A Mother Far From Home talks about what to expect the first 6 weeks when it comes to newborn sleep.
A friend of mine said, “Postpartum feels like two steps forward and one step back all the time – for both myself and my baby.” This is so, so true! Just when you think you have something figured out, your baby changes. Your newborn will go through many different sleep cycles, regressions, and changes as they grow. The best thing you can do is know that changes will happen! For good and for bad.
Related Articles:
Best White Noise Machine for Babies to Sleep Through the Night
Surviving the 9-month sleep regression
Bedtime routines for babies and toddlers
Newborn Care Survival Guide: Week 1
