Sarah Beeson MBE parenting author and health visitor was happy to give some baby expert tips for The Pink Lining Papers on how mums and dads can help their Little One get calmly off to sleep.
And so to bed…
By Sarah Beeson MBE Author & Health Visitor
Getting the right amount of nap time and milk during the day is part of the secret to a good night’s sleep. Frequent feeding during the day often means your Little One will wake less frequently in the night. It is normal for a newborn baby to wake to feed in the night because they don’t have a concept of night and day, only the inner clock that demands feeding.
The right amount of sleep varies from baby to baby but they all need a good night’s sleep and restful naptimes which you can facilitate. Sleep is important because your baby is growing whilst they slumber – it is their time to rest and recuperate and is vital for development, so your baby can reach their optimum growth.
Music
Babies respond positively to calm and harmonious voices that they recognise from life in the womb. Your voice is familiar and relaxing and gentle tunes will make your Little One to feel safe and secure, helping them to drift off into a peaceful sleep.
Singing a lullaby or playing gentle music can really work wonders on some babies. You’ll soon learn what your baby likes to hear, and if you sang and played music a lot while you were pregnant it’s quite likely they’ll like those tunes best of all.
I remember when Neighbours was at the height of its popularity. Pregnant women would often put their feet up and relax to enjoy the show. I found there was a whole generation of infants who stopped crying and nodded off when they heard the Neighbours theme song.
Shush, shush, shush
Making gentle, rhythmic shushing sounds will often help babies to relax. It stimulates the noises of blood circulating heard in the womb. From gently behind the ear, not into the ear, make low-level rhythmic shushing noises for a couple of minutes to calm your Little One.
Stroking their forehead and temple of the back of the head
Some babies like gentle stroking to their head. This rhythmic motion and the warmth of your touch can be very soothing and help them get off to sleep.
There is no one way to put your baby to bed. Trust your instincts and do what fees right. Most parents instinctively combine a number of techniques that reassure and soothe their Little One – you are the expert on your own baby.
For more information
For more advice on all things baby and lots of advice on sleep including Sarah’s instant baby calming the Up-Down Technique read Happy Baby, Happy Family: Learning to trust yourself and enjoy your baby by Sarah Beeson MBE it’s Prima Baby book of the month. (Published by Harper Thorsons in paperback, ebook and audio book).
If you’ve got a question about your LO check out Ask Sarah or get in touch.
Sarah Beeson is a health visitor and author of Happy Baby, Happy Family. She writes with her daughter Mumpreneur and writer Amy Beeson. Sarah’s memoir of training to be a nurse in 1970s London The New Arrival is a heartwarming true story published by HarperCollins.