How to Establish a Sleep Schedule for Baby

Does your baby's round-the-clock schedule have you feeling sleep deprived? Here's what you need to do to establish a sleep schedule.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Patience
• Persistence

How to Establish a Sleep Schedule for Baby

1. Establish a set bedtime and naptimes, and follow them closely.
2. Play with your baby during the day, but refrain from playing with her when she wakes up at night.
3. Keep all nighttime interactions as brief as possible, and limit the amount of noise and light in the room. This will help your baby to learn that nights are for sleeping.
4. Don't be too quick to respond to your baby's nighttime cries. If given a moment, he may put himself back to sleep.
5. Give her a bath before bedtime to help her relax.
6. Establish a bedtime routine. Read a story, sing a lullaby--just do something to let your baby know that it's time for bed.
7. Try to keep him up a bit later at night.
8. Make sure your baby is well fed before bed. This will delay her need to wake up to eat.
9. Don't let him nap too much during the day. If he's slept for more than a few hours, wake him up to play and feed.

Tips & Warnings

• It can take a while to establish a sleep schedule. Remain consistent in your efforts, and you'll eventually succeed.
• If you're concerned that your baby isn't sleeping enough, talk to your pediatrician.