Top tips to help
your baby sleep better

help-baby-sleepWhen it comes to settling your little one to sleep there are no perfect solutions, each baby is unique and there is no one trick that will magic him or her to sleep. There are however a number of tips and products you can try which can hopefully get you closer to a peaceful sleepy baby.

Routine

A good routine based on all our experiences is the foundation to getting your baby to sleep at night. No matter how busy or spontaneous your life is a bedtime routine is essential to helping your baby know that it is time to go to sleep. Ideally bath time with a soothing bubble bath is a great place to start and ensure your baby has one everyday at roughly the same time to help instil the routine.

Try these….

insta naif

Infacare Baby Bath Ultra Mild

InstaNatural Baby Bubble Bath

NAIF Milky Baby Bath Oil

 

Reading

This can be included as part of the routine after a bath reading a story to your little one will help them feel sleepy. Even if your little one is too little to understand the story the sound of your voice will be soothing to them and will help your baby feel relaxed.

Try these….

bedtime-book bedtimemouse crocbook

Baby Sparkle Bedtime book

iBook: Bedtime for Baby Mouse

Chad Vally Smile Crocodile boardbook

Massage

This is another great way to help your baby feel relaxed and is great for bonding. After a soothing bath a gentle massage with your choice of oils will help your baby associate bedtime with a relaxing and positive emotion. There are also many help benefits associated with massage and there are a number of classes that are held nationally which you can book yourself on to find out more.

Try these….

organicoil-amazon cow-organics-oil elemis-oil

Organic Soothing Baby Massage Oil

Baby Cow Organics Rich Massage Oil

Elemis Japanese Camellia Body Oil

Bedtime clothing

Soft pj’s and baby grows made with natural fibres like cotton are advisable at night. Natural fibres will allow your baby’s skin to breath and will not irritate their delicate skin at night. Check the labels of their clothes as synthetic fibres could aggravate your baby’s skin.

Try these….

babygrow-frugi babygrow-hankie babygrow-twin

Frugi Organic Babygrow

Hankie Rose Baby Sleepsuit

Grosuit Twin Pack

Sleeping Bags

Sleeping bags are ideal as they help keep your baby warm without being a potential hazard. The bags come in different tog strengths so you can get a few in different tog weights that can be used throughout the seasons. As sleeping bags stay put on your baby they move as your baby moves in the night ensuring they stay cosy and warm all night.

Try these….

growbag-various growbag-vinchy growbag-superman

Grobag and Swaddle suits

Vichy Baby Sleeping Bag

Superman Baby Boy Sleeping Bag

Soothing sounds

Another great way to help your little one get to sleep and stay sleeping is music, from nursery rhymes, classical music or white noise try them all and see which works. Sounds are a great way for your baby to feel relaxed and help them associate the sound with sleep time. There are a number of apps that provide a range of music and also one of our mums favourite is a certain cuddly sheep that plays different music.

Try these….

ewan music-for-babies sound-spa

Ewan the Dream Sheep

iTunes: Classical Music For Baby

Mybaby HoMedics SoundSpa

Lighting

This may seem obvious but having a relaxing environment before bedtime is something that even we as adults need. From soft lamps, fairy lights to night lights can all help to create a very serene and sleepy atmosphere. Black out blinds can also help with helping to keep your little one asleep for a bit longer especially during the summer. The blinds will also help your little one to distinguish between a night time sleep and a day time nap too.

Try these….

habitat-lights moon-lught blackout

Habitat Aubrey Butterfly LED Fairy Light

Moon Night Light

Magic Black Out Sheets

Toasty warm

You can help your baby to sleep safe and sound by keeping the temperature in their room between 16 degrees C and 20 degrees C. Investing in a good room thermometer is best and using an electric timed radiator can also help. During summer months you can use a fan to keep your baby cool but make sure it is not pointing directly at the cot and is at a safe distance away from baby. Always keep a check of your baby’s room temperature to ensure safety at all times.

Try these….

dimplex igenix thermometer

Dimplex 2kw Oil Free Radiator

Igenix Oil Filled Radiator IG2605 2kw

Digital Room and Bath Thermometer

Reflux wedge and pillows

If your baby has been diagnosed with reflux then getting your little one to sleep can be difficult. Cot wedges (reflux wedges) will cut down the amount a baby regurgitates considerably. It is also the best way in managing a baby’s reflux before the introduction of medication. There are a variety of solutions that can help with reflux and help your baby have a good night sleep but always consult with your GP first.

Try these….

wedgehog sleepyhead  babymoov

Wedgehog Baby Wedge for Reflux

Sleepyhead Sleep Pods

Babymoov Cosymat Baby Cot Wedge

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