Photo courtesy of David Bacque
There have been days when I’ve felt more confident about my chances of making an NHL team than getting our babies to sleep. Given how vital sleep is to humans, the way babies resist going to sleep baffles me. Like seriously, why won’t they sleep" Still, the best way to encourage good sleep habits is establishing patterns and developing nightly routines early on.
It should go without saying, but I’ll say it. The best sleep patterns and routines are the ones that work for your family. There is no one size fits all. Every family is different, and every baby is different.
However, it seems that all babies thrive on some sort of pattern and routines. It helps communicate the flow of the day before they can talk. This can look like having a nap schedule and consistent bedtime, and using the fifteen minutes before bed to read a book, have a bath, or snuggle on a chair ? all cues to your baby that it’s time to relax and prepare for sleep. Of course, this doesn’t mean they are going to sleep right away.
Photo courtesy of David Bacque
Set reasonable expectations for your baby?s sleeping habits
In a perfect world, you would read “Goodnight Moon” on the rocking chair then lay your child down in the crib and walk away. All the books tell you it’s that easy! And there’s always that one parent at the playgroup that claims their child really does sleep that easily and regularly, to whom you smile poli...