How to get your baby to sleep through the night

New parents are being offered some top tips to help their little ones sleep soundly through the night.

The sleep experts at MattressNextDay have summarised the very best advice on how to help babies get a full night’s peaceful slumber.

Trying to get a young baby to sleep through the night is challenging for every parent. The experts advise doing things like building a routine and weaning little ones off of night feeds to promote a longer sleep that lasts all night.

A spokesperson for MattressNextDay said: “Getting your baby to sleep through the night isn’t an easy process and it requires time and patience.

“One of the most important things to do is to stick to a bit of a routine. With little ones, the slightest difference in their routine can throw them off and will lead to a disrupted sleep.

“Establishing a difference between day and night for your baby will help them learn that nighttime is for sleeping. This is also where you should keep activity and playtime to a minimum to avoid getting them all hyper.

“Instead, do things to soothe them – give them a bath, put them into a fresh set of pyjamas and have some calming one-on-one time with them.”

How to get your baby to sleep through the night:

Build a routine
The sleep experts advise building a simple routine so that as a busy parent, you can ensure you are able to follow it each night. This could include bath time, a feed and some one-on-one time with your baby before putting them down to sleep. This way your baby will start to associate certain activities with bed time.

Establish a difference between day and night
Try to teach your baby that there is a difference between day and night and they’ll soon learn that nighttime is for sleeping. Do this by having the curtains open in the day, doing activities together and having playtime. At night, try to keep the lights low, keep your voice quiet and avoid having too much playtime.

Give them a relaxing bath
A warm bath will help relax your baby and will help them fall asleep quicker. The reason for this is that after a warm bath, your baby’s body temperature will lower and begin to cool, helping them to fall asleep.

Try to soothe your baby less in the night
If your baby wakes up in the night, it’s instinct to soothe them until they fall asleep again. However this could prompt them to become reliant on you and they’ll start to think in order to fall asleep they must be held.

When your baby wakes up in the night, place your hand on their chest to calm them but then try to leave the room and reduce the time you spend in there – This will encourage them to soothe themselves.

Wean your baby off night feeds when appropriate
Your doctor will tell you when it’s okay to begin weaning your baby off of the night feeds and when they do you should slowly cut back on them. A common technique is to dream feed your baby instead which should help them sleep for longer throughout the night.

Create a calming ambience
Keeping your baby’s room dark and adding some soft lighting is a great way to create a calming ambience. You could even purchase a white noise machine which mimics the environment of the womb, making your baby feel safe and relaxed which will encourage them to sleep.

Have patience
Getting your baby to sleep through the night isn’t an easy task and it takes both time and trial and error. Be patient with yourself and your baby as you both go through this transition.