Helping Baby Sleep Through The Night -- What Can I Do?

Although we adore our babies, moms and dads can becomes frustrated and confused when they cry frequently at night. New parents can sometimes wonder if there's anything they can do about helping baby sleep through the night, and earn themselves some much needed rest.

When you're already worn out from a hard day at work, it's difficult to wake up at all hours of the night to soothe a fractious baby who's blissfully unaware of all the commotion he's causing!

So is there a solution to this dilemma? Remember that babies have shorter sleep cycles than adults so it's normal for them to wake up over the course of the night. But as they often soothe themselves back to sleep, we don't even notice it.

However helping baby sleep through the night must be a priority if your family is being woken on a regular basis. Here are a few suggestions...

Stick to a strict sleep schedule and make sure bedtime is the same time every night. This sets ground rules early and gives baby a feeling of security. Include a bath and a bedtime story or anything you like into this schedule, just make sure you do it constantly in the same order each night.

Don't make bedtime too late at night. Statistics have proven that babies who are sleep deprived wake up more often.

Allow him to nap during the day if he's tired. Contrary to popular belief babies sleep better at night if they're not overtired.

Try not to let him become to excitable just before bedtime, he'll take longer to settle and possible awaken more frequently.

Babies will sometimes put themselves back so sleep if left undisturbed for a short while. You will teach your baby a good sleeping pattern if you let him self soothe. Naturally if he becomes worked up and very distressed then see to him straight away.

Is he comfortable? Make sure he's not too hot or too cold. This can cause restless sleep.

Is the room dark enough? The teensiest amount of light can impact your baby's sleep.

Is the room quiet? Although it's best to let baby get used to a certain amount of background noise, sudden loud noises may frighten him.

Is he thirsty? Especially in warmer weather, a drink of water may be all that's needed.

So try the above suggestions and hopefully you'll find a few that work for you and your baby. Remember, you can't make a baby sleep through the night, so try not to be too hard on yourself. There will be times you'll feel tired and grumpy. This is perfectly normal - nobody's perfect! Above all remember that nothing lasts for ever and if your baby is happy during the day, you must be doing something right!