Sleep training isn't a phrase I like to use especially for the newborn stage. I understand that "sleep training" can sound like it's narrowly focused on just getting a baby to sleep, but it’s really about so much more. In fact, whether you realise it or not, you’re already influencing your baby’s sleep. Sleep is a result of a baby's feeding pattern, digestion, sleep position, overall routine, and how you respond to your baby.
Think of baby sleep training as encouraging positive sleep associations and working on a baby’s entire daily routine, it becomes a wholistic approach. This means sleep training can actually begin in the first month of life by simply focusing on a feeding and digestion pattern. By nurturing these elements early on, you're laying down the foundations for healthy sleep habits later on.
Predictability
Babies thrive on consistency and routine. A set routine helps a baby understand when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to be awake, which creates a sense of security. Creating a consistent bedtime routine with activities like a warm bath, a gentle massage and dimming the lights signal to your baby that it's time for sleep. Making this routine consistent every night will cue your baby that bedtime is approaching, helping to set your baby's circadian rhythm, even in the first month of life. Ensure your baby’s room is quiet, cool, and dark. Use blackout blinds and curtains as even the smallest amount of light can be stimulating.
Optimal Sleep
Babies need a lot of sleep to support their growth and development. A structured 12-hour day and night window allows for a long, restorative sleep overnight while balancing daytime naps. Set a bedtime and morning wake up time based on a 12 hour period.
Parental Rest
With your baby sleeping the majority of, or through the night, you’ll have more time to relax in the evening and get the sleep you need to function well during the day. Sleep not only aids recovery from birth but also boosts your milk supply, why are milk making hormones at the highest point overnight? Because you are sleeping, so more sleep can equal more milk. When incorporated with an expressing plan, milk supply can be maintained even when a baby doesn't feed overnight.
Focus on Full Feeds
Babies who are well-fed during the day, especially before bedtime, are more likely to sleep longer stretches at night. A baby's daily calorie intake can determine the length of sleep, how well your baby settles and the number of wake ups overnight.
Self Settling Skills
The goal of sleep training is teach your baby to fall asleep independently, a baby won't sleep solidly or through the night long term if they are unable to self settle.
On the 7pm to 7am Sleeping Baby Routine I advise a wait time of 2-5 minutes, depending on the baby's age, before responding to waking and on settling. This gently encourages them to find comfort on their own and learn much needed self settling skills.
The key to successful sleep training is patience, consistency, and finding what works best for you and your baby. There is no such thing as a perfect routine because routine to support sleep is forever evolving. While no single approach works for every family, the 7pm to 7am Sleeping Baby Routine is a time tested method that can create a healthy sleep pattern for both you and your little one... Sweet dreams!
Found this post useful? Do you need help with sleep? Do drop me a message, I'm here to help.
