sleep

Bringing a new baby home from the hospital is a beautiful experience.

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Still, it can also be filled with many anxieties and frustrations. One of the significant sources of anxiety is figuring out how to get your baby to sleep through the night.

When will your little one sleep through the night, and how long will it take?

When will you finally get the rest you so badly need? Well, I can help you unravel the mystery behind getting your baby to sleep through the night and get you started on a gentle, easy path that will have everyone in your house getting a good night’s sleep.

The biggest secret to getting your little one to sleep through the night is to teach your baby how to fall asleep without you.

Instead of rocking or nursing your baby to sleep (or whatever else you might be doing), try to get your baby to fall asleep without your help. You can do this primarily by trying to put your baby down for a nap while your baby is still awake. You don’t have to do it every time; try to do it as much as possible.

If your baby is crying or extremely fussy, it is not a good time to try to get him or her to fall asleep without you. Instead, pick the times when your baby is quiet and peaceful to try it out.

Once you put your baby down to sleep while awake, see if they can fall asleep without your help. If your baby gets fussy and you cannot soothe them while your baby is still lying down, then pick your baby up to comfort him or her. Swaddling might help calm your baby down if you want to try it.

You do not have to make your baby cry it out to teach them how to sleep independently of you. Just realize that each time you put your baby down for a nap, it is a brand new “opportunity” for you to teach your little one how to fall asleep without your help. A white noise machine or lullabies might be helpful to try.

So, do it as often as possible. Given enough of these opportunities, your baby will begin to fall asleep without you. Once your baby can sleep independently, it will do so as soon as it is ready to sleep through the night. The earlier you begin teaching your baby how to fall asleep without your help, the quicker your baby will sleep through the night. If you start teaching your baby to sleep without you when your baby is an infant, the process is simple and gentle.

Starting early ensures you can accomplish your goal without making your baby “cry it out.” You can also get some rest as soon as you can teach your baby how to sleep without you.

If you do not teach your baby how to fall asleep without you, your presence will be required for every sleeping occasion around the clock. You will understandably grow progressively exhausted, and months of this will make you, at best, downright irritable.

Your baby will be pretty cranky as well. If you don’t teach your baby how to sleep well, then your baby won’t take good naps and will be up all night demanding your presence.

Your baby won’t sleep when tired, and the whole house will suffer from your baby’s irritability. All because your baby never learned how to sleep on their own.

Teaching your baby how to sleep without you does not make you a “bad” parent; instead, it gives you some breathing room and the energy left over for other aspects of your life. It is essential to consider your own needs, as well as your new baby.

In striving to be a “super-mom,” it is still too easy to forget anyone else’s needs, including yours. It would be best to balance your new and chaotic life and keep everyone happy, especially yourself. This will make you a much better parent than if you are always tired and cranky.

Saving time for your partner is also essential and ever so easy to forget. Failing to save energy for your partner fosters resentment and allows the distance between you to develop much quicker than you can ever believe. By saving time for yourself and your partner, you will help to maintain the balance and allow love to flourish throughout your house.

The best way to achieve that balance is to ensure your baby learns to sleep without you. You can tend to your baby’s every need and have a great, loving relationship with your baby.

Still, when it is time for your baby to sleep, it is time to separate and get some time for yourself and your loved ones.

 

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