The word sleep training often comes with negative stigma, as it is often misconstrued that you’re leaving your baby to cry-it-out 🆘🙅🏻♀️🙅🏻♀️🙅🏻♀️
While we only* endorse gentle sleep training techniques that allow you to choose what you feel is the right fit for you and your family, there are other ways to help improve your baby’s sleep 🩷💫🥰
1️⃣ Sleep Environment
Your baby’s sleep environment encompasses their room temperature, darkness, and white noise.
🌡️ We want to maintain a room temperature between 18-22°C to ensure your baby is comfortable and not too hot 🥵 or cold 🥶, as discomfort can make it difficult for them to fall asleep and stay asleep 😩
🌙 Creating a pitch-black sleeping environment prevents sunlight from stimulating your baby’s brain to release cortisol to wake them up. This can help prevent catnapping, early rising, and bedtime resistance 🙌🏻
🎶 Using white noise at a volume of 65 decibels acts as a soothing aid while blocking out external disturbances that could otherwise delay falling asleep or cause them to wake during their naps or overnight sleep 🆘
2️⃣Sleep/Wake Schedule
☀️ While we can’t force our baby to sleep, we can control when we wake them and put them down to sleep 🥰. A consistent wake time helps set and maintain their circadian rhythm (body clock), giving structure to your day, reducing the feeling of ‘jet lag’ ✈️ from inconsistent start times, and maintains their feed and sleep schedules 👏🏻
3️⃣Additional Positive Sleep Associations
🧸 Depending on your baby’s age, consistently utilizing their dummies, comforters, and sleeping bag or swaddle will allow them to begin associating them with bedtime 🥰
If despite these tips your baby is still catnapping and waking frequently overnight, book a consultation or download or Sleep Essentials Guide at www.settletosleep.com.au so we can support you in restoring sleep for you and your family 🩷🌸💫