BABY SLEEP WELL,
PRETTY PLEASE?

Sleep Baby Sleep...Please? Don't we wish there was some surefire way of getting baby to sleep through the night? Every new parent wrestles with sleep problems at some time. How many times have you heard a tired looking mother say that her baby won't sleep!

Let's figure out how to help baby get as much sleep as possible in the night? We need this information not only for the good of their child, but mom and dad would like to get a little sack time themselves!
The key is to create a peaceful nursery helps baby sleep by relaxing baby and lulling them off to sleep without problems!

Each baby comes with a pre-programmed sleeping pattern. Unfortunately there is not a lot that mama or daddy can do about it. Most babies sleep when they get good and ready so parents must develop the habit of thinking that if baby won't sleep we won't either.

The good news is that while baby sleeping routines and patterns can throw us for a loop until they get into an acceptable sleeping routine, a sleep disorder in a healthy baby is virtually unheard of in my opinion. Sleeping patterns are pretty much programmed into the package along with everything else, don't you think?

The average newborn sleeps anywhere from sixteen or more hours each day with a feeding routine of every two or three hours. This is a workable schedule for the exhausted new mother, but the truth is that sleep patterns set their own schedule with little regard for any routine we may try to encourage. Getting baby to sleep when WE want them to is frustrating. Helping baby sleep by creating the best possible circumstances may be the key! There's no way to MAKE baby sleep all night, but there are ways to encourage positive baby sleep patterns.

There will be no sleep-training period. Parents will not need to make a healthy, happy baby sleep. There seems to be an internal clock in each little baby that knows just how much sleep that baby needs. They start out as little individuals that assert their own personalities in so many ways. Of course there will always be "THOSE NIGHTS" when nothing seems to work. That being said, there are some amazing baby sleep tips and secrets that we can share with new parents to help develope good baby sleep patterns as quickly as possible by creating a perfect environment for rest within each baby's nursery.

Nursery Location:
Baby's nursery ideally should be located away from the main activity centers of the family home. Example: Clanging silverware and pots and pans while emptying the dishwasher would not be the best system for getting baby to sleep through the night! If you are hesitant to place nursery very far away for fear that baby may be crying and you won't hear it; a baby monitor should ease your mind. Baby sleep monitors are available with several different monitoring speaker stations so that they can be positioned in several different rooms. For really mobile monitoring, some baby sleep monitors come with belt clips for the speakers!

It would be impossible for any home to have complete quiet at all times. To cover some of the natural household sounds, white noise from a static-y radio, white noise machine or a CD of favorite baby songs or lullabyes will help baby relax. Your womb was a pretty noisy place and rushing, swooshing sounds brings back those fond memories of security. These familiar and comfortable sounds may help an infant adjust quicker to a new environment.

Nursery Lighting:
Our bodies are designed to sleep during the night. Sleeping in bright light is not natural, nor is it conducive to a good night's rest. Any baby sleeps better in a darkened room. During the day there will be a need for room darkening window treatments and at night we should take care that artificial lighting is not disruptive to the sleeping child. Several well placed night lights or a well-shaded lamp with a low wattage bulb will provide enough light to allow baby to sleep while you are tending to basic tasks.

Another tip is that your overhead lighting can be made nursery-friendly with the installation of a dimmer switch. There is nothing that makes a room more attractive at night than a beautiful nursery chandelier and the dimmer switch will allow the light to be lit and not interrupt baby's sleep.

Torchiere floor lamps cast their light upward toward the ceiling, but their usefulness will end when baby is more mobile as they are easily tipped over which may make them unsuitable for use in a baby room. When you have a fussy newborn your thoughts may be focused on getting baby to rest, but in no time at all baby will be more acclimated to his or her world and baby sleep problems will probably be a thing of the past!

Nursery Flooring:
Stain protected wall to wall carpeting is a popular baby nursery flooring option for obvious reasons. Carpet is quiet, secure and a soft place for baby to play. If you have a nursery with existing carpeting, give it a good professional cleaning before you install your nursery furnishings. If you will be installing new carpeting, allow time before nursery setup for the carpet to "air" with the nursery windows open for a few days to let any lingering fumes from chemicals or dyes escape.

If you have wood, vinyl or any other hard surface floor you will want to soften it with some area rugs with a non-skid back. Themed nursery area rugs are a welcome nursery theme decorating focal point and will keep your footsteps quiet while baby is trying to sleep through the night. Washable faux fur rugs are great looking and add softness and texture to the nursery decor as well as they muffle noise while baby is sleeping!

Window Treatments:
Look for the light blocking function in any window treatment you choose. Floor length drapes are not a good choice for nursery decor as baby will be pulling up on them. This presents the danger of falling hardware. Adjustable blinds and room darkening shades are options so long as they and their cords and handles are out well out of baby's reach both from the crib and the floor.

Nursery Furniture:
The most important piece of nursery furniture besides the actual baby's crib is the time honored baby sleep aid, the rocking chair. Of course you want your chair to be pretty, but comfort is important. Try several different nursery rockers or gliders, practice rocking and letting your baby sleep in several positions for a little while in your arms. My advice is to sit in it awhile! You need to be certain that it's a comfortable place to cuddle for hours after all. Is it a comfortable fit? While you don't need to feel that you and baby are wedged in a tight spot, you don't want to feel lost in a huge space either!

There is no guaranteed method for getting all the sleep that you need, but some of the above tips may help. Baby Nursery Bedding and Room Themes

Return to Unique Baby Gear Ideas, Nursery Themes and Decorating Ideas for tips and techniques on dealing with baby and sleeping problems.