Newborn sleep tips

Top tips for helping your newborn sleep better

1. Think about the conditions your baby enjoyed inside your womb for 9 months (noisy, squished, jiggly, warm etc), and try to replicate those to settle her.

2. Learn to recognize your baby's tired signs and act on them quickly.

3. Swaddle your baby for all sleeps, which will help her settle quickly and stay asleep longer.

4. More sleep during the day will mean better sleep at night.

5. White noise, such as radio static or the vacuum, is very effective for calming crying and helping newborns sleep longer.

6. Use the Feed, Play, Sleep routine during the day, so your baby gradually learns to fall asleep by herself.

7. Once feeding is well established, use a dummy if it helps your baby settle quickly and stay asleep longer.

8. Resist getting baby up at her first grizzle - give her the opportunity to resettle.

9. To develop good sleep habits, try to avoid feeding your baby to sleep or letting her catnap on you after the first few weeks.

10. Apart from feed/play/sleep, don't worry about a strict routine in the first few months. Routine doesn't become important for sleeping until your baby is closer to 4 months old.

Content supplied by Louise Tanguay from The Sleep Store.