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When it’s your baby’s sleep time, it’s your actual ticket to freedom and that alone time you long for after a long, hard day. But, more often than not, you can find that your baby doesn’t sleep and the act of putting your baby to sleep can be an absolute nightmare. Instead of going absolutely bonkers, you could find that there are certain mistakes or habits you do that ruin your baby’s sleep.
Mistakes that ruin a baby’s sleep:
- Not following a bedtime routine
- Not keeping your baby active while awake
- Rocking your baby to sleep
- Failing to read the signs
- Putting your baby to sleep in the wrong lighting
- Sleeping in complete silence
- Daytime naps
- Co-sleeping
Not following a bedtime routine
Via: Raising Children Network – Mistakes that ruin baby’s sleep
A bedtime routine helps your baby understand that it’s time for bed. When you follow a bedtime routine, you easily tame the brain into feeling sleepy as a result of the familiar actions you do. Your little one recognizes and comprehends that it’s time for bed even when you cannot communicate through words.
Bedtime routines can be taking a bath, cuddling, or reading a story. When you fail to do this, your baby’s brain is kept wired and does not notice a pattern indicating that it is sleep time, making it difficult to fall asleep.
Not keeping your baby active while awake
Via: iStock – Mistakes that ruin baby’s sleep
One of the best ways to guarantee that your little one will fall asleep instantly is by keeping them active all day long and allowing them to release their energy all day long. By not keeping them busy during the day, they are too wired and too active to fall asleep at night, ruining their ability to sleep.
Rocking your baby to sleep
Via: Cleaveland’s Clinic Health Essentials – Mistakes that ruin baby’s sleep
While rocking your baby to sleep comes naturally, it is one of the mistakes parents make that affects a baby’s ability to sleep on their own. As you rock your baby or cradle them, you prevent them from learning to soothe themselves, needing you to be able to put them to sleep at all times.
Failing to read the signs
Via: Treasures – Mistakes that ruin baby’s sleep
When a baby gets too tired, they get so cranky and frustrated that it becomes difficult to fall asleep. Failing to pick up the signs of your baby’s fatigue is a common mistake that many parents make that ruins their sleep. Here are a few signs to look out for:
- Change in facial expression
- Rubbing eyes
- Absent-minded and staring into nowhere
- Clenched fists
- Mood swings
Putting your baby to sleep in the wrong lighting
Via: Ursula Quinn Sleep Consultant – Mistakes that ruin baby’s sleep
A common mistake that can be avoided comes with the right lighting. When a baby is sleeping in a room that is well-lit, they find it difficult to fall asleep. However, when the lighting is adjusted, it makes it easier for the baby to be able to sleep.
Sleeping in complete silence
Via: Lullame – Mistakes that ruin baby’s sleep
When a baby is used to sleeping in complete silence, any noise can disrupt their sleep. However, one of the ways to ensure your child gets a proper sleep is by using white noise to put them to bed instead of making it soundless and silent.
Taking many naps during the day
Via: Baby Know How – Mistakes that ruin baby’s sleep
When a baby sleeps too much during the day, they end up not being sleepy enough during the night and struggling to fall asleep. Try to have scheduled nap times and avoid oversleeping during the day.
Co-sleeping
Via: Today’s Parent – Mistakes that ruin baby’s sleep
While co-sleeping sometimes can be easier for the mother, it can send mixed signals to the child and make them face difficulty when they are put to sleep on their own.
Further reading: How to Encourage Independent Sleeping After Co-Sleeping
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