7 Best-ever Baby Sleep Tips (from an expert!)

A sleeping baby… It’s the cutest thing ever. If only it was the easiest thing ever!

If your bub’s sleep issues are keeping you up at night – or you’re learning the ropes as a new parent - we’re here to help.

Euky Bear has teamed up with the sleep experts at Little Ones Wellness to pull together 7 of the best sleep tips to help your little one drift off to dreamland.

1. Sleep Environment

Optimising your little one's sleep environment is an effective way to promote great sleep. It helps to minimise night waking, catnapping & early rising, and promotes longer and more restful naps.

Here's the basics for an optimal sleep environment:

• Total darkness, OR a subtle red light (which helps regulate baby’s natural circadian rhythm);
• Pink noise (from Euky Bear’s Sweet Dreams Sleep Aid), or choose another soothing background sound that works for your bub;
• Comfortable temperature
• Safe & empty cot
• No distractions.

2. Wind down routine

Babies are growing & learning every day. They are stimulated by almost everything! So, when it comes time to sleep, we cannot expect them to shut off at the drop of a hat.

Setting a predictable wind down routine can help your little one’s body and mind prepare for sleep. Keeping it consistent helps them to recognise when it is time for sleep and limits the "surprise" when it occurs, thus minimising sleep refusal.

A short 5 or 10-minute winddown for day time naps is fine, spending that little bit longer at night time.

Your routine is totally up to you – it’s more important that it’s consistent – but it might include:

• Turning down the lights and closing the curtains;
• Turning on Euky Bear’s Sweet Dreams Sleep Aid;
• Bath time and/or massage;
• Putting on a sleep suit or swaddle;
• Reading a book;
• Cuddle time.

Over time, these will become sleep cues which tell your baby it’s time to rest.

3. Tired Signs

Following an age-appropriate nap schedule can help to identify how long your little one can handle being awake for… but don't rely solely on the clock.

Keeping a watch for tired signs helps ensure they are not being put to sleep over or under tired, making bedtime a battle.

Every bub is different & will show different tired signs. Take time to understand your baby's signs.

Context is also important: for example, if your little one is normally awake for two hours and is becoming grizzly after one, this could be due boredom or hunger.

Classic tired signs:

• Rubbing eyes
• Yawning
• Pulling on their ears
• Decrease in their activity
• Becoming grizzly
• Red eyes

The aim is to pick up earlier signs before over-tiredness makes it hard for them to sleep (sounds counterintuitive, but with babies it’s true!).

4. Red light

Did you know light can have an effect on our sleep cycles? After all our bodies are designed to wake up when the sun rises and sleep when it's dark. This is called a 'circadian rhythm'.

When it comes to sleep, red light is the least disruptive to our body's natural circadian rhythm - unlike blue light from our screens!

Red light can be used as a positive sleep association as part of your baby's wind down routine to help prepare for sleep. Sleep suit on, pink noise on, red light on = it must be time for sleep!

Additionally, if you are needing to tend to your little one during the night, this helps to light the room without becoming too stimulating for them.

5. Nap windows

Did you know babies are naturally sleepier at certain times?

Biological nap windows are essentially the time of day the body is ‘ready’ for sleep. There is a natural drive for sleep because our melatonin levels are higher, cortisol levels are lower & temperature is optimal.

These times are:

• 9am-10am
• 12pm-2pm
• 6pm – 7pm

This is why a short nap/long nap routine can work for many babies. A short nap in the morning (an hour or less) followed by longer nap in the afternoon (1.5-2 hours) takes advantage of the body's natural circadian rhythm.

You can further enhance this by adding red light in the nursery at nap and sleep times.

6. Pink noise

Pink noise helps to mimic the sounds baby heard in the womb, helping bub stay calm and becoming a positive sleep association. But hold on - isn't that White Noise? What's the difference?

Pink noise is similar to white noise, but it's a deeper sonic 'hue', so instead of sounding like radio static it's more like rustling leaves or falling rain.

Pink noise, such as found in Euky Bear's Sweet Dreams Sleep Aid, mimics sounds commonly found in nature; many babies prefer it because it's more soothing.

The great thing about this sound is it won't stimulate your little one before bed, like a lullaby can.

It's also portable, non-addictive and easy to use. Put it on while you're doing baby's bedtime routine to help them wind down.

Pink noise also helps block out external noise, ensuring you can get all your jobs done around the house during nap time - without worry about waking your little one.

Expert Tip: Use pink noise for the whole duration of the sleep or nap, so the environment is consistent.  It will help bub resettle if they wake during the night.

7. Consistency

If you ask any sleep expert their biggest tip, it would be Consistency.

Wind down routine? Be consistent, don’t chop & change it every day. Make it predictable & familiar.

Settling technique? Be consistent, don’t use one method one day & then another the next. Keep it familiar.

Sleep environment? Be consistent, keep it dark, comfortable temperature with white noise.

Babies learn by repetition, and consistency makes them feel safe and secure. Promote good sleep, consistently!


In partnership with Little Ones Wellness.

SHOP EUKY BEAR SWEET DREAMS SLEEP AID


Always read the label and follow the directions for use.