Best Tips For Settling Newborns

It’s almost impossible to get a newborn to sleep through the night because their bodies need them to wake up every few hours for food and to stimulate developmental progression. There are a few tricks of the trade that I’m going to share with you though to help them settle quickly after waking. Here are my best tips for settling newborns – tried and tested on both my clients’ newborns and my own…

How to settle newborns

Tip 1 – Promote self-sleeping

While most babies will generally learn self-sleeping (or self-settling as some people refer to it), when they’re around the 4-5 month stage, that doesn’t mean you can’t start them on the right track from the get-go. Basically, self-sleeping is when your baby is able to comfortably and happily fall asleep by themselves. This is the ultimate, hassle-free bedtime secret! To learn more about self-sleeping, pop across and read this article.

Tip 2 – Create the most comfortable (and safest) sleep environment possible

The best sleep environment for a newborn is a darkened, quiet room with as little stimulation as possible. This will help keep them drowsy when they wake up for feeds through the night, allowing them to settle back into a deep sleep much easier than if they were surrounded by noise and light. Room temperature is important too. Not too hot, not too cold – around 21-23 degrees Celsius is generally a good temperature to aim for.

When it comes to settling newborns, safety should be your number one concern. My suggestion is to always adhere to the Red Nose Australia guidelines surrounding sleep safety and hygiene.

Tip 3 – Look for baby’s sleep cues and support them gently

You’re going to want to put your little one to bed when they’re drowsy but still awake to help them familiarise themselves with the sleep process. If your newborn starts scrunching their eyes, crying, grizzling or fussing, clenching fists or becoming quiet they may be trying to tell you that they’re getting sleepy. Keep an eye out for the tired signs your baby makes so you can pop them to bed at just the right time to help them settle perfectly into sleep mode.

I hope these tips for settling newborns help you figure out how best to manage your little one in their unsettled moments. Remember, it’s ok to be hands on but gentle. The cry-it-out method is outdated. Show your baby that they are supported and they will grow to become more independent before your very eyes.

As always, sleep sweetly and deeply all through the night x

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