The Ultimate Guide to Babies and Sleep

Posted by Andrea Reyes on
Dec 06, 2022

The arrival of a newborn child is a beautiful experience. It marks the beginning of a new era in life, one full of joy and enjoyment. However, many parents will attest to the fact that the birth of a baby can also bring a variety of unexpected changes to you sleep schedule!

Beyond learning how to eat, crawl, stand, and talk, infants also need to settle into their sleep cycle; this can be a challenging experience. No need to fear! That's precisely why we've compiled this guide: to help parents successfully navigate the world of sleep with their children. Let's dive right in.

Why Do Babies Have Trouble Sleeping?

Before we get into tips and tricks to help your baby sleep, it's important to understand why they might have difficulty following regular sleep cycle. Babies are naturally wired differently than adults; their brains go through rapid development in the first few years of life and this can lead to erratic sleep patterns.

It's only natural for your newborn to have a tough time sleeping through the night. After all, they've spent the last nine months in a comfortable and warm environment. Combine constant feedings with diaper changes and a still-developing circadian rhythm, it's no wonder why sleep is elusive for babies!

What We Can Do

Now that we have a solid understanding of why newborns find sleep challenging, let's explore what we can do about it! We'll cover a variety of high-level, best practices that parents can implement to promote regular sleep with their children. All of our advice is supported by research and proven to meaningfully improve your baby's sleep cycle.

Focus On Consistency

The first tip we'll discuss is the value of consistency. While this extends to people of all ages, young and old, sticking to a regular bedtime routine and waking up at the same time every morning can go a long way in establishing a healthy sleep cycle. This is because it works to program our internal clocks, and subconsciously let our brains know that it's time to sleep; ultimately, as their body learns this schedule of consistency, it will become easier and easier for your baby to fall asleep.

Take Advantage of Association

Another powerful tool that parents can use to help their baby establish a regular sleep cycle is by associating certain environmental cues with either wake or sleep times. For instance, keeping it dark in the room when your child needs to sleep, and having bright lights on when they wake up helps to program their brains into understanding that one situation indicates rest time and the other signals that it is time to be awake.

By stimulating their visual senses with these environmental cues, your baby's mind can learn the difference between when they should and shouldn't go to sleep. With consistent reinforcement, this connection will become even stronger over time, making it easier for them to enter a healthy sleep cycle.

Create a Calming Environment

While babies are still developing their circadian rhythm, it's also important to create an environment that encourages restful sleep. This means reducing excess noise and light, as well as keeping the temperature at a comfortable level; newborns find it difficult to sleep when they're either too hot or too cold. Additionally, try playing soft music or white noise in the background; this can help to soothe your baby and create a more conducive sleep atmosphere.

Invest in a Crib Mattress

The final piece of advice we have to help develop your baby's sleep habits is to invest in a crib mattress! These are unique sleep products that are specially designed to cater to the sleeping needs of a young child.

It's important to get a mattress that is not only comfortable for your child, but also supportive. This means considering the thickness, firmness and especially the materials used in its construction; in that vein, our unwavering recommendation is gel-based memory foam! These products are able to offer the supportive stability of traditional memory foam, while also regulating the mattress' temperature to ensure your baby is never too hot!

Check out our gel memory foam crib mattress right here!

Final Thoughts

Two words that strike fear in any veteran parent's heart are babies and sleep. However, it doesn't need to be like that for you! Just follow the practices that we've laid out in this guide, stay strong, and remember that this time only comes once in your child's life.

If you're looking for a surefire way to improve their sleep quality - or yours - head on over to Dynasty Mattress and discover the sleep you've always deserved.