Help Your Baby Sleep Longer: Essential Tips for Longer Naps

Establishing a calming pre-nap routine can work wonders in signalling to your baby that sleep time is approaching. It will help to set the scene for sleep. Start your wind down routine about 15 minutes before each nap and 30 minutes before bedtime. It doesn't matter what your unique routine has in it, just that you both enjoy it, and you repeat the same steps each time. This will build predictability and prepare your baby for a restful nap.

It's so important to look at the way in which your baby falls asleep. Whatever way your baby falls asleep, will be the same conditions they check for and seek upon waking. Whilst some methods can initially help your baby in falling asleep, they might become troublesome habits over time. To transition away from one sleep association, consider introducing another that doesn't require constant physical involvement from you. Instead of solely relying on rocking, swaying, bouncing or feedin, which can be physically demanding for you, layer IN sleep associations that you can use both while holding your baby and also when they are in their cot.

The key is to establish comforting associations that offer reassurance and security. Try techniques like gentle bum pats, soothing shushing sounds, the familiar sound of your voice, or tender touches through the cot's rails. These methods help your baby feel safe and secure, promoting longer and more independent sleep. By gradually introducing and reinforcing these comforting associations, you can teach your baby to self-soothe and not be so reliant on you to fall asleep.

Deciding when to introduce or remove a dummy (pacifier) can pose a big problem and stress for parents. Babies typically can't find and replace their own dummy until around 6-7 months old. Essentially this leaves you one of two choices. You can either ditch it early on or prepare yourself and commit to doing the dummy replug run until your baby is old enough to learn to replace it themselves. Keep in mind that each time your baby comes out of a sleep cycle, they will look for and seek the same conditions that they fell asleep under.

If your baby is old enough to learn to find and replace their own dummy, try the following steps:

1. Guide Their Hand: Begin by placing the dummy in your baby's hand and helping them guide their hand to their mouth for a few days. This helps them get used to holding and using the dummy independently.

2. Self-Initiation: Once they've mastered holding the dummy, allow your baby to place it in their mouth on their own for a few days. Encourage them to take the initiative in using the dummy when needed and engage is lots of practice during awake time.

3. Problem-Solving: If your baby wakes up crying and has lost their dummy, show them where it is located. You can gently tap the mattress near the dummy or physically show them its location. This helps them understand that they need to roll over, crawl to their dummy, retrieve it, and return to sleep independently.

Safe Sleep and Comforters: A Balancing Act

While comforters with dummy attachments might seem convenient, safe sleep comes first. Both the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and Red Nose Australia emphasise keeping the cot free of soft objects, including comforters (with or without dummy clips), for babies under 1 year old.

Prioritising Safe Sleep:

It's crucial to minimise the risk of suffocation and SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Here are some resources for the latest safe sleep guidelines:

- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/safe-sleep/

- Red Nose Australia : https://rednose.org.au/

Making Informed Choices:

The decision to introduce a comforter depends on your baby's development and your comfort level. Always prioritise safe sleep practices and refer to your local safe sleep practices.

Use a white noise machine to create a consistent, calming background sound that masks distractions to help your baby stay asleep. Position your white noise machine at least 2 meters away from your child's cot, or about 7 feet. This distance helps minimise direct sound exposure while still providing the soothing effect. Choosing the right volume is important, you want to aim for around 50 decibels. This is as loud as a running shower or vacuum.

Download a free sound level meter app on your phone, like Sound Meter, to measure the decibels and ensure the sound remains at a safe level.

Swaddling is like giving your little one a warm hug, creating a cozy cocoon that helps them feel safe and secure, just like they did in the womb. It's fantastic for newborns, typically up to around 4 months old, as it calms their startle reflex and encourages better sleep.

However, as your baby grows and starts to explore their movements, usually around the 4-month mark, swaddling can become a safety concern. This is because they may start rolling over, and being tightly wrapped in a blanket can restrict their ability to move freely and safely.

When your baby starts to show signs or rolling, it is time to transition to a sleep sack. Think of them as wearable blankets that keep your baby snug and warm without any risks of tangling or covering their face.

When choosing a sleep sack, you will need to be guided by the TOG rating, the Thermal Overall Grade. This rating tells you how warm the sleep sack is, helping you select the perfect one for your baby's comfort based on the room temperature. It's like picking the right outfit for the weather, ensuring your baby sleeps soundly and safely throughout the night.

Make sure the sleep space is dark enough to promote the production and release of melatonin, the hormone responsible for regulating sleep-wake cycles. Melatonin levels rise in response to darkness, signaling to the body that it's time to sleep. So you want to make the room dark enough so that you cannot read a book in it.

Light exposure, especially blue light from screens, can block melatonin production, making it harder for your baby to fall and stay asleep. Use blackout curtains, hang an old curtain up, apply plain old tin foil to the windows using water or tape cardboard to your windows. Whatever works.

It's normal for babies to stir, make noises, or even wake up a bit during sleep cycles. One of the best things you can do to encourage self-settling is nothing. Simply provide that opportunity. Stop, wait and watch. Here's why:

Natural Sleep Noises: Babies are naturally noisy sleepers. Fussy sounds, sighs, and even short cries don't always mean they need you right away. They can simply be repositioning themselves.

Learning to Connect Sleep Cycles: By giving your little one a few minutes (3-5 is a good starting point) to settle back down on their own, you're actually helping them learn a valuable skill: connecting their sleep cycles. This means longer naps and better sleep overall!

Observe Before Intervening: Use the monitor to watch what is happening. Sometimes, all they need is a moment to find their way back to dreamland.