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Bringing a new-born baby home is a joyous time for everyone, this little person that you have been waiting for all this time is finally home where you can love and care for them. To help them settle in, you need to start working on your bedtime routine so that they can get used to you and the family. One of the most important things to master is the night-time, you want them to sleep as much at night as possible. If you are new to parenthood, then here are some tips to getting night time right.
Teach the Difference Between Night and Day
Most babies will mix up night and day at first, which is natural. You might find that your baby sleeps a lot during the day, then livens up in the evening. Trying to teach them night from the daywill help them to get their sleep in at night and be more active in the day which is better for them and you. The first thing to do is to start changing your baby before bed at night and again in the morning. It will give them a sense of the change, andthey will learn that this happens at night and in the morning. You should also keep the house bright and noisy during the day, but dim and quiet at night.
Introduce a Bedtime Routine
Early on, you need to establish a good bedtime routine inthe household. It will take a while for them to grasp what you want them to do, but you should persevere as it will make things a lot easier as time goes on. The keyaspect is to be predictable and consistent, the order and time you do things should be constant, so they know that this is bedtime. Firstly, give them a bath, put on their pyjamasand read them a story. These will calm them down and start to make them sleepy. You can thenoffer them a bottle with something like HiPP Baby Formula and put them to bed. If they start to get sleepy while having their bottle, then put them to bed before they go to sleep. It will help them to learn to go to sleep on their own and associate it with night time.
Put Your Babyโs Routine First
To make your bedtime routine a success, you need to make sure that it is consistent. That means not staying out too late or letting your baby sleep in the car on the way home at night. These can create a new pattern that wonโt be helpful such as your baby associating the carwith sleep. Many parents have had to drive their baby around in the middle of the night because they wonโt sleep, so itโs a habit best not to start.
Having a baby at home is wonderful, and if you can get them into a routine early on, then you can both enjoy your time together without too many problems.
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