How to Get My Baby to Sleep at Night & Not During Day

It is often difficult to get a baby to sleep all through the night. While many people would prefer to let them cry and cry so they themselves can rest, babies require nocturnal care. However, there are ways to have your baby sleep soundly through the night, so that you can get a restful night's sleep as well. There is no one thing you can do to have your baby sleep. Instead you will need to do several things to make your baby realize that it is time for bed.

Things You'll Need

  • Programmable thermostat
  • Diapers
  • Paper
  • Pen
  • Light dimmer
  • Children's books
  • Baby food
  • Baby pajamas

Instructions

    • 1

      Start by having a daily routine set out for you and your baby. Set specific times to: 1) Feed; 2) Bathe; 3) Read; 4) Play; 5) Relax. Feeding is the most important of these, so pay specific attention to the times you feed the baby. Create a schedule on a piece of paper and stick to it as close you can each day. Once you have a routine set up the baby will know when it's time to eat and when it's time to sleep.

    • 2

      Increase the number of times you feed the baby each day by at least two. These feedings will help to make up for the ones the baby will miss in the middle of the night. Also, make sure you feed the baby very near his bedtime.

    • 3

      Provide a lot of stimulus for your baby during the day to prevent her from sleeping. Play with the baby, watch television shows that offer plenty of action and stimulus for the baby (many children's shows are good for this kind of watching), or go out if the weather is good. It will probably be necessary to allow for a short nap, but try to limit that as much as possible.

    • 4

      Set 15 to 30 minutes aside after the baby's final feeding to just take a break and relax. Keep the lights in the room low; this can be done by buying a light dimmer switch. Rock the baby in your arms. You can sing if you wish, or you can read to the baby. Watching television can also work, but the volume should be kept low and there shouldn't be too much happening on the screen. Keep as much stimulus out of the room as possible.

    • 5

      Make sure the temperature in the room is comfortable--between 70 and 75 degrees F is usually a good temperature to strive for. This will keep the baby warm, but not too warm that he might wake up in the night. Also, make sure the baby is comfortable--a quick change of diaper right before bed and some loose pajamas can keep the baby feeling nice all night.

    • 6

      Wake your baby up at prescribed times. If he wakes up typically at 1 and 5 in the morning, then beat him to it and wake him up 15 to 20 minutes earlier. Rock him gently back to sleep. Do that for a few nights, then shift your time to wakeup 15 minutes later. Eventually cut out the later waking and only do it once a night and then not at all. The baby will not wake, waiting for you to wake him up.

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