Having a new baby is an exciting beautiful experience but it can also be exhausting!
Recently my friend Caitlin gave me sleep schedule tips to use on Luca and let me just tell you…THEY WORK, if you stick to the routine! I am happy to report that I am well rested and working! LOL!
First, you must keep the bedroom dark. Use a night light or a hall light with the door pulled shut if you have to feed the baby…and do not change the baby unless he/she is poopy. The baby will probably have a soaked diaper by morning but that's ok. Caitlin suggests using the purple desitin at night to protect their bums. You should also use bedtime diapers to help with that too.
No talking to the baby when you have to go into the bedroom. You must try to establish a bedtime too. Luca is a little over a month old so his bedtime around 8 p.m. I bathe him and go straight to his bedroom, feed and read a short baby book while he is in his crib awake yet sleepy so he can soothe himself to sleep. Caitlin also suggests playing a baby lullaby on repeat very low at night. Babies as well as children need a routine especially for sleep. Once you bathe you baby take them into their dim bedroom and be calm and soothing.
As for daytime...You must try to keep your baby awake during the day. Luca's day schedule varies but mostly it's a nap from 10-12 a.m. and again from 1-3 p.m. Placing him on this daytime schedule helped him establish a bedtime routine. I let him sleep in the living room in a pack-n-play where the tv is so he can hear noise. I also keep the blinds open so that he knows the difference between nap time and bed time. This was a big issue for Luca because he is a premie and was in the hospital for a few weeks around bright lights and loud noises. You should NOT try to be quiet because you want the baby to understand nap vs bed. If you keep up with it, it should not take your baby long to pick up on the sleep schedule.
Good luck and please let me know if the sleep schedule has helped your baby!
