1) Always try to think in the long term. Yes it is exhausting looking after a young baby who wakes regularly and responding to their needs every night, but why are you doing this? What sort of relationship do you hope to have with your baby in the future? What sort of person do you hope they will be? Thinking more long term can really help. One day your baby will sleep and it will all be worth it!
2) Trust your baby, not an expert who has never met either of you. The people who write the baby sleep books and give advice on television have never met you or your baby. Guidelines for the amount of sleep a baby should have either at night, or napping during the day really are just guidelines with no evidence to back them. There is a huge array of normality when it comes to baby sleep. Some need far less, some need more, they are not all the same!
3) Help to build positive sleep expectations in your baby by starting a positive bedtime rhythm – such as “massage, story, feed, sleep”. Research shows the importance of a good consistent bedtime routine and it is never too early to start!
4) Use environmental triggers such as sound and smell to help calm your baby and form good sleep associations. For young babies white noise works well, for older babies relaxing alpha music can be better. Try using scent, such as lavender or chamomile to calm and soothe too. Build up a good association to these by using them in baby massage and similar.
5) Does your baby have a special comfort object, such as a muslin or teddy bear? If not try to introduce one, only 60% of babies will take a comforter, but if they do take to one it can help your baby to feel as if they have a part of you with them which can help sleep.
6) Make the sleep space a positive place – play, sing and massage in the sleep room to help your baby to form happy associations with their sleep space. Don’t be afraid to bedshare if it works for you; just ensure you follow safer bedsharing guidelines.
7) Night feeds are normal throughout the first year of life, however if your baby is approaching toddler hood (and definitely over 6 months) you may want to consider feeding to calm and not to sleep, this means allowing your baby to feed whenever they want but removing the bottle/breast when they are calm but not asleep.
8) Try to stay calm yourself & really nurture yourself as much as possible. Research shows parents moods have an effect on infant sleep. How will you stay calm yourself and fulfil your own needs today?
The Baby Sleep Expert 