Besides taxes and death, concerns about a baby's sleeping patterns make it to mom's anxiety drivers. Baby sleep solutions vary just as much as us humans differ.

It is not necessary that new mothers be sleep deprived.  I learned this with my firstborn son (now 17).  The truth is, I did not know much about anything then.  There is a temptation for first time moms to be oblivious to the fact that their cute baby is a person, distinct from themselves.  It is beneficial to take time to know your bundle of joy, and among things to learn is your baby's sleeping patterns. No solution will help restore your sleep if you are not aware of these patterns.

1. Recognizing your baby's sleeping pattern

Babies follow a sleeping pattern, and once you understand them,  you are likely to sleep and rest much better.  My younger sister learned the hard way that my niece was a day sleeper. We managed to sacrifice some peace and trained her to sleep less during the day, and more at night. It was not without screaming and tears (from the baby), but it worked.

Contrary to popular belief, a baby's sleep is not as sound as that of an adult.  They are more sensitive to interruptions as their sleep cycles are not yet fully developed.

While moms and dads will drift off to deep sleep for 6 hours, with only 2 hours of slight sleep in between - babies have twice as many cycles of light sleep.  It means then that your baby will need to learn to fall back to sleep.  It is easy for us fully grown humans, but for a newborn, they will need something to soothe them back to sleep. At this point, mom or dad has to intervene.

Interestingly, babies spend most of their day sleeping (16-18 hours a day), in increments of about 2 to 3 intervals.

The good news is that your little one's sleeping patterns will change and become more consistent at around 12 weeks of age.

Until then, these baby sleep solutions may be handy:

(a) the best advice is to take a nap when your baby is sleeping.  It will leave you refreshed and less grumpy.
(b) It is a transition for the baby to differentiate between night and day. The time spent in the womb is a bit long, after all. Train your baby to know the difference. Always ensure that the light is sufficient during day time, open the blinds or curtains wide. It will help change their sleep cycles to prefer to sleep during the night.
(c) Sleep near your baby at night to make them feel safe and comfortable.  I was scared to share a bed with my kids when they were that young, but thanks to tech advancement there are now co-sleeper products in the market that ensure you do not squash your little one.

2. Baby sleep training

A family sleeping routine (or one that involves only the baby and their primary caregiver) is always necessary.  When my daughter was a newborn, I remember sitting in the family room with the hope that she'd naturally fall asleep.

It never worked, as she would wake up as soon as we stand up.

I learned much quicker than the best thing was to establish a bedtime routine, where we'd move to the bed and cuddle up.

If you establish a bedtime routine which you stick to every night and after several months your baby will still not fall asleep you might like to try the Ferber Method.

This baby sleep training method by Dr. Richard Ferber involves teaching your baby to fall asleep and also get back to sleep on their own. Some parents are uncomfortable with it as it does involve some crying-it-out approach.

I've used similar approaches for other aspects of parenting and they always worked successfully.  The Department of Paediatrics at Duke University seems to be supportive of sleep training as well.

You may need a good baby monitor if you sleep in a separate room from your baby.  This way, the Ferber method will be much more effective.

This baby sleep training method works like this:

(a) On the first night, put the baby to bed while still awake (they should be sleepy, but awake and with the eyes open). You want them to fall asleep on their own, instead of in your arms. Leave the room.
(b) If the baby starts crying (which is very likely), sit it out for about 5 minutes.  If they continue to cry beyond the 5 minutes, return to the room to soothe them to sleep. Do not pick the baby up, or rock them. A gentle pat or stroke should be enough to assure them.
(c) Leave the room again, but this time take 10 minutes to respond if the baby cries again. Soothe them to sleep, as before.
(d) Leave again and this time wait for 15 minutes.
Make 15 minutes the maximum wait time for the rest of the night. Return to the bedroom - sooth and leave. During one of the 15 minutes, he will fall asleep.
(e) On the second night start with a 10-minute wait and work up to 20 minutes.

On the third night start with 15 minutes and work up to 25

Each night,  increase the waiting out time by 5 minutes.

These time intervals are not cast in stone - make them smaller if you wish but it's really important that you don't cave.

It can seem heartbreaking to listen to your baby cry. But you are close by, it's a plan and not indifference.

I do recall using a similar approach to my son when he was about 9 months old. I was training him to sleep on his crib, instead of my bed. After some weeknights of deprived sleep, I decided to dedicate this method for 3 nights, and by the 3rd night, he slept right through the night.

This is one of the baby sleep solutions that I got to test for myself.

3. Baby sleep music

 Does playing music help baby sleep? Most experts do think so.

Music has a calming effect on adults and babies alike. In fact, with the right kind of music, your baby may sleep even longer. Make sure that the songs you choose are appropriate for your little (and keep the volume at safe levels). Youtube, Amazon, and Google Play have quite a lot of baby sleep music and lullabies.

Check if your baby may love this video of soothing baby music:



Do any of these baby sleep solutions resonate with you? What has worked for you?  Please share for the benefit of other moms and dads out there. Don't forget to pin or share.