Creating a Consistent Sleep Environment for your Baby
Darkness
When do I teach my baby day and night? Your baby knows day and night at around 8 weeks of age as they start to produce their melatonin, the sleep hormone, and this is far more readily produced in darkness. This hormone is crucial to your baby's settling and sleeping well. Should my room be dark for daytime naps? The fact is that babies find the dark extremely comforting and it will be a lot easier for your baby to settle and sleep in a dark room. Especially if your baby is over 2 months old as the dark promotes the release of melatonin.
White Noise
Babies have what are called “sleep arousals”, usually about every 20 to 45 minutes. When they hit their sleep arousal at the 20-minute mark they are unable to fall back into a deeper sleep and thus their nap is over. White noise helps babies gently navigate these arousals to get longer, more restorative naps. It also helps to block out the noise of life (older siblings, doorbells, garbage trucks, etc.) that can interfere with naps and night sleep. White noise is effective up until about 12 months old but can be particularly helpful for newborns as it simulates the womb environment. It needs to be very loud to be effective, like a vacuum cleaner and it needs to play continuously for the duration of naps and overnight sleep.
Swaddling
Swaddling is the art of snugly wrapping your baby for warmth and security. It calms your baby – and helps them settle and sleep longer. Swaddling is effective for two reasons:
It emulates the confined feeling of being in the womb.
It prevents your baby from waking themselves up because of the startle reflex (also known as ‘moro’), which remains strong until around 4 months.
I recommend an arms-down swaddle – with a large wrap or commercial swaddle.
