As a new year marches upon us, it’s time to give the saying “New year, New you” a whole new meaning by giving your entire family the sleep they need. The habits you’ve created up until this point can feel daunting to change, but change can be made when you take steps in the right direction. Simply stated: it all begins with realizing it’s time to make a change and consciously working on it daily. We want to help you achieve a full night’s rest with these seven tips to help make sure your baby or toddler gets the sleep they need in 2022.
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Create the Ideal Sleep Space
Have you ever tried to fall asleep on scratchy sheets or in a noisy room? It’s not easy! Good sleep starts with the right environment. The same goes for your kids. Make sure their rooms are equipped for sleep with blackout curtains or shades like Slumberpod (which we absolutely love and highly recommend), comfortable and safe bedding, nothing within the crib, and a good white noise machine like the Marpac Dohm-DS All Natural Sound Machine that stays on throughout the night. For more tips on creating a nursery designed for good sleep, check out this blog post!
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Commit to a Solid Daytime Schedule
When it comes to sleep, one of the most important things you can do is design an age-appropriate daytime routine focusing on wake-ups, feedings, naps, and bedtimes. For at least two weeks, commit to following a little routine. You don’t have to be strict but aim for a consistent time. Sometimes, this simple change can make a huge difference in sleep quality! Check out the “Routines” section of my blog for more tips!
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Overhaul Your Pantry?
Did you know that what your kids eat affects their sleep? It’s true! Aside from the obvious foods that are high in sugar, certain vegetables, such as broccoli, as well as fried foods, can really impact how your kids' sleep. For a complete list of anti-sleep foods, click here!
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Make Naps a Priority
Naps can make or break a good night’s sleep. If a baby or toddler is overtired, it can make for a restless night. If you have a young infant, make sure at least one of her naps is at home in her crib and make an effort, as we mentioned before, to put her down around the same time every day. If you’ve got a short napper (or a no-napper!), check out these tips on naps.
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Create A Bedtime Routine
A good bedtime routine can go a long way when it comes to a restful night’s sleep. The trick is to be consistent and to make it enjoyable. By doing the same things each night around the same time (think bath, massage, storytime, feeding – if age-appropriate – and snuggles), your kids will start to associate those things with falling asleep. After a few weeks, you might find your little ones yawning during their routines – a sure sign they’re ready for bed!
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Ditch the Sleep Crutches
We love newborn snuggles! Don’t you? There is nothing sweeter. But after around four months of age, those snuggles can turn into sleep crutches that prevent your baby from falling asleep (and staying asleep!) If you find you’re constantly nursing, rocking, walking, or holding your baby to sleep and you’d like to stop, now is the time to sleep train! And you don’t have to use cry it out methods. Check out our sleep training methods section to find the perfect method for you and your baby.
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Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help!
Our final tip is our #1 piece of advice for the New Decade. Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Contact us! We have been doing this for a long time and are trained in all different avenues of infant and toddler sleep. We know having an infant or toddler who doesn’t sleep can be very stressful on everyone in the family, and sometimes, all it takes is a little outside support and perspective to see things that you might not be seeing or simply know. Let us help you by creating a customized plan for your child and family and supporting you along in this journey.
Melissa Perry’s journey through entrepreneurship began with a problem that needed a solution (as most successful businesses do). Though she’d been working with children all her life, the beginning days of motherhood were no different for Melissa than any other tired mama out there. While books offered black and white advice on solving sleep issues in babies, there was no resource available that offered the empathy, encouragement and connection she needed to feel confident in her decisions. That’s when The Cradle Coach came to life.
Melissa founded The Cradle Coach with hopes to offer ongoing support to mothers across the country struggling to give their babies and toddlers the sleep they need. Since founding TCC, Melissa received her certification as a Happiest Baby on the Block educator and a maternity, baby and toddler certified sleep consultant from the International Maternity and Parenting Institute. She, along with her amazing team of sleep consultants, has been helping thousands of families around the world sleep soundly since 2011.
Note: Guest blog posts are shared for informational and educational purposes and may not reflect the official policy or position of SlumberPod (parent company, Dovetail Essentials, LLC), our employees and/or contractors.
This blog post was originally published 01/21/2020 but has been updated for 2022.
