How can I get my baby to sleep through the night?

When was the last time you had a fantastic night's sleep? If your newborn baby won't sleep through the night then a good 7 or 8 hours uninterrupted sleep will seem like a distant memory. What if I told you it didn't have to be this way.
Firstly, you need to create a soothing and calm environment for baby to go to bed. Remove all clutter. If it's summer then sunlight filtering through closed curtains can be a problem. Fit some blackout blinds which will really help baby to distinguish between night and day, even in those tricky summer months. Fitting dimmer switches or a low wattage lamp is also a good idea as when you need to nip in to check on them or feed them, you won't have to dazzle baby with bright lights.
In the first few weeks of your new baby's life, try to avoid rocking or feeding your baby to sleep. They will learn to expect this and you are just making life more difficult for yourself in the long run.
Sometimes babies do wake for no reason during the night, and it's hard (especially for first time parents) to resist the urge to rush in and cuddle them the instant you hear something. Leave them a few minutes and they may settle themselves. If not, try to soothe them with just the sound of your voice instead of picking them straight up.
Once babies have learned the difference between day and night, and began to make the association of bed with sleep, you'll find that they mostly drift off to sleep quickly once they are put to bed.
Lynn Clark is a mother of four and has been qualified in childcare and parenting for 20 years. When it comes to babies and young children she's read the book, seen the film and worn the t-shirt (mostly ones with dribbles of baby milk down the front).
Treat yourself to a good night's sleep again and visit BabyBump for more advice on how to get your baby to sleep.
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