A good night’s sleep is a win-win for everyone
A baby needs equal amounts of food, sleep, and love. As a parent, you can show care for your baby’s body, mind, brain, and development by teaching them to sleep well. But I know this is not an easy task.
It’s no secret that good sleep is important. Poor or insufficient sleep can affect mood, well-being, energy levels, and joy. The body needs sleep to function optimally, and to thrive, grow, and develop as it should. Therefore, it’s a good idea to focus on your baby’s sleep—it can pay off significantly, as you will find that your baby will be happier and more energetic from getting enough sleep.
As a bonus, you, as a parent, will also get a good night’s sleep when your baby sleeps well, and that’s an important factor because even parents have a sleep need that must be met. When you, as a parent, have gotten good sleep, you are also healthier, more fun, and more inspiring to be around for your child. So, establishing good sleep habits for your baby is a win-win for everyone.
Sleep Cleanses the Body of Stress Hormones
If you have a baby who sleeps poorly, you, as a parent, surely have many stress hormones in your body, making you probably not feel as tired as you really are. Poor or insufficient sleep leads to a high level of stress hormones, and this applies not only to you as a parent but also to the baby. It might seem like your baby is perfectly fine, but if they haven’t gotten the amount of sleep that a “standard baby” needs, it’s probably the stress hormones that make your baby appear more awake and alert. If sleep is difficult or poor for the baby, it’s really hard, because babies sleep more than they are awake. When most of the day should be spent sleeping, but it’s associated with crying and restlessness, the whole day can easily be spoiled by a heavy mood. Children become more irritable, sensitive, and cry more when they are tired or sleep-deprived. The brain also doesn’t work as well when the baby hasn’t gotten the sleep it needs – meaning it will struggle more to learn new things and concentrate because there’s not enough energy or reserves.
Sleep is Not Easy for Babies
There can be many different reasons why a baby may have trouble sleeping. Babies have many physical experiences while they sleep because their internal organ system and digestive tract must adjust to life outside the womb. Additionally, babies must sleep on their backs to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and lying on their backs can make it harder for the baby to release air, which can disturb sleep. The baby’s brain also works in overdrive during sleep to digest and store all the sensory impressions it receives throughout the day, and furthermore, the baby’s sleep is naturally interrupted by feedings, which are necessary to provide the calories required for growth and development. This means that sleep isn’t as straightforward for babies.
How to Swaddle Your Baby for Better Sleep
If you haven’t tried swaddling your baby, we recommend giving it a try, as the swaddling technique can help your baby sleep better.
The purpose of swaddling is to make the baby feel safe, secure, and protected. It should feel exactly like when the baby was in the safety and protection of the mother’s womb. Swaddling provides a sense of being held, as it applies gentle pressure on the whole body.
When the baby is swaddled, they feel more calm, and the swaddling technique is a great help when trying to get the baby to fall asleep. It also prevents the baby from waking themselves up with their body, for example, from the Moro reflex, which is activated during sleep, or when the newborn baby wakes up from the sucking reflex when their hands touch their cheeks. Babies with a lot of physical energy can particularly have trouble falling asleep, and in such cases, swaddling is ideal.
You can experiment with how tight or loose the swaddle should be – this can vary depending on the baby.
Below, you can see our video demonstrating the different steps for swaddling a baby.