My top five sleep tips for parents of newborns

Having worked with new parents for over 5 years this is often one of the areas that causes the most anxiety. Reducing this anxiety by being informed about normal newborn sleep behaviour can help you accept the stage that you are in and this can lead to a more calm and peaceful environment which in itself is more conducive to restful sleep for everyone.

1, Learn about realistic sleep expectations for newborn babies. (www.basisonline.org.uk). Newborn babies often sleep for 18 hours a day but this is normally only for 2-3 hours at a time. This can come as a shock to new parents and the broken nights of sleep can feel relentless and exhausting. There are many great resources online that talk about infant sleep. BASIS (link above) is a fantastic evidence-based resource that started out of Durham University in the UK. They have tons of information and you could also download their app.

Oftentimes it's enough to understand that your babies' sleep/wake patterns are completely normal and that this newborn phase will soon pass.

2, You can start a bedtime routine as early as you like. Babies love a routine, they thrive on the simplicity of the same thing happening at the same time every day. A bedtime routine for a very young baby needn't be a long-drawn-out affair, in fact, a shorter (10-20mins) is probably more effective. Babies tire easily and you want to settle them to sleep when they are feeling drowsy and relaxed rather than once they've started to get super tired and cranky. A relaxing bath followed by a massage, simple story, or familiar song will begin to signal to them that it's time for bed. Get to know your babies' early sleepy cues so that you can respond promptly to help them fall asleep.

3, White noise, shushing, rocking, and rhythmic motion can help to calm your baby. Often times babies do need to be soothed and rocked to sleep, they can become over-stimulated or over-tired and just need that bit of extra help from you to calm down and fall asleep. That's OK and it's also completely normal. Wearing your baby in a sling, rocking back and forth and any background noise can all make your baby feel relaxed, secure, and sleepy. This is also a lovely way for Dad to spend time with the baby whilst Mum naps!

4, Try to get outside with your baby as much as possible during the day. Fresh air and daylight are great for helping babies to unwind and sleep better at night. Melatonin which is the hormone that regulates our sleep/wake cycles doesn't develop in infants until around 3 months and it often takes this long for them to establish their day/night pattern.

5, And lastly....breastfeed! Breastfeeding can be a great aid to sleep. Studies have shown that although breastfed babies do wake at night for a feed they will also then settle back to sleep quite quickly and all those lovely oxytocin hormones can help mum to drift back into a relaxed sleep too. In fact, breast milk contains many other wonderful sleep-inducing properties for both mother and baby such as tryptophan an amino acid that's used by the body to make that all-important hormone melatonin. Research studies do not support the commonly held belief that formula-fed babies sleep for longer periods at night.

If you are feeling desperate and exhausted then please reach out to me for support. I can offer gentle sleep solutions for you to try, I never suggest leaving your baby to cry or any sleep training techniques.