Baby Napping Tips

Having a new born baby is an incredible experience. However, this experience can also bring along anxiety. One source of that anxiety is when your baby is not sleeping well. Proper sleep is, as we know, very essential for babies. Some babies are not able to complete their cycle of sleep due to various reasons. This sleep deprivation will make the baby exhausted and irritable, and nothing can be worse for you than to get your crying baby to sleep again. If this pattern of sleeplessness continues for months together, it will wear you and your family down. Much of this trouble can be eliminated by getting your baby used to a routine and helping him/her learn to sleep independently. To make your baby get used to sleeping is going to be a long process. This will call in for a lot of patience, but your baby will soon fall into a pattern. This article will provide you with some baby napping tips to help you get your baby to nap.

How to Get Your Baby to Nap

Develop A Routine
Babies like to follow a routine. So whatever you do or however you make your babies to sleep, continue it for some time till they can sleep on their own. You can even fix a time for your baby to sleep, and he/she will get used to it in few days.

Fill Up Their Tummy
If the baby is hungry they will not sleep. So make sure that their tummy is full before you are taking him/her for a nap. Nursing is a good trick for those nursing, for those who are not, a warm bottle is good.

Sing Your Baby To Sleep
Singing is a good option to make a baby doze off. It need not be a lullaby. Any song will do, but don�t get them too excited or agitated. A sweet slow tune will work.

Take Them Out
Take your baby for a long walk. Make sure the stroller is positioned such that the baby does not face you. A walk with your infant in fresh atmosphere will prove to be really effective.

Get To Know Where Your Baby Sleeps Well
Get to know where your baby loves to sleep. There is no right or wrong place as such. Some babies like to sleep in their own crib in their own room, some like to sleep in their crib in their parent�s room; some of them like to sleep on the parent�s bed with them. This habit of your kid may also change with his/her age. Be adjustable to your baby�s changing style, and make him/her sleep as he/she wishes.

Make Your Baby Exercise
Getting a bit of physical movement in your baby will get them tired and help them in getting a good sleep. Get the babies to jump to give them exercise. You may use a jumper well or make the baby jump with your hands.

Dancing
Hold your baby and slowly dance around a low lit room. This will exhaust your baby a bit and help them have a good relaxed nap.

Music
A slow soothing music from a radio or a stereo can calm even the crankiest of babies. Music will relax your baby and carry them to sleep. If your baby is really screaming and too tired, use a hair dryer or a vacuum to create noise to distract the baby.

Massage Your Baby
Massage is an excellent way to relax a tensed baby. Use a little lotion or oil and rub it all over. It will relax their muscles and soothe them after a day full of activities. It is even good for you and your baby to have a little skin on skin contact.

Consistency Is Important
Be regular in the way you make your baby go to sleep. No matter how tired you are or how much you might be dreading the night, put a consistent effort and it will pay off quickly. What is required is to develop a routine. This will help your baby to learn to sleep independently.

Avoid External Aid
Many parents get exhausted after a day�s long work and they prefer resorting to external aid to get their babies sleeping, for example always using a pacifier, taking your baby for a drive, or rocking or nursing your baby to sleep. Though your baby might initially fall asleep quickly with these external aids, but this is just making your job more difficult. The problem that you will face is that your baby is not learning how to sleep alone. Instead, take some time off to get your baby to sleep without any help.

Teething
If your baby is teething, it will be very painful for him/her and the pain will not let them sleep. Take advice from your doctor and use all natural drops to ease the pain.

Be Flexible In Approach
Stay flexible with your sleeping program. A single approach may not work with all the kids or the same kid always. Don�t stick on to a failing experiment. Use some other nighttime parenting style. Babies have different temperaments and families have different lifestyles. Adapt a night time strategy that will suit your baby�s disposition and family�s lifestyle. If the style is working, continue it, if not, drop it and be open to change in style.

Let The Baby Learn How To Sleep Alone
Whenever your baby is going to sleep, be it day or night, take it as an opportunity to help your baby learn how to sleep without any help. It is a process which will take time to show result. It is not an overnight miracle, so there is a need for regular, patient approach.