Who better to ask for sleeping tips than an experienced mum! Here’s Amy’s new Parent Panel post for BornFree Mum & Dad.

As a mum of five I have been through all sorts of sleep issues. I’ve had crazy things such as a newborn who wouldn’t sleep in their cot, to a 12 month old who still wouldn’t sleep through the night. After being through all of that I thought I’d share a few tips and ideas that I used to help my baby’s dream time come a little bit easier.

If there is anything that I have learnt is that babies are all different and what works for one may not work for another. I always have a few tricks up my sleeve in case of such a situation. I hope you find these helpful or they at least help you to look at a particular sleep issue in a different way.

0-3 months

Your gorgeous baby is used to being in a snug warm womb. Try to recreate this environment and keep it mind when settling them into their cot.

• Try swaddling your baby in a light blanket to help them feel snug and secure.
• Roll up two blankets and pop one either side of baby in the cot for even more snugness.
• If your baby is clingy try putting some of your breast milk on a muslin and place it near to them so they can smell it for comfort. If you are bottle feeding you can use a top that you have worn all day so it smells of mummy.
• The mattress is cold compared to a mummy’s arm or chest so try to warm the place where baby is going to sleep gently with a hot water bottle.
• Try using a dummy, I have always used a dummy for all my children, even my breastfed son to help him suckle to sleep.
• My babies always enjoyed a blanket close to their cheek so they can turn their head into it and snuggle. Always use a cellular blanket to stop overheating.

3-6 Months

Your bundle is more aware now and will enjoy a gentle bedtime routine to help them settle. 

My routine is breast/bottle, bath, get dressed into pjs, breast/bottle then bed.

• Use a baby sleeping bag to keep baby at a comfy temperature at night
• Try and squeeze in a little nap for baby at around 2hrs before bed so they are not over tired when it comes to bedtime.
• Try the night time range of baby products for a nice relaxing bath and give baby a nice massage with a lovely lotion. This guarantee gorgeous baby cuddles and skin to skin contact.
• You could add a bedtime friend to your little one’s cot for comfort. They won’t really pick up on it now but in a few months they should start to recognise them and it may help to settle them in the future.

6-12 months

Your baby will be sitting up and moving around more now and it may take a bit longer to settle to sleep. Winding down time before bed is now essential to help them relax before bedtime.

• Try introducing a bedtime story to help baby wind down whilst in their cot.
• Instead of picking baby up every time they cry try patting them gently as they are lying down in the cot, sometimes a bit of reassurance may be enough to settle them back to sleep.
• My top tip is to put baby to bed sleepy but awake. This will get them into the habit of going to sleep by themselves and will help them to settle themselves if they wake during the night.
• If your baby is still waking up for a feed during the night and they are bottle fed try giving them two bottles before bed, to get my 3year old to sleep through when she was a baby I had to give her 2 bottles every night, it worked a treat.

If I have learnt anything from having all my babies it is that parenting is not an exact science and sometimes you have to just follow your parenting instincts. Feel free to read baby books that have tips and ideas, I am all for anything that can make those 2am wakes ups a bit more palatable, I’ll always take ideas on-board and then give them my own little tweak.

Please don’t forget that babies all sleep through at different times and they will get there eventually. I always remember being the mum whose baby didn’t seep through and I had a torrid time with night waking, I remember feeling worried that I wasn’t good enough. Looking back, I was being silly, no one has the perfect child. Always remember and know inside that one day your baby will sleep through: every wake up in the night is one less to come.

Do you have any tips to share about helping your baby (and you) to get a good night’s sleep? Leave a comment after this post and we’ll choose one person to win a BornFree Drinking Cup. Last day to enter is Tuesday 16th November.

UPDATE: Congratulations Kirsty B, we’re sending you a BornFree Drinking Cup! Thanks to everyone who commented.

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