Are you sick of hearing about the benefits of a co-sleeping baby? Are you tired of reading tips on how to reduce your baby’s risk of SIDS? How about strategies for getting your overtired baby to sleep? Yes, tired, and yes again. As a first-time mother with a newborn, who is too exhausted to care much about reducing risk exposure or increasing rest time. Parenting an infant as a second grader is as exhausting as it sounds. There are no shortcuts in parenting. It’s all a mind-numbing routine mixed with occasional sleepless nights and panic attacks at the sight of that red splotchy face and bulging veins. We all fear the day when our babies won’t want to snuggle with us, but what can we do in the meantime to get our little cherubs some peace and quiet so they can get some rest? Read on for five ways how to get your overtired sick baby to sleep
How To Get Your Overtired Sick Baby To Sleep
The Power of a Good Night’s Rest
Sleep is the best medicine for everyone. Don’t you get tired of hearing that? Yes, I do. I am tired of reading it and tired of hearing it from all my friends and relatives. But it’s true, no joke. Sleep is the best medicine for everyone. It’s also important to stress this point because sleep deprivation can lead to irritability and crankiness in children, which can make them difficult to handle. A healthy sleep schedule can greatly improve your baby’s mood and cognitive function. So make sure you stick to your bedtime routine as much as possible.
Get Your Baby Used to Be Alone
The moment your baby is born, it’s important to reassure him that he is still safe and loved. If your baby has been relying on you for all his needs, it’s important to let him know that he is now an independent person. You can do this by setting up a schedule for when you will be home each day and letting him know that this schedule will be followed. This way, you’re making it clear that you don’t expect him to come running whenever he feels like it. It’s also important to let your baby know that now he will be spending time with his older siblings so they can teach him things about being a big boy (and girl). This way they can help your baby learn how to play together with them and how to share toys and games.
Limit Screen Time
It’s important for parents not to underestimate the effect of screen time on their children’s health. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting screen time for kids under 2 to no more than 2 hours of age-appropriate programming a day, and no more than 1 hour of content-appropriate programming.
Make Sure Your Baby Gets Enough Exercise
Exercise is an important part of a child’s development. It helps kids develop their motor skills and coordination, it helps them build muscle tone and strength, and it helps them learn how to play with other children. In addition to all these benefits, exercise also has many important health effects on your baby’s brain. Regular exercise promotes healthy brain development by improving cognitive function , reducing anxiety, reducing hyperactivity, improving sleep quality, increasing self-esteem, increasing self-control, strengthening social skills, increasing self-confidence, decreasing depression, decreasing stress, and improving attention and focus.
Take Your Baby to a Doctor
A child’s health is important and it’s important to visit the doctor if you think your baby has any problems or illnesses. A doctor can do many things for your baby like check his or her heart rate, blood pressure, weight, and growth. If your baby has a fever, he or she might need to be seen by a doctor. If your baby hasn’t had a good night’s sleep for several nights in a row, he might need to be seen by a doctor as well.
Get The Timing Right
- The timing of naps and bedtime is crucial. The best time to start bedtime is around the same time that your baby normally takes a nap. This helps you get a good night’s sleep and gives your baby a chance to get his or her sleep in at the right time. This also means that you will have to wake up at the right time for your baby’s next nap, which can be tricky if you fall asleep later than usual.
- Know what makes your baby sleepy and tired before going to bed yourself, so that you can use this information as a guide when it comes to encouraging your baby to sleep.
- If you are breastfeeding, know that babies often wake up hungry when they first start sleeping through the night and may not want to go back down for their next feed, even if they are still sleepy. It is better not to try waking them up if they are still very sleepy after their last feed before bed because it may not be enough for them to go back down for their next feed.
- If you are bottle-feeding, try to give your baby a good night’s sleep before starting to put him or her down for the night. Some babies are more likely than others to wake up during the night, and it is better not to start trying to put them down too early. It is also better not to wake them up when they first start sleeping through the night because they may be very sleepy and not have had enough time to get back into their nap.
- Do not wait until your baby is overtired before putting him or her down at bedtime. Your baby will probably still be tired even if he or she falls asleep without any fussing or crying after a few minutes of being in your arms. Keep a close eye on signs that your baby is ready for sleep and don’t wait too long before putting him or her down at bedtime so that you don’t wake your baby if he or she is still tired.
Feed Your Baby Before Bedtime
Feed your baby a full milk meal.
This is the easiest way to ensure that your baby does not have a hard time staying asleep. If you are breastfeeding, this means that you will be feeding your baby in the evening, when it is most likely that he/she is overtired. You may also consider giving him/her a bottle of warm milk for the same purpose.
Give your baby a bath and apply moisturizing lotion to his/her skin before bedtime
There are some benefits to bathing your baby before bedtime: it makes him feel more comfortable and relaxed, and he may fall asleep easier while being wrapped in his favorite blanket or receiving a massage on his feet and hands. You can also lightly rub lotion onto his/her soft skin before going to sleep as well if you wish to help him or sleep better through the night as well.
Let him cry until he falls asleep
If your little one is overtired and has trouble falling asleep, you can try to let him cry until he falls asleep. Be sure to avoid being too strong in disciplining your baby; patting your baby on the back while she cries may make her feel more rejected than comforted.
Rock your baby to sleep
If the rocking is too exhausting for you, you can try a pacifier instead. It’s especially helpful if you are breastfeeding, as it may help reduce the chances of overfeeding and therefore make her sleepy during the night.
Lay Your Baby In A Dark Room
- The first and most obvious thing you can do to get your baby to sleep is to lay them in a dark room so they don’t see the lights. If you have access to your baby’s nursery, that’s great, but if not, a dark room with no windows will do.
- The next thing you can do is to put their pacifier in their mouth so they don’t hear the noise of the fan or air conditioner.
- The third is simple: put them in their own bed and leave them there for a few minutes so they can feel safe and secure in their own space. They will soon realize that it’s okay for them to be there without you and fall asleep on their own. Remember, babies are very good at sleeping on their own, but only when they feel safe and secure in their environment. Look at it as a positive step towards independence!
- If your baby is still not sleeping, do not get down on your knees and try to force them to sleep. If you do that, it will only create a sense of insecurity in them and they will start to cry louder. Instead, try to let them cry for a few minutes then offer her a pacifier or hold her close if she doesn’t want to be alone.
Conclusion
When your baby is sick, he/she may find it difficult to sleep. However, with the right timing, feeding, laying, swaddling, and using white noise to block out other noises, you can help your baby to fall asleep and stay asleep. Follow the five tips on how to get your overtired sick baby to sleep, and you and your baby will be able to get some much-needed sleep.
