How To Get Your Baby's Sleep Routine Back

3. Get your baby active during their awake time

Your baby’s day will be made up of naps interspersed with wake windows. During these uptimes you’ll feed, burp, change, cuddle, and play, then get your little one ready for the next nap. During your baby’s wake windows, ensure they are getting sufficient stimulation so they are tired come their nap time. This may be as simple as:

• Reading them a story or playing simple games like peekaboo
• Offering sensory activities
• Some supervised tummy time on a play mat
• For older children some time in an activity station
• Taking them for a walk outside in the stroller

4. Use daylight and darkness to your advantage

Natural light helps reset body clocks in both children and adults. It’s particularly useful if you’ve been travelling in another time zone to use daylight and darkness to your advantage. Taking baby on a walk outside in their pram or stroller for example can help reset their body clock and re-establish the appropriate circadian rhythm.

Similarly, when trying to help baby to readjust to their established routine, use a darkened room at nap times to help cue time for sleep.

5. Temperature

Babies tend to sleep best when they’re comfortably warm, not too hot, and not too cold. Using a temperature-appropriate sleeping bag or swaddle not only helps as a cue for sleep but can help baby maintain a consistent temperature during sleep.

Ensure the room is also at an ideal comfort temperature for baby. Follow our Clothing Guide to ensure your baby is sleeping at a comfortable temperature overnight. 

Afternoon/evening routine tips

Routine is key to helping your baby understand that the day is coming to an end and it will soon be time to sleep.

Last nap of the day: Your baby’s last nap should finish by 4.30 pm at the latest, to help ensure they’re tired enough to drift off into a deeper sleep when it’s bedtime Once your baby wakes from this last nap at 4.30 pm, they’ll have their last wake window for the evening.

Evening bath: In the last wake window for the day, you’ll likely bath your baby. This can be really helpful in showing your baby that a nice, warm, relaxing bath means the day is starting to wind down, and it’s time to get clean and snug for bedtime.

Reduce stimulation, and increase relaxation: Avoid bright lights, like TVs and phones which can stimulate them, and try to avoid any play or activity that will make your little one excited or hyped up, undoing all your hard work. Try playing relaxing music, or reading a calm story to your baby - it’s just as important to soothe their minds as it is to soothe their bodies.

Night time routine tips

The final aspect to think about when it comes to getting your baby back into their sleep cycle is the night-time routine. This covers the next 12 or so hours and is mainly focused on feeding cues to help support your baby in re-establishing their routine and reaching deeper, higher-quality stretches of overnight sleep.

Feeding newborns: Feeding overnight is essential, and most babies will continue with overnight feeds until they are around six months old. Allow your baby to sleep and wake naturally throughout the night for a feed, rather than waking them to a set schedule.

Wait and listen: Not every wake-up overnight means your baby needs a feed. If you hear your little one make a noise or wake up throughout the night, wait and listen rather than rushing over immediately to feed them as this could encourage snack feeding, which results in shorter bursts of lower-quality sleep.

Space out feeds: Space out your baby’s feeds during the night, so baby is taking a full feed when they’re hungry. With a nice full tummy, they can sleep longer! If you do this, their night-time feeding and sleeping pattern should naturally fall back into place, and over time, the periods of uninterrupted sleep will increase, and the feeds will decrease.

Follow these simple tips by creating an ideal sleep environment for your little one, managing their afternoon and evening routine, and ensuring their night-time routine is calm and relaxing. Pretty soon, the disruptions will be a thing of the past, and your baby back on sleep schedule and into their familiar sleep cycle - and so will you!