- Safety first. Make sure you adhere to the safe sleep guidelines on The Lullaby Trust website. It’s also a good idea to ensure that your babies cot is free from soft toys, bumpers, pillows and heavy blankets. Soft toys and animals may look cute but make sure they are removed when you child is in the cot to avoid risk of suffocation.
- Pop your little one in a sleeping sack. We can often worry whether our baby is too hot or too cold, or that they have slipped underneath a blanket that has become loose. With a sleeping sack (that is an appropriate tog rating for the season) you can be sure that your baby is warm all night and not in any danger. The American Academy of Pediatrics Safe Sleeping guidelines actually advise to not use any loose bedding or quilts in a cot.
- Keep it dark. Black out curtains or removable blinds can make a huge difference to the quality and length your child sleeps. Aim for 90% darkness if you can. It can really help especially in the summer months when we can get those pesky early mornings!
- Switch off night lights and lamps during sleep time. Artificial lights can interfere with melatonin production which is essential for a good nights rest. The light emitted from baby monitors can be pretty bright too so check how bright yours is beaming!
- Switch to low wattage yellow, orange or red lightbulbs. White or blue light can suppress melatonin production so give the circadian rhythm a helping hand and switch to a soft, warm toned lightbulb in the room where your child is sleeping.
- White noise. There are lots of cheap and easy ways to play some white noise for your baby: An iPhone or iPad app, soft toys that generate white noise, a white noise machine or just a general desktop fan. For fussy and sensitive babies especially, white noise helps to muffle general household sounds that could disturb or wake them.
Do you have any other handy tips for making your little ones bedroom a sleep sanctuary? Share them below in the comments below and help other Mums get some ShutEye.
