Diary of a First Time Mom :: Sleeping Habits

It's been a few months since the little one arrived and changed our lives. Gone are the days where we can sleep in and be able to go somewhere with no worry of having to feed someone on demand. But, it's all worth it and our lives have never been better or full.

Being a new mom, I've been very grateful to family and friends, who have shared their experiences with me. The questions that we always get asked is, 'Are you getting enough sleep?' and 'How is the baby sleeping?' We sometimes joke and say that 'sleeping is overrated...' 

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I was introduced to this book, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, by my husband's cousin. It is a great source of information on how to establish great sleeping habits, healthy sleeping habits for your child. And, it's been said many times that a baby does most of their growing in their sleep. And, as they get older, the more sleep they get, the better adjusted they are to their environment. 

Things that I've learned by reading and from others on how to start establishing a baby's sleeping habits:

+ Routine, Routine, Routine. I always start at the same time everyday before putting my child to bed and do the following: bath, breastfeed or bottle, read a book or sing a song, and bed.

+ Putting the little one to bed drowsy, never asleep, so that they can learn to fall asleep on their own. 

+ Needing to establish a good nap schedule. Right now, the little one's sleeping and waking habits are still constantly changing but once it settles down, napping will be great. 

+ Everyone needs to be on board with establishing sleeping habits. 

What other ideas can you think of to help establish great sleeping habits?

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