Sleep is the most important thing that our body needs to revitalize and restore the energy which gets exhausted during the day. Like adults, babies too need to get the needed sleep and if it’s not done; they too might face health issues arising from lack of sleep.

Parents tend to maintain the sleep needs as soon as a new baby arrives. Neither they adhere to baby’s sleep needs nor their own. It’s important that new parents understand the sleep needs of the baby and follow a healthy routine in their own sleep habits too. Let us here get to know the common mistakes which parents end up making, unintentionally, with baby’s sleep.

1. Not abiding by bed time routine
Everything needs to be done in a systematic way as our mind understands the language of routines more. When you do something in a routine, it gets stored in the brain cells and our body apparently turns up to that particular work which is to be done in the said routine or schedule. Sleep too follows the same line. When you have a set time for sleeping, mind indicates the body that it’s time to hit the sack. This is why experts always suggest abiding by bed time routine. If you haven’t made any bed time routine for your child, it’s time you do it now. You will see how your baby sleeps without fuss when he or she is made to follow a certain routine.

2. Giving into the sleep crutches
This is another of sleep mistakes we often see parents making. When trying to make the baby sleep, most parents resort to rocking, nursing, swinging, or singing. Though it’s not a bad thing but by doing so frequently, you make the child habitual of these crutches. As a result, your baby will not budge into sleeping until and unless these crutches are implemented. It would be better that you limit the use of these and try to make the baby fall asleep naturally.

3. Not paying attention to baby’s sleep cues
You know when your body needs a sleep badly and when it gets exhausted fully. This is because you are able to read the signs indicating sleep. Similarly, baby’s also give you cues to let you know that their body is tired and they need to sleep. These cues primarily include yawning, rubbing the eyes, looking disinterested in things or people around or acting fussy. If these sleep cues are ignored, the baby might miss his sleep time which can over tire his body. Always makes sure to notice these cues and act accordingly.

4. Letting baby fall asleep while nursing or bottle feeding
In the due course of time, your baby has to learn to sleep on his own. But this will not happen fruitfully until you stick to the habit of making the child fall asleep while he is being nursed, rocked or bottle fed. All these factors hinder his natural sleep process. Let the baby stay awake when he is being fed, feeling drowsy is okay, but see to it that they don’t fall asleep when any of these activities is being undertaken.

5. Making baby stay awake for too long
It is seen that most new parents fail to understand as to how much sleep their young one need or for that matter, how long the baby must stay awake. Experts say that newborn babies can stay awake for an hour. In fact, in the initial weeks, the baby might only be able to stay awake for around 30-40 minutes. To ensure that your baby’s health doesn’t get affected due to oversleeping or lack of sleep, don’t keep the baby awake for long hours. Let the baby sleep more frequently for the first couple of months.

6. Keeping Baby Awake During the Day
If you are a new parent, you must have observed how your baby enjoys the night time and follows it as play-time. This even costs your own sleep as you need to attend your sleep deprived little one. To make sure that the baby sleeps well at night, many parents keep them awake during the day. When your baby stays awake during the day, it makes him more tired. So don’t keep him awake during the day.

7. Not Taking Help
It is very important that both parents make equal efforts to deal with baby’s sleep. Don’t think that only mothers can do the job perfectly or dads aren’t capable enough of putting the baby to sleep. Any of you can do this better than the other. If you feel that your partner is more skilled in making the baby sleep, either seek help or let your partner do it. You must also learn how he or she is doing the same so that you can also lend a helping hand when needed.

8. Making the shift from crib to bed very soon
Your child is still learning to sleep on his own in the crib or adjust to his sleep routine in crib, when you put him on bed all of a sudden. This switch will do more harm than good. Let him first get adjusted to the crib and then make the transition to bed. If you do it the other way around, baby will never get adjusted to a sleep pattern.

9. Not following the sleep zones
Place of sleep is as important as time of sleep. Don’t just put your baby to sleep wherever you are, let him sleep in the place that’s meant for it. This is very vital for developing good sleep habits in your little one.

10. Expecting results too soon
Everything takes due course of time to happen and so will your baby’s sleep habits. Don’t expect any change to happen overnight. Keep your calm and just follow the sleep practice in the right manner. Your baby will respond to the changes gradually but effectively.

Don’t make sleep a tug-of-war between you and the babies. Let them enjoy the most peaceful hours with ease!