How Do I Get My Newborn To Sleep At Night After A Feed?

By Meera M A

on March 24, 2018

Many people consider babies as cute and sweet until they cry or poop. According to them, the whole process of bringing up an infant is quite simple - bathe, feed, kiss, cuddle, and place inside the crib.

Alas! the process is not that easy. After a whole day of work (and taking care of the baby - which can be counted as another huge share of work), is when you decide to take your share of rest.

But then your baby somehow understands and analyzes this situation and decides to start the routine crying session. Even though you get very less amount of sleep at night due to this, you can never complain as your baby is the dearest to you.

The mother goes through this same battle every night at least up until her baby reaches 2 to 3 years of age. Growing up a baby is very difficult in all ways.

There are a few important methods that are proven to be useful in inducing a proper sleep to your baby once he/she wakes up at night.

The baby should have a calm and peaceful sleeping environment. The night environment should be soft when the infant wakes up, gets his/her share of milk and goes back to sleep. You must not take the baby away from his/her sleep space or turn on the light or disturb the baby in any manner.

This would be one major factor in providing your baby the right amount of sleep. This would also help the baby to go back to sleep right after the feeding session. Secondly, you should not wake your baby up for night feeds. This would disrupt his/her routine of sleep and might induce very less sleep for the baby's future sleep routine.

You must try and stay awake for the baby's feeding time. Sit up in a chair or on the bed, so that you are able to understand if the baby has fed well or not. If you fall asleep during the course, you might wake up wondering if your baby had actually had proper feed.

You might even get confused as to when your baby had stopped feeding. This might result in the baby waking up half an hour later and crying for milk again. Also, make very less amount of interactions after 6 PM in the evening.

If you initiate a play session by at least trying to make the bay laugh, he/she would feel that it is most fun to stay awake at night. Make the baby feel that night time is the most boring and silent time and thus no interesting activity can be done during this time. This would make the baby go to sleep automatically.

Next main thing is to not change your baby's nappy if it not soiled. The whole process of changing the diaper can trigger the active alarm on the baby's mind and thus, the sleep session would most ruthlessly be compromised. There are night nappies that have very efficient absorbency.

It means that the nappy can absorb a very good amount of urine that can even last throughout the night. If such kind of a nappy is used, you need not bother waking the baby up in order to change the nappy. This would do the job. You can use cheaper nappies during the day, but try and invest more on the night-time nappies. This can be of more use for both the baby and the mommy.

The next method is to try and burp your baby. You might find that burping is the most instant solution for most of the issues faced by the baby. After your baby is finished with the feed, you should lift the baby up and make him/her burp. You should burp the baby once before feeding too.

However, the burping process should only be for a very short time and you should never stimulate the baby while doing so. Slow and firm strokes on the baby's upper back will do the trick without waking the baby up. If the burp still does not come, put your baby back to the peaceful night sleep.

If the burp does not come up within 5 minutes, put your baby down to sleep. It is not the gassy windy stomach that causes the biggest unsettle feeling or irritation for the baby, it is the continuous attempts of the mother to pursue the reluctant wind/gas. Hence, the bottom line is to leave your baby alone if he/she does not want to burp after the feed.

Whenever the baby falls asleep, the mother should too. Hence, you should take your share of rest right when your baby falls asleep at night. Give the household work to the other members of the family. After the long process of feeding and burping the baby, put her down. If he/she does not sleep immediately, place your hand on your baby till he/she falls asleep.

The motherly touch and the pressure induced will help in keeping her calm and quiet. Do not lift your baby up in order to induce sleep. Let the infant lie down while you give some comforting pats on his/her tender body. The comforting presence of the mother is more than enough for the baby to go back to sleep. Give your baby some warmth and everything will end up calm and sweet.