Re: My first child was a terrible sleeper and now that I’m expecting #2, I’m a little freaked out about sleep training. Is there anything I can do right away to help my new baby start good sleep habits?
We work with a lot of parents who want to start sleep training right away, but there’s not really much you can do in terms of training within the first few months. What you can do is make sure the nursery is as sleep-friendly as possible so that baby has the foundation for sleep training down the road. Try these recommendations to help baby learn the difference between sleep time and awake time:
[ ] Expose baby to indirect sunlight/daylight in between naps to help regulate their internal clock.
[ ] Try to encourage baby to take at least one nap a day in their own space.
[ ] Install room-darkening curtains in baby’s room.
[ ] Purchase a white noise machine with a “continuous” function that can play all night.
[ ] Keep baby’s sleeping space between 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
[ ] Remove crib mobiles and other electronic crib toys from the bassinet or crib. Babies simply don’t need these items, and they can actually prevent a child from sleeping well.
Conner Herman and Kira Ryan, cofounders of Dream Team Baby | June 02 , 2009 1:57 PM