How to Put Your Newborn on a Schedule
Make notes on your baby's routine., Make a schedule based on your baby's natural rhythms., Try to set a standard wake-up time., The first thing to do is set a wake up time., Feed, change and play with your baby., Allow the baby to sleep for another...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Make notes on your baby's routine.
Before you get started, it's a good idea to buy a notebook in which you keep track of your baby's daily schedule.
This will help you to identify whether your new schedule is working.
On the first page of the notebook create a simple table with the following columns: time, activity, note.
Make a note of every major daily activity throughout the day, on every day of the week.
For example: 6 am:
Baby wakes up, 9 am:
Baby is fed, 11 am :
Baby goes for a nap etc.
Alternatively, you can keep track of your baby's schedule on a computer spreadsheet or use an online tracker service such as Trixie Tracker or baby insights. -
Step 2: Make a schedule based on your baby's natural rhythms.
Try to find out if there is any regularity in your baby's current cycle of eating and sleeping.
If you notice that your baby tends to need a diaper change or gets cranky at a certain time of day, you can try to incorporate that into your schedule.
This will make adjusting to your new schedule easier and will help you to plan your day around your baby's needs.
A baby that is not sleep-deprived or hungry will be much happier and more willing to play, cuddle and learn new things. , Newborn babies usually sleep a lot during the day.
In fact, for the first few weeks they need 16 hours of sleep a day.
Since sleep is a major activity for infants, it is necessary to introduce some order into this “sleeping activity”, to prevent them from waking up in the middle of the night. , Though it may be hard, you'll have to wake your baby up at the same time each day, even if they're sleeping.
If they tend to wake-up before your preferred wake-up time, you'll have to adjust their nap schedule so they sleep later. , Once the baby is up, change her diaper and get her dressed for the day.
Then, hold her close to you and let her eat.
Whether you breastfeed or formula feed, your baby needs your closeness.
After the eating play with your baby.
Talk to her, sing to her, cuddle her.
She will enjoy your smell, your voice and your nearness.
After playtime, put the baby down for a nap.
Do as soon as you notice signs of fatigue, such as yawning, irritability, crying, rubbing the nose. , The baby will probably wake up after 2-3 hours.
In the event that she does not wake up, you should wake her.
A baby who sleeps too much will not eat enough throughout the day and can become dehydrated and lose weight. , You can repeat the above-mentioned cycle throughout the day, except that it is advisable to feed the baby, before you change their diaper and play.
Many babies ruin the diaper while eating.
This way you avoid doing that twice.
So:
Wake the baby from her nap Feed the baby Change the diaper, then play with your baby for a while, talking, singing, cuddling.
Put the baby back to sleep. , In order to set a schedule here your baby sleeps through the night, it's important to distinguish between nighttime sleeping and daytime napping.
You can do this by letting the baby sleep in a bright room during the day, and a dark room at nighttime.
Putting the baby down for a nap in a dark room will simply confuse her and throw her sleeping pattern off.
Also, don't be afraid to make noise when the baby is napping during the day
- she needs to learn to get used to this.
Leave the radio on, do the vacuuming, and speak at your normal volume. , It's important to note that you should always feed your baby when she's hungry, even if it does not fit into your schedule.
It's not fair to let a newborn go hungry just because feeding doesn't fit into your schedule.
Signs that your baby is hungry include crying and sucking her hand. , If the infant is not crying and not looking to eat, you should still feed her two or three hours.
This is especially important in breastfeeding.
If the baby does not eat at this rate, the mother's breasts can become overwhelmed with milk, which can be painful for the mother and make it more difficult for the baby to feed.
If your baby is eating too often, the mother's breast does not have time to accumulate enough milk and the quality and quantity of the milk suffers.
In this case, the baby may be hungry all the time, even though she constantly eating. , The newborn communicates with her crying, and you'll soon come to recognize if your baby is crying because she is hungry or because she is nervous or in pain. , Observe your baby's natural schedule and find out what bedtime fits the best.
Keeping a diary will be helpful for this too .
Do not play too much with a newborn before bedtime.
It may be too stimulating, making it more difficult for the newborn to fall asleep.
Give your baby a bath before bedtime and massage hr skin with some milk or baby oil.
This will relax your baby before sleep. , Sing your baby a lullaby or play some soft, quiet music to get her to sleep.
Sing even you are not adept at singing.
Your baby loves your voice and is not a music critic.
Keep the rest of the house as quiet as possible at nighttime.
A quiet, peaceful environment will indicate to your baby that this isn't just an ordinary nap. , Put your baby to sleep in a dimly lit room.
Do not turn off the lights completely.
You always have to see your child.
The darkened environment will help her to sleep through the night. , The baby will probably wake up during the night.
When this happens, take her in your arms, feed her and put her back to sleep.
Do not change diapers, unless it is really necessary.
That part is omitted from the night schedule, along with playing and cuddling.
If the baby does not wake during the night to eat, wake her.
No matter how good it may sound to let a newborn sleep all night, it's not healthy for them.
Babies need to eat every 2-3 hours.
Otherwise, the baby may be dehydrated and hungry, which causes fatigue and weakness. , It's important to stick to your schedule as much as possible, especially the going to bed and waking up times.
In this way, it will be easier for your baby to get used to it.
However, keep in mind that over time, your baby will sleep less and will require more of your attention and time. -
Step 3: Try to set a standard wake-up time.
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Step 4: The first thing to do is set a wake up time.
-
Step 5: change and play with your baby.
-
Step 6: Allow the baby to sleep for another 2 to 3 hours.
-
Step 7: Repeat this cycle throughout the day.
-
Step 8: Differentiate between daytime sleeping and nighttime sleeping.
-
Step 9: Feed your baby when she's hungry.
-
Step 10: Feed the baby every 2 to 3 hour when breastfeeding.
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Step 11: Learn the language of crying.
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Step 12: Set a time to sleep.
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Step 13: At night
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Step 14: reduce the noise levels.
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Step 15: Reduce the light.
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Step 16: Prepare for your baby to wake up throughout the night.
-
Step 17: Stick to your schedule as much as possible.
Detailed Guide
Before you get started, it's a good idea to buy a notebook in which you keep track of your baby's daily schedule.
This will help you to identify whether your new schedule is working.
On the first page of the notebook create a simple table with the following columns: time, activity, note.
Make a note of every major daily activity throughout the day, on every day of the week.
For example: 6 am:
Baby wakes up, 9 am:
Baby is fed, 11 am :
Baby goes for a nap etc.
Alternatively, you can keep track of your baby's schedule on a computer spreadsheet or use an online tracker service such as Trixie Tracker or baby insights.
Try to find out if there is any regularity in your baby's current cycle of eating and sleeping.
If you notice that your baby tends to need a diaper change or gets cranky at a certain time of day, you can try to incorporate that into your schedule.
This will make adjusting to your new schedule easier and will help you to plan your day around your baby's needs.
A baby that is not sleep-deprived or hungry will be much happier and more willing to play, cuddle and learn new things. , Newborn babies usually sleep a lot during the day.
In fact, for the first few weeks they need 16 hours of sleep a day.
Since sleep is a major activity for infants, it is necessary to introduce some order into this “sleeping activity”, to prevent them from waking up in the middle of the night. , Though it may be hard, you'll have to wake your baby up at the same time each day, even if they're sleeping.
If they tend to wake-up before your preferred wake-up time, you'll have to adjust their nap schedule so they sleep later. , Once the baby is up, change her diaper and get her dressed for the day.
Then, hold her close to you and let her eat.
Whether you breastfeed or formula feed, your baby needs your closeness.
After the eating play with your baby.
Talk to her, sing to her, cuddle her.
She will enjoy your smell, your voice and your nearness.
After playtime, put the baby down for a nap.
Do as soon as you notice signs of fatigue, such as yawning, irritability, crying, rubbing the nose. , The baby will probably wake up after 2-3 hours.
In the event that she does not wake up, you should wake her.
A baby who sleeps too much will not eat enough throughout the day and can become dehydrated and lose weight. , You can repeat the above-mentioned cycle throughout the day, except that it is advisable to feed the baby, before you change their diaper and play.
Many babies ruin the diaper while eating.
This way you avoid doing that twice.
So:
Wake the baby from her nap Feed the baby Change the diaper, then play with your baby for a while, talking, singing, cuddling.
Put the baby back to sleep. , In order to set a schedule here your baby sleeps through the night, it's important to distinguish between nighttime sleeping and daytime napping.
You can do this by letting the baby sleep in a bright room during the day, and a dark room at nighttime.
Putting the baby down for a nap in a dark room will simply confuse her and throw her sleeping pattern off.
Also, don't be afraid to make noise when the baby is napping during the day
- she needs to learn to get used to this.
Leave the radio on, do the vacuuming, and speak at your normal volume. , It's important to note that you should always feed your baby when she's hungry, even if it does not fit into your schedule.
It's not fair to let a newborn go hungry just because feeding doesn't fit into your schedule.
Signs that your baby is hungry include crying and sucking her hand. , If the infant is not crying and not looking to eat, you should still feed her two or three hours.
This is especially important in breastfeeding.
If the baby does not eat at this rate, the mother's breasts can become overwhelmed with milk, which can be painful for the mother and make it more difficult for the baby to feed.
If your baby is eating too often, the mother's breast does not have time to accumulate enough milk and the quality and quantity of the milk suffers.
In this case, the baby may be hungry all the time, even though she constantly eating. , The newborn communicates with her crying, and you'll soon come to recognize if your baby is crying because she is hungry or because she is nervous or in pain. , Observe your baby's natural schedule and find out what bedtime fits the best.
Keeping a diary will be helpful for this too .
Do not play too much with a newborn before bedtime.
It may be too stimulating, making it more difficult for the newborn to fall asleep.
Give your baby a bath before bedtime and massage hr skin with some milk or baby oil.
This will relax your baby before sleep. , Sing your baby a lullaby or play some soft, quiet music to get her to sleep.
Sing even you are not adept at singing.
Your baby loves your voice and is not a music critic.
Keep the rest of the house as quiet as possible at nighttime.
A quiet, peaceful environment will indicate to your baby that this isn't just an ordinary nap. , Put your baby to sleep in a dimly lit room.
Do not turn off the lights completely.
You always have to see your child.
The darkened environment will help her to sleep through the night. , The baby will probably wake up during the night.
When this happens, take her in your arms, feed her and put her back to sleep.
Do not change diapers, unless it is really necessary.
That part is omitted from the night schedule, along with playing and cuddling.
If the baby does not wake during the night to eat, wake her.
No matter how good it may sound to let a newborn sleep all night, it's not healthy for them.
Babies need to eat every 2-3 hours.
Otherwise, the baby may be dehydrated and hungry, which causes fatigue and weakness. , It's important to stick to your schedule as much as possible, especially the going to bed and waking up times.
In this way, it will be easier for your baby to get used to it.
However, keep in mind that over time, your baby will sleep less and will require more of your attention and time.
About the Author
Steven Ellis
A passionate writer with expertise in hobbies topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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