Tips To Help Your Baby Fall Asleep

Adjust Lighting

Babies fall asleep much faster in a dimly lit environment, which is one of the conditions that made their time in the womb feel calm and relaxing. Darkness triggers the release of melatonin, a key hormone to promote sleep and the beginning of establishing a circadian rhythm. You want your baby to eventually figure out the difference between day and night, and that nighttime is for sleeping. Daytime should be kept bright versus the darkness of late evening and night. During daytime hours, expose your baby to lots of sunlight by opening the shades or taking them outside. If the sunlight interferes with your baby's sleep schedule, adjust lighting by installing room-darkening shades. When its time to wake up, open the curtains to let in sunlight to help your baby associate light with being awake. Help your baby realize when it's time to sleep by keeping their surroundings dark. Lower the lights in the evening for an hour or two before bedtime to set the mood. Your baby will eventually figure out when it's time to sleep if you keep the days bright and the nights dark.

Continue reading to learn how to use white noise and music to your advantage.