Whether you have a newborn, an infant, or a toddler.....a good sleeping environment is important when laying the foundation down when it comes to good-quality sleep. We've all been there.....tired and just hoping for a miracle but what a lot of people don't know is that there are things we can do to make our baby's room more inviting and conducive to sleep. But first thing's first. SAFE SLEEP!!
Safe Sleep for Newborns- I've been there. So tired that you'll do anything to get your child to sleep. We're in survival mode with our newborns. However, we don't want to put our baby in danger. The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) has guidelines to make sure our baby is safe.
A firm mattress- maintains its shape and prevents the mattress from creating a pocket
Crib free of objects (pillows, blankets, toys, etc.)
Crib is away from anything dangerous the baby can grab (cords, pictures, lamp, etc.)
ALWAYS place your baby on their back, even if they started to roll over and can support their head.
You can room share but not bed share. This means baby has their own space and doesn't sleep with you on the bed even if they have their own space.
Swaddling- swaddling should be used until the ages of 3-4 months OR when baby starts to show signs of rolling over.
Room Environment
Keep the room between 68-72 degrees
Blackout curtains! Darkness produces melatonin. The hormone needed to sleep. I MEAN DARK!
White noise. This is the sound babies hear in the womb, so that familiar sounds relaxes them as well as drowns out any sounds that can interrupt them while sleeping
Crib free of anything dangerous
If you have a toddler in a toddler bed, treat their entire room as a giant crib. Nail things down so they don't hurt themselves and keep anything dangerous out of their room.