Baby Sleep Tips: Your Baby Needs a Soothing Bedtime Routine

Kim West, MSW, Mom of 2, creator of The Sleep Lady Shuffle

Baby Sleep Tips:

Sleep Secret #13: Your baby needs a soothing bedtime routine.

A soothing bedtime routine will tell her that its time to slow down (this baby sleep tip is actually not a huge secret, but more common sense). The ideal pre-sleep ritual for a baby lasts no more than 20 to 30 mins–otherwise you’ll be asleep before its over! It may include two or three activities, such as:

  • A warm bath
  • Infant massage (in the baby’s room,  with the lights low)
  • Playing with soft music or singing her a lullaby
  • A snack (nursing or a bottle)
  • Burping
  • Swaddling
  • A snuggle and kisses

You can add books when your baby is around six months old. Whatever you do, do it in the same order each night. Babies find predictability comforting. And a comfy baby is a happy sleeper.
Baby Sleep Tips Excerpt from “52 Sleep Secrets for Babies

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Author: Kim West, MSW, Mom of 2, creator of The Sleep Lady Shuffle
My name is Kim West, and I’m the mother of two beautiful girls, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been a practicing child and family therapist for more than 21 years, and the creator of the original gentle, proven method to get a good night’s sleep for you and your child. My sleep journey began when I started experimenting with gently shaping my daughter’s sleep by not following the conventional wisdom at the time. After having success (and then more success with my second daughter!), I began helping family and friends and my step-by-step method spread like wildfire, exactly like an excellent night of sleep for a tired parent should!

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