The Best Room for the Best Sleep!
There can often feel like there are so many pieces to the puzzle of excellent sleep for baby… and of course wake windows and independent sleep skills and good methods of soothing are all parts of that, but GOOD NEWS— something as simple as how you set their room environment up can also really help your little one succeed in achieving a great night’s rest (or daytime nap!).
The good news here is that this part is not complicated! I have five simple goals for your baby’s room environment that will set you up for success:
1- A sound machine on the white noise setting.
I love using this one or the hatch baby rest (without the light on for little ones). The white noise should be used consistently for all daytime and nighttime sleep and can serve as a sleep cue for little one. Since sound machines can be used at any age (I even use one!) this sleep association is a positive one that promotes flexibility in sleep location as well since the sounds of the room environment can easily be mimicked wherever you are. The sound machine also helps prevent noises around the home from waking baby up. You can use an app to test the appropriate volume to keep it within safe limits!
2- A dark space.
Artificial light and sunlight at night can impact sleep by increasing alertness or delaying the production of melatonin than aids in the sleep process. I encourage no night lights before 18 months and finding blackout curtains or shades that keep the room dark enough that you cannot see your hand when outstretched in front of you. I always suggest going into little one’s room in the morning once they wake up and turning the lights off and seeing if light is sneaking in - not all blackout curtains work the same :) I even travel with painters tape and black trash bags for this reason! I also love the slumberpod for travel to create a dark space! (Use code heyabbysleepconsulting20 to save on a slumberpod!). If your little one is too big for a pack and play while traveling, I love these blackout curtains! They work in your home too actually!
3- An empty crib.
For safety, little ones under 1 year of age should be laid down in the crib with nothing else in it. This means no blankets, bumpers, loveys, positioners etc. in the crib. I also recommend that once you are ready to begin working on independent sleep skills, you may want to give little one some space by having them in their crib in their own room so that you can give them a little time to work on their independent sleep skills before you step in to soothe.
4- Lying on their back.
For safety, we want to lie little one down on their back before the age of 1. If they can roll back and forth and get to their belly easily and comfortably, it is okay to let them do that!
5- Sleep sack or swaddle (dependent on age).
I love the use of a swaddle before baby can roll and a sleep sack for later on. The swaddle helps tremendously with the startle reflex and is an age appropriate sleep association for that season. The sleep sack (once baby can roll!) continues to serve as a way to signal sleep to baby and can also aid in preventing an early climber. These are a few of my favorite swaddles and sleep sacks!
Those 5 steps will help set your little one’s room up for a great night of successful sleep! If you need support on other ways to set little one up for success with sleep, reach out to us here or check out our packages here!
And if you are struggling with YOUR sleep as a parent, be sure to check out this blog I contributed to on Rent.com! It is The Ultimate Sleep Hygiene List to help you improve your sleep once you’ve gotten your little one sleeping better!