If you’re like me with my first son you are searching Google, Pinterest, and YouTube for tips to just GET SOME SLEEP.

Every child is different and we were told that some children just don’t sleep - oh great! But let me share with you five of the sleep tips that actually helped us and also gave us a second child who has slept through night since he was a newborn.

Tip #1

Swaddle with the arms OUT

I know, I know! This is opposite of what makes them all safe and cozy looking. But I promise you this was the best advice the NICU nurses ever gave us. Swaddle with the arms out and let baby learn to deal with the startle reflex. I promise you it won’t hurt them and disturb them! They’ll become adjusted to gravity FASTER instead of startling them and having to add a transition once they roll over. Trust me!

Tip #2

Grab a Sound Machine (For every room!)

Sound Machines are worth every penny. Invest in one that can be controlled from your phone. We have used and loved the originally Hatch Rest machine, but we also used Echo dots for naps in other “areas” - more on that in a minute.

Tip #3

Use a Mamaroo or Pack n Play for nap time.

Help your child distinguish between night and day by offering a different sleeping environment for daytime naps. Turn on your Echo dot - “Alexa play white noise!” - and let them nap in a normal daytime area of the house. I liked to park them in the living room and I was free to do the dishes, vacuum, and more. Which leads me to the next tip…

Tip #4

Be LOUD!

Okay I don’t mean stomp around and holler! But speak at normal volume, vacuum the floors, play the TV, flush the toilet (yeah we didn’t do that for our sons first 21 months because we didn’t want to wake him - Los Angeles apartment problems!). I promise you, they have heard all of these noises from day one in the womb. It actually will be comforting to them to hear you go about your normal day!

Tip #5

Keep a consistent routine NOT a consistent schedule

Yes, we know many experts say keep a schedule. We say NO. Stay consistent in your daily patterns - SLEEP, EAT, PLAY - and go with the flow with how long it takes your baby to sleep in between naps. Infants go through growth spurts, intellectual leaps, and cluster feeding spurts - it’s ok to be flexible. We say no to stressing out over a schedule.