Health Tip: Help Your Newborn Sleep Longer

Establish a bedtime routine

(HealthDay News) - It's possible to teach many young infants to sleep longer, allowing the household to get needed rest.

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Here are suggestions that may help your both of you get a few more zzz's, courtesy of the Nemours Foundation:

• When you feed or change your baby at night, keep the room quiet and dim. Avoid turning on all of the lights, or if there's a dimmer, turning them on at full blast. Also avoid singing, talking and play at this time.
• Make sure your infant naps during the day, as she may have more trouble getting to sleep at night if she is overtired.
• Don't encourage playtime at night when getting baby ready for bed. She will learn that nighttime is for sleeping, and daytime is for playing.
• Establish a bedtime routine to get her ready for sleep. The routine might include a story and a bath.

-- Diana Kohnle