How about your Baby sleep tips?
Hithesh is almost one year old now, and every time I think about his age, I become completely wordless. I feel so proud of myself, too. Yes — I’ve managed everything the best I could, without anyone around except my husband.
I feel like this is the perfect time to share the ideas, tips, and little tricks I used during his sleep training. Being a mom is magical, but sleep is the toughest part for most moms and babies.
I’ve spent months observing his different sleep patterns and routines with a lot of patience and attention.
When he was a newborn, Hithesh slept between me and my mom. In those early days, he would wake up three or four times during the night. I had absolutely no idea how to handle waking up in the middle of the night. When my mom was here, she would wake up even before me, change his diaper, and let me rest because I was exhausted. But after she went back to Sri Lanka, I had to do everything on my own.
Slowly, I found my own tips and tricks.
After trying many methods, routines, and pieces of advice (some great, some not so great), we eventually discovered a few simple things that truly made a difference. These tips are gentle, practical, and realistic.
Our Simple but Repeatable Bedtime Routine
- Warm wash
- Comfortable clothing and a good diaper — especially important since he was a winter baby
- Dim lights
- Gentle massage with lullabies
- Whisper-level talking during feeds
- Down into the crib
The soft head massage I do has become a gateway to his sleep.
Sometimes he wants to sleep on my shoulder with a little motion, but not every day. There are nights when he self-soothes, crawls around his playpen, and falls asleep on his own. He started doing this around 10 months. On the days when he slept on my shoulders, after confirming that he is in a good deep sleep I put him slow.
We try to keep the environment calm when it’s time to sleep. One thing to always remember is that consistency is key. Instead of forcing naps at exact times, we watched for sleepy cues like rubbing eyes, fussiness, and yawning. Once we noticed the cues, we began our sleep process. These natural signals helped prevent overtired meltdowns and made his sleep smoother.
Healthy sleep is the path to healthy living — for both the mom and the baby. When he gets enough sleep, he feels good, and I also get my own time to study and take care of other things. That’s why I’m so keen about his sleep. This training and consistency mean so much to me.
Sleep changes as babies grow — that’s normal. It doesn’t happen overnight. Patience, small habits, and consistency are truly the keys.
