Having trouble getting your baby to sleep through the night is very common. In fact, this is due to our problems with having to listen to our babies cry, rather than the child’s problems with sleep.

When your baby is born, there is an instant bond and a need to protect your baby at all costs. We, as mothers, see crying as a sign that the baby needs something, which is true, so when the baby cries we run to him to ‘fix’ her need. The problem is that when they are tired and we approach them upset, we actually prevent them from getting the sleep they need.

So first you have to reprogram yourself as a mother to give your baby the sleep he needs and this means letting him cry a little.

With all that said, here are our top 3 tips to ensure your baby sleeps through the night…

1) Keep a routine: Put your baby to bed in the same place and keep the same routine, in terms of what you do and what you say, ie good night, sleep well, see you soon, etc.

2) Provide them with things they can use as their ‘security blanket’ – Children usually choose their own security blanket/muslin/stuffed toy, but we can help them by putting something on their bed that is always there. I used a muslin because it was easily replaceable and easy to transport, but you can use whatever you think is best or cute as long as it’s safe for babies. Make this part of the routine by giving him his stuffed animal or whatever you have chosen. (Always try to change these items from time to time so you don’t run into problems in case it gets lost or damaged)

3) Don’t worry about the noise outside your room/sleeping space: Keeping the noise down when a baby is sleeping is bad because if there is a noise, the baby may startle awake and even be frightened. So in theory you should be able to vacuum the outside of the baby gate without waking him up. This means that not only can you carry on with your life when your baby has gone to sleep, but you also don’t have to worry about other children making noise or inviting friends and family over.

Remember that newborn babies need frequent feedings and may not be able to sleep through the night until the baby is three months or older. Some babies only start sleeping through the night a year. Once your baby is no longer waking up to eat, these three tips will ensure you and your baby get a good night’s sleep. However, these tips will work to get your baby to sleep at night, even before he is ready to go all night without eating. If they wake up to eat, repeat all three steps when they are done and they should start over.