Have you ever wondered when is the right time to let your baby sleep alone? As a new mum, we understand that you want to keep your young one by your side at all times.
It is only natural that you want to hold your baby in your arms from the moment they come out to greet the world and there are many opinions on the benefits of co sleeping. However, if you don’t want to co-sleep with your baby, you can choose to let your baby sleep in a cot or a Moses bed next to your bed.
This also helps build the baby’s independence and awareness of sleeping and waking times.
Many experts recommend that a good time to start letting your baby sleep independently is within the first six months after birth (but there are no hard and fast rules and you should always do what is right for you and your baby – not what someone else tells you to do). Over the first few days of letting your baby sleep in the cot next to your bed, your baby might start waking up at night due to separation anxiety but it is very normal for this to occur during the first few nights.
Gradually ease your baby into the habit of sleeping alone by slowly developing a routine for your baby. Routines can range from anything like a warm bath to a gentle massage before bed. Make sure that the routines are carried out with consistency and in the same order and same time every night.
Once your baby is used to sleeping alone in the cot beside your bed, you can gradually start moving your baby into her own room. However, always remember to keep a baby monitor to make sure that she will still be able to call on you when she needs to. Your young one might not be used to the idea of sleeping alone in her own room at first, so you can opt to sleep with her in her room to help her get used to the new environment.
It will leave you with more time to get some rest or do exercises to help you with your weight loss plans. Having these extra hours a day can make a significant change in your healthy eating diet as you will have more time to prepare a complete meal to help your body lose baby weight.
Finally, once your baby has a regular sleeping pattern, you will also get some good sleep and get the rest that you deserve. Don’t forget that rest is very important because it can help you refocus your mind and supply you with the energy that you need to cope with the rewarding activities of being a new mum.