How I Got My Baby to Sleep through the Night

*We’ve partnered with Newton Baby to help your little one (and you!) get a better night’s sleep.

Figuring out how to get your baby to sleep through the night is pretty much the holy grail for a new parent. And although you can read every book, follow the doctor’s orders, even hire a sleep expert, sometimes the best advice comes from a fellow mom. Someone who’s been there, logged those midnight hours (plural), and come out on the other side with a well-slept baby who wakes up happy.

Since we personally think a good night’s baby sleep starts with a really awesome, healthy mattress, we partnered with Newton Baby to bring you the secret sleep sauce of some of the most well-rested baby mamas we could find. Here’s some real-life mom advice on how to get your baby to sleep through the night, and real-life photos of what a well-slept baby looks like.

“My secret sleep sauce is a full belly all day and especially before bed, plus a great swaddle and absorbent diapers. My 10-week old sleeps 9-11 hours straight with this secret sauce. In the morning I wake Benjamin, and he stretches for about 10 minutes and is ready to start his day.” -Michelle T.

“Going back to work! I returned to work last week just after my little one turned 6 months. She had been an ebf baby until 5.5 months when we started a few solids but she was not willing to take a bottle. Up until this week she wouldn’t sleep more than 3 hours at a time but this week I’m on night shift and Daddy is getting up with her. It hasn’t taken her long to realize she isn’t getting to nurse at all hours so now she sleeps for 6 -7 hours straight. Lucky daddy.” -Andrea J.

“Getting to bed before the window has shut! We noticed when my son was about 3-3.5 months old, as soon as we were ready to sit down to dinner with our 3 year old, he was fussy and nothing would settle him but to be held. Which, when trying to get our toddler fed, made dinner time a challenge. One night, I fed him before the rest of us ate dinner, around 6:30pm, and put him down in his crib. He cried a little bit, but after a few minutes he had fallen asleep. And stayed asleep until the next morning (about 10 hours)! So we did it again the next night, with the same results. He was telling us at dinner time each night that he was ready for bed, we just didn’t know it.” -Jenny W.

“My secret sleep sauce is breast milk! Unfortunately my baby is picky and nurses to sleep every night and most naps!” -Ashley F.

“Our sweet baby boy slept for 9.5 hours at just 10 weeks old! I don’t think there is a secret sleep sauce, but it’s important to stick with what works even when it doesn’t. For example, we were convinced that Remy didn’t like being swaddled, but we learned that we weren’t swaddling him correctly. We needed to swaddle him tight enough to keep him from waking himself with his flailing arms. We also read about baby R.E.M. cycles and realized we were putting him down while he was in active sleep as opposed to deep sleep. My husband and I worked hard for the first couple months to get to know our baby. There were many challenging nights, but it was totally worth the struggle once he finally slept through the night.” -Maggie M.

“My baby has been sleeping through the night for the last week and a half! Here’s a few reasons why: She’s the second child! What they say is true, they are easier. Also, a white noise machine is a must. And my last theory is that it was recommended to not try a pacifier until 4 weeks. By that time, she was already sleeping in long stretches and never took to the paci, so we don’t spend the night putting it back in every time it falls out!” -Shannon R.

“Put her down drowsy but awake! It has taught her to fall asleep by herself (and no crying)! She’s been sleeping through the night since 6 weeks old using this technique. If only I had figured this out with her brother…he didn’t sleep through the night until 6 months.” -Marissa F

“One thing I knew I wanted (needed) going into motherhood was a healthy sleep routine for my baby… I started out by deciding what routine I wanted to implement for naps/nighttime. Adelynn’s started out with nursing, reading a book, and a lullaby. Then I would swaddle and “shush shush” her to help her get drowsy. Every time, it’s the same. I started this routine when she was 6 weeks old. The next big thing was laying her down drowsy, but not asleep, and I prepared myself for some crying and determined what I could handle. I also left her in bed (during naps) for at least 45 minutes to help her understand that if she woke up in 20 minutes it was not playtime.

“Adelynn now has a regular sleep schedule that leaves her one of the cheeriest kiddos I know. She has been sleeping through the night since she was 3 months. Granted there are times of change that she wakes up once in the middle of the night or doesn’t nap well. But, for the majority of the time, she does wonderfully. I think the most important thing with sleep training is consistency! Find something you like and repeat it over, and over, and over… and do it again. Also, get some help! Discuss this with your partner, mom, baby sitter so that they can be on the same page. Finally, if you just can’t take it and want to hold your baby while they sleep, DO IT! It’s okay to treat yourself with some baby snuggles!” -Aisha M.

Share your Secret Sleep Sauce with us on Instagram! Be sure to tag @wellroundedny @newtonbabyrest and use hashtag #wakeuphappy!

*This post was sponsored by Newton Baby. Get $30 off a Newton Baby Wovenaire Full or Mini-Size Mattress with code WRNY at newtonbaby.com. Expires Dec. 31st 2017.