Newborn's Love to Party: 6 Tricks to Get A Baby to Sleep

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Your newborn is at home now, but doesn’t seem to want to sleep. Go figure! Parents everywhere are asking themselves, how do I actually get a baby to sleep?…. especially, a new one! Well, my tired mom friend, it is possible, and I have the answers. These solutions also come complete with mom-approved, tried and true products you can easily purchase to make more sleep your reality. So, let’s get to it, mama!

For moms, this topic opens the floodgates to a world of advice from just about everyone you meet.

During the newborn stage, I especially heard it all:

“Keep your baby up all day, so they will sleep all night.”

“Give them rice cereal, that’s what I did.”

“Are you filling him up enough before bed?”

Just the simple question of “Is your baby sleeping through the night yet?” made me want to punch someone.

Don’t worry, none of this “advice” will be found in this article.

The reality is, your newborn is a rockstar, and to receive rockstar status, they partake in some long nights of partying. I should know…Our baby loved to party; jamming all night, then sleeping off his hangover during the day. Sometimes, the rager continued the following day, with little to no naps in between.

The positive and somewhat ironic part of these long nights, was it gave me time to research ways to make my baby go the eff to sleep. Things that actually work.

These tips are also followed with mom’s top picks to make each of these newborn sleep tricks, even easier to apply!

It’s true! Getting a baby to sleep is as simple as adding products to your online shopping cart and placing an order. The road to sleep is just a few words and couple clicks away, and, let me tell you, it’s a glorious thing!

Here are some of the top things I found that helped get my newborn to sleep, so he could quit his training to become the next Mick Jagger:

1. Fix the Day and Night Mix-up

Your baby is on an opposite schedule as you are, so getting that little punk rocker to understand the difference between day and night right away is of the utmost importance.

For further explanation on this topic and helpful tips on how to help fix your child’s day and night mix up, check out my post here. Solving this day and night confusion is the first step in getting your baby to sleep and it’s not that hard!

2. Get an Exercise Ball, Now… Like Right Now

I’m sure you heard baby’s like to be rocked or bounced to sleep. So did I. As a result, I would walk around while wildly swaying him in my arms. It’s a lot of work!

Some nights I was so tired I literally felt like my legs were going to give out and my arms would just fall off my torso.

If I just described you, save yourself now, and get an exercise ball like I did! Seriously, it’s magic!

Not even kidding, when I held him while bouncing on this thing, his bloodshot eyes started to close.

Why an exercise ball is for you:

Gives your arms and legs a break
Can add a nursing pillow to provide extra comfort for you and baby
Can be easily deflated & boxed up for storage

I still want to shout from the rooftops how much the exercise ball changed my life. Who knew such simple tool could help get a baby to sleep?

3. White Noise the Ish Out of Them

The woman’s womb is like a dance club for babies. It’s loud AF in there. Therefore, they are comforted by consistent noise.

If you want to get a baby to sleep, especially a newborn, you definitely need a good white noise machine!

Munchkin Nursery Projector and Sound System is a permanent fixture in our sleep routine, and here’s why:

It plays constantly (many sound machines turn off after a certain amount of time)
It has a built-in night light
It’s easy to pack for vacations and other travel

Important Reason Why You should NOT Use a White Noise App:

I had downloaded a free app called Relax Melodies, which had tons of different varieties of white noise. Although I liked the app, I read in The Happiest Baby on the Block (A must-read for new parents trying to get a baby to sleep) that you shouldn’t use a smartphone for white noise because of the constant microwave radiation it gives off. Although, my dishwasher worked wonders for noise, I knew I couldn’t use this tool every night.

4. Buy Whatever Bed Will Help Them to Sleep

Since many modern moms are opting to co-sleep with their little ones, your baby probably won’t be sleeping in their own crib for awhile. So what else can they use as a bed in the meantime? There are a ton of different types to choose from.

My advice: buy whatever bed will help your baby sleep, but start with the ones I’ve suggested here to save yourself time and money.

Our favorites were the Graco DreamGlider and the Fisher-Price Cradle ‘n Swing (pictured above) because:

One is good for night sleep and one is good for naps
They provide a tight, snuggly space for a baby to sleep (Great for transition from mom’s womb)
They both rock & sway, which helps lull newborns to sleep

Check out more thorough descriptions and reviews of different places babies can sleep other than a crib here!

Trust me, when you are desperate for your baby to sleep, you will be so thankful you have an arsenal of beds, rockers, and swings to put them in.

5. Swaddle That BabySwaddling is a freaking art form and has been around for centuries!

It takes time and practice, but it is so worth it. It would amaze my husband and I how quickly we could get our baby to sleep with a good swaddle.

Although there are several different swaddling contraptions on the market, there’s a reason why mom’s go back to the original swaddle blanket… because it works!

My favorite blanket for swaddling my baby in are these muslin ones from SwaddleMe because:

The material made swaddling easier
They hold up after millions… and millions of washes
They are beautifully priced for the quality you receive

6. Black Out Curtains

Ever been to Vegas and were stoked the hotel you stayed at had the best blackout curtains ever? Well, your little party animal will too.

Not only will they help in those first days with baby, the curtains will continue to be vital for keeping baby asleep longer in the morning and establishing a brilliant nap time routine later.

I am so glad I found these Eclipse blackout curtains when I did! They rock and keep my baby sleeping better and longer.

I love them because:

They do a GREAT job of blocking out that dreadful sunlight
They come in different styles and sizes for an awesome price
The grommets make opening and closing the curtains much easier

See more about black out curtains described in my post here.

Getting That Baby to Sleep, In a Nutshell

Life as a first-time parent is not easy, especially when it seems to difficult to get a baby to sleep. Nothing is worse than seeing a wide awake baby, when you’re tired AF.

Using these 6 easy to follow tips and using these awesome suggested products, you can convince them to get a little shut eye.

Use the links below to quickly add these mom-approved product suggestions to your shopping cart and be one step closer to getting your newborn baby to finally sleep.

Don’t forget to visit my other posts regarding how to get a baby to sleep: