Newborn Nights

They’re always a different experience. And some nights are certainly easier than others. Living in Las Vegas, you’d think I’d be used to pulling all-nighters, but the fatigue can get to you fast. A few key things I’ve learned that have made it much easier…

First and foremost, you have to wait until LO is ready for sleep. This is the most important rule and seems simple, but when you’re exhausted and want to go to sleep yourself, it’s not always that easy. Sometimes, you just need to cuddle or rock them until they get tired.

I’ve found that rocking a swaddled (fed & dry) baby is key. It’s important to make sure it’s a fluid motion that goes back and forth. It should come pretty naturally to you, and I’ve even found myself rocking when I don’t have my LO in my arms!

Lastly, you need to make sure you have the right environment for sleep. Make sure it’s darkly lit with relaxing music or white noise - I recommend the ocean sounds playlist on Spotify, a white noise machine, or even shushing from your mouth. As I said earlier, this works best when they’re already tired, but this can help get you on the way. A gentle touch is important when putting LO to sleep in the bassinet or crib. The tricky part is sliding your hands out from under them without waking them up. I will usually hold her on her side with my left hand and place my right on the side of her head so she knows she’s still being held until she’s more deeply asleep.