Sleep Hacks for Exhausted Parents

Feeling sleepy?  Here's how to help your baby get to sleep – and get some rest yourself.  Tried and true tips from parents who have been there!

How to Lay your Baby Down Awake, but Drowsy

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I don't do this every single time with Sadie, but I've found that being able to help her lie down either drowsy or just having drifted off is nice.  She's learning a good sleep habit simply and easily.  These are some good tips to help with that 🙂 Via Military Wife and Mom

Like I said in my post Top 10 Newborn Sleep Tips, laying your baby down awake but drowsy can be kind of tricky sometimes trying to get the timing down and catching your baby’s optimal sleep window.

Baby sleep guidelines to live by

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I love this chart because it shows how long your baby can be awake. That's the key to helping a newborn develop good sleep habits – watch them and not the clock!  Study this chart 🙂 Via sheknows

If having my second child taught me anything, it's this: There is no one-size-fits-all sleep solution to suit all babies.

Skipping the Cribs to Create a Sleeping Space

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This is a fabulous idea!  We have always skipped the crib, and I really like this little idea to help with that. Via Montessori Moms

The boys turned 6 months last week and it is amazing to think that they have been a part of our lives for half a year! Time flies and I love that we are able to document their development on this great blog, sharing our routines and methods with those people out there who are curious as to how things are done the Montessori way.

Montessori Bedroom: Sleep Well

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Another nice Montessori-inspired post on helping create a nice bedroom environment.  Via Child Led Life

The Montessori Method gives wonderful guidance on helping children sleep well based on research of natural sleep patterns. Good sleep is essential to good health yet many parents find themselves sleep deprived as they help a new baby adjust to the world around them.

5 Tips To Help Your Bedtime-Hating Toddler Learn To Love Sleep

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Have a tot who doesn't want to sleep?  Check out these suggestions for changing up the routine 🙂 Via Cloudy with a Chance of Wine

Raising a toddler comes with its fair share of challenges, right? Between the growing sense of independence (hellooooo, tantrums!), the strange obsessions and aversions that seem to change by the minute (your toddler loves ketchup, until the day he decides he hates it), and the newfound mobility (anyone else entered a room to find their toddler scaling a piece of furniture?), raising a toddler is TOUGH.

Tutorial: Rockin’ Baby Gown {t-shirt refashion}

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Being cozy and warm (or cool in hot weather) is important for baby.  Gowns are an easy way to keep baby covered and cozy so you know cold isn't what's waking him or her.  Via This Mama Makes Stuff

Follow instructions to put your pattern together & read through the picture tutorial before you start cutting. There is a neck hem variation you might want to try! I would suggest making your first gown out of a shirt that isn’t your favorite. Sewing on knit can be a little tricky and hemming the curved neck edge takes some practice, but you’ll get the hang of it.

(Hint: Would you like practical, no-nonsense, really-help-you-get-more sleep tips on handling nap time and bedtime with your little one? Check out the baby sleep crib sheet - no crib required - and get better sleep tonight. Get it here.) ultimate baby sleep crib sheet

10 Reasons Why Babies Don’t Sleep…

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Are you worried there's a reason baby isn't sleeping?  This list helps you check through common reasons to see if there's a need – or if it's a habit.  Via Mummyology

There is an expectation that babies sleep a lot, 12 hours at night, 4 or 5 hours during the day, that they will start ‘sleeping through the night’ from 6 weeks old, that they can be popped in their cot and they will happily drift off to sleep with a yawn and a sigh.

DIY sleep cream

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A nice little hack for creating a soothing sleeping environment.  Via My Chocolate Moments

If you have a little one who does not sleep well then you need this sleep cream! It’s easy to make and very effective.

21 Baby Sleep Tips

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Here's a set of no-nonsense tips you can incorporate into your baby sleep toolkit tonight.  Very useful! Via Get Your Baby To Sleep

So, you’re interested in improving your baby’s sleep habits, and teaching him or her to sleep through the night? This page is a great starting point. On it, I’ve collected 21 of my best “baby sleep” tips, with links to more detailed articles. Read and enjoy!

Gentle Ways To Help Your Child Sleep Through the NIght (Without Crying it Out)

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Good tips for no crying! Via Clarks Condensed

It’s hard one when your child won’t sleep through the night – believe me, I know! However, not everyone wants to sleep train. We didn’t. Here are some gentle ways to help your child sleep through the night without crying it out

8 Infant Sleep Facts Every Parent Needs to Know

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Understanding how baby's sleep – what's biologically and physiologically normal, can help you handle the early days of lack of sleep (and find ways for everyone to get more rest).  Via Military Wife And Mom

Especially when it comes to babies because in the beginning, we are so, so tired, and we just want to catch a little bit of rest. These tips may not cure sleep deprivation or even teach your baby to sleep through the night, but it is my hope they will aid you in guiding your baby to sleeping better.

Essential Oils: Lavender Oil for Sleep Problems

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Another way to use essential oils to help your kids sleep better. Via Our Family Eats

My first experience with the oils is what convinced me they were going to be in our lives forever. My daughter’s stunning improvement after cutting out artificial ingredients convinced me that everyone deserves the opportunity to know what chemicals are really doing to our health. But even with the dramatic changes we have seen, her energy level is unbounded. She has never willingly gone to bed and she consistently has trouble sleeping through the night.

12 Ideas for Helping Kids Sleep During Travel

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Just when you think you've gotten things figured out, travel time comes along!  Here's how to handle the impact travel has on sleep.  Via Nothing if not Intentional

By far my biggest concern when traveling with a toddler is how it will disrupt our normally wonderful sleep schedules.

(Hint: Would you like practical, no-nonsense, really-help-you-get-more sleep tips on handling nap time and bedtime with your little one? Check out the baby sleep crib sheet - no crib required - and get better sleep tonight. Get it here.) ultimate baby sleep crib sheet
Sleep Hacks for Exhausted Parents

About the author 

Kristen

Kristen is childbirth educator, student midwife, and a mama to 8 - all born naturally! She has spent years helping mamas have healthy babies, give birth naturally, and enjoy the adventure of motherhood. Find her on her website NaturalBirthandBabyCare.com and helping families through her online childbirth class MamaBabyBirthing.com

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