Can I help my baby sleep better without teaching them to ‘self soothe’?

YES! I could write an entire series of posts specifically on why self soothing is a myth (scroll through my feed and you’ll find a few that explain it a bit!), but just because babies can’t self soothe doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways to naturally help them sleep better.

Here are some ways to improve a child’s sleep without leaving them alone:

❤️ Use napping on the go to your advantage – specifically for the third nap of the day!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🧡 Spend lots of time outside, both for walks and unrestricted playtime – many studies show the benefits of fresh air on a good night’s sleep⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💛 It is recommended to have your baby sleep in the same room as you for the first year of life, or at least for the first 6 months. Babies feel safer when they are in close proximity to their primary caregiver and tend to sleep better⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💚 If rocking, bouncing or nursing to sleep work, and they are not bothersome to you, don’t feel pressure to find another way⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💙Give your child lots of daytime play where they can move around freely. If your child craves proprioceptive input, adding rough and tumble play to bedtime can be helpful in settling their bodies for sleep⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💜 Most importantly, make time for yourself so that you are not feeling overly stressed or anxious. Children have an incredible ability to read the mood in the room, and if something is bothering you and keeping you up at night, it will likely keep them up, too.