Dr. Daniel Weissbluth of Weissbluth Pediatrics, weissbluthpediatrics.com has some advice for parents.
1. Lighting (Do-- Turn off the lights)
A dark room is ideal for sleep-- lights off, impervious to daylight and light pollution from the city lights at night. The more you can block outside light when your baby is sleeping, the more consolidated and uninterrupted sleep your baby will have. The least expensive way to block sunlight could be putting a black garbage bag or black felt on your windows if your existing blinds or window coverings don't do the trick. For those looking for a fancier solution, you can Google "window coverings darken room" for a bunch of different solutions in a variety of price ranges.
2. Sound (Do-- Get a sound machine)
Some ambient noise help aids in sleep. White noise machine, humidifiers, lullaby apps on mobile phones simply create ambient background noise such as rushing water or soft-blowing wind, designed to relax and lull the mind to sleep.
3. Crib (Do -- ABCs and rid the crib of pillows, stuffed animals, and heavy blankets)
The most important thing about sleeping is that the child is safe in their crib. We follow the ABC for sleeping-- Alone (no bed sharing), on their Back, in a Crib. A good crib has a firm mattress and is without pillows, stuffed animals, and/or heavy blankets. Those additional items put a newborn at risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and should be avoided.
4. Baby Monitor (Not all baby monitors are the same)
Normal baby monitors heighten the sensitivity of parents and interrupt the sleep training for their newborns. Weissbluth branded monitors create a level of comfort with every use.
