62 | June 2020 |motherandbaby.co.uk
UNDERSTANDING YOUR BABY’S SLEEPfocusonbalancinghissleep,’saysLucy.‘Aim
fora napeverytwo hours anda feed every
four hours. This consistency will help to
get his internal rhythms in sync, which –
in turn – will help him develop a more
regular sleeping pattern.’
At this age babies still need feeds overnight,
so accept that you’ll need to be giving him
milk sometime before midnight and again
sometime after.
● PRACTISE ROLLING You can help your
baby to become a champion roller, building
his muscles and ensuring that if he rolls in the
night, he can roll himself back into a better
position. But how? Rolling practice!
‘Spend 10 minutes a day on this,’ says
Lucy. ‘Encourage him to roll from his back
onto his tummy. Then “re-roll” him onto
his back, so that he knows how that feels.
Just keep giving him plenty of tummy-time
opportunitiesto rockhimselffromhisfrontto
hisback,sothat hebuildsthestrengthhe
needs to do it independently.’
● HAVE FUN IN THE COT If you are moving
your baby from a Moses basket to a cot,
remember that this is a massive change for
your baby, and that he’ll need time to
acclimatise to his new sleeping space.
‘The best way to do that is to let him spend
some time in his cot when he’s awake,’ says
Lucy. ‘Make it a happy place by playing simple
games with him in the cot – like peek-a-boo
or by singing songs to him.
‘It will also help if the space smells of you.
So, before you move him into the cot, spend
a couple of nights sleeping with his sheet
in your own bed with you at night, so that
it takes on your familiar scent. That way,
when you put it on his cot mattress, it will be
instantly comforting to your little one.’Yo u
can do it!
‘The four to six monthsstageis
a tiring one for many, manyparents,’
says Lucy. ‘It’s importantto remember
that things will shift when yourbaby
re aches six months old. In the meantime,
go easy on yourself. Don’t expectany sleep
miracles. Take any opportunities you can
to rest yourself. And make sure you get
plenty of fresh air and regular
mealtimes, so you have as much
energy as possible’.Wehavefive
copiesof All
AbouttheBaby
Sleep Solution
by Lucy Wolfe
(£14.99,Gill
Books) to give
away. Enter
(it’s free) at
winit.mother
andbaby.co.uk,
by 9 June, 20 20.Win!