What Are “Sleep Cues” and Will They Work For My Newborn?
Anyone who has encountered a newborn knows, the first few weeks are a back and forth shuffle of sleep, eat, cry, poop and repeat. Learning your baby and knowing his or her cues is a large part of the lovable chaos of the immediate postpartum period. As babies move through the first six weeks of life, their routines are fluid. While it is hard to see a true and lasting pattern of behavior that is predictable in a newborn through all of the growth spurts and developmental changes that occur during this time, it IS helpful to get a few sleep cues established for helping with the transition to longer sleep stretches down the road.
What are sleep cues?
Sleep cues are a pattern or routine of predictable elements that, when present, allow a baby to have sleep overtake them gradually over time with repeated, predictable use. Each element, or ‘cue’, signals to baby when he awakes that it is time for sleep. Babies by nature go through shorter periods of sleep and wake many times. Sometimes, as a baby gets towards the end of their newborn phase, these wakings aren’t due to hunger and, since that is all a baby knows, the baby has trouble soothing themselves back to sleep.
With the presence of a sleep cue, the baby feels secure and, while at first might fuss and need reassurance or to feed, might over time be able to recognize the sleep environment and put himself back to sleep. Over time, the sleep cues in place allow these breaks in the sleep pattern to diminish the true wakings that need to be attended by a parent!
Routine
For each family, sleep cues may look different, or be given in a different order during a ‘bedtime routine’ that can be implemented from birth to allow baby to recognize that sleep is on its way. We recommend trying this bedtime routine a bit before your baby’s first long stretch of sleep, and keeping the elements present for the entire night. Try starting with a bath, then a baby massage and following with a few preparations for sleep before feeding and lulling baby to sleep.
White Noise
Low, continuous white noise sounds, such as the whir of a fan, or rain fall settings on a sound machine, are great for helping babies sleep. Anything that replicates the muffled tones they heard in the womb is soothing enough for sleep. Keeping this on at a moderate volume will allow baby to lull to sleep, and be a great reinforcement when they wake in the night.
Swaddle
Most babies love being tightly swaddled for bedtime as it replicates their womb environment. Not sure which swaddle style to use or if baby likes it? Some babies appreciate their hands up, or are old enough to freely kick without waking themselves. We can steer you towards the right swaddle here.
Dark
Helping with day and night circadian rhythm correction can greatly increase the association of sleep in your newborn. During nighttime sleep, keeping the room as dark as possible where they’re resting is important to helping babies understand the differences between day and night. A dark, quiet room during a night waking will assist in this idea of sleeping time.
Nursing/Sucking
The last element of the routine, feeding or offering a pacifier to baby allows them to add their own soothing efforts to their ability to let sleep overtake them. This is also the first cue that can be removed down the road when working on getting baby to sleep without needing the suck reflex as heavily when they outgrow the need in their stage of development. This is a powerful association and one that is wonderful for helping with sleep in the early weeks with baby.
Temperature
Keeping the room slightly chilly is more conducive to sleep for both parents and babies. Many parents have the instinct to overdress baby and snuggle them with too many layers of blankets for bed. A light swaddle and light onesie is all that baby needs to remain warm during the night.
With a few cues in place for your new bundle, you can establish wonderful sleep associations in your newborn that will be helpful over time as baby grows to create a wonderful set of soothing techniques. With each practice waking, your baby will be comforted and reassured that bedtime is a wonderful and safe place to be! While a newborn will and should wake to eat several times at night, know that these elements are helping your baby learn how to let sleep overtake him for healthy sleep as he moves through his development!
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