The Top 10 Sleep Mistakes Parents Make

Thirty minutes to one hour before bedtime، begin your routine. Close the curtains، dim the room، grab a book، and prepare a feeding. Start with a warm bath، which can help soothe your little one. Then، take them straight to their room and dress them in the darkened room with soft music.

Feed your baby in your arms and then read them a story. Once you are finished، settle them into their bed. They should be drowsy but awake.

Ignoring Baby's Sleep Cues

Babies and toddlers send out signals that they're getting tired and need to go to sleep، says Kim West، author of The Sleep Lady's Good Night، Sleep Tight. Some of those cues include eye rubbing، yawning، slowed activity، whining and fussing، and loss of interest in people and play.

Keep an eye on your little one throughout the day، and chances are you'll see a pattern develop around when they need to nap and go to bed each night. If you can't see those signals، West suggests going to a quiet، dimly lit room and engaging in a gentle activity when you think sleep time is approaching—you just might see the signs start to appear.

If you're in a situation with an overtired and overstimulated little one، says Faure، remove them from the stimulation and take them to a quiet space and invest a little more time than you usually would in settling them into a drowsy state.

Creating Sleep Crutches

We get it—when it's 3 a.m. and you're utterly exhausted، you'll do pretty much anything to get your newborn back to sleep. This usually includes rocking، nursing، walking، swinging، singing، rubbing their back، etc. According to West، as your baby gets past 3 or 4 months، these simple habits become sleep crutches.