How to Plan your Baby’s Nursery for a Good Night’s Sleep

It’s tempting when first planning your baby’s nursery to concentrate on the adorable bedding, cot bumpers and cute baby stuff available. But if you want your baby to sleep through the night as early as possible, planning the nursery around this will make all the difference in those sleep deprived weeks yet to come.

If you already have a baby and sleep is an issue for you, the tips and suggestions here will be just as useful. Some small adjustments in your baby’s nursery could make a big difference to any sleeping issues you may be facing.

The most important thing your baby nursery needs is a safe place to sleep. Your baby will grow out of her crib or Moses basket quite quickly but it is still useful for helping a newborn become accustomed to sleeping outside of the womb. The Moses basket will help her to feel safe and secure.

When you’re ready to move your baby into the cot, simply place the Moses basket inside the cot for a few nights to familiarize your baby with her new surroundings. You can then start putting her straight into the cot.

It’s important your baby’s cot is safe. Cots with solid boards at the tops and bottom aren’t recommended. A cot with bars all the way around enables air to freely circulate while your baby is sleeping.

Choose a new, firm and clean mattress that fits well. A gap of more than 2.5cm between the side of the mattress and the cot is not safe.

You’ll need a lot less cot bedding than you think. Three or four fitted sheets for the Moses basket and the same again for the cot will be all you need. A baby blanket might be useful in the Moses basket but the safest and easiest option is a good quality sleeping bag.

Choose a fabric like bamboo which has natural anti-bacterial properties. Because of its smooth fibers and the lack of chemical additives (bamboo is bleached without using chlorine), bamboo is a perfect choice when choosing bedding for your baby.

A music player will help you use white noise or lullabies as part of your baby’s bedtime routine. These sounds will encourage your baby to relax and transition from awake to asleep.

Rhythmical sounds and white noise also help a baby to move between sleep cycles without fully waking. When in the womb, your baby was surrounded by sound so absolute silence is very disconcerting for her. Monotonous background noise helps babies to relax and feel safe.

Some babies will sleep anywhere, in any amount of light. Others won’t. Most babies sleep better in the dark simply because their bodies start to produce the sleep hormone that is stimulated by darkness. Your baby will sleep better at night if she gets good quality naps in the day. She is also less likely to wake early in the summer months if the sun isn’t streaming into her bedroom at 5am. So blackout blinds are highly recommended.

Investing in these basic items for your baby’s nursery will be a great starting point for you to begin to establish healthy sleeping habits for your baby.

Looking to find the best advice on planning a baby nursery? Then visit Sleepytot.com for free advice on choosing a baby cot.