Help! My newborn won’t sleep!

In the first few months you may find it difficult to get your baby to sleep. This can be due to your baby waking up more and producing their own melatonin. Certain amounts of crying can be very normal in the first few weeks. This is better known as purple cry which is period in which your little one may be extremely unsettled. It usually begins around week 2 and can last until around 3-4 months. Until 4 months I suggest more hands-on techniques to get your baby to sleep. Techniques such as shush pat and Harvey Karp 5 S’s are great ways to introduce self-settling.

- Around 6 weeks I would ensure they sleep in a completely pitch-black room for both day and night sleep. At this age, it is important to continue providing a dark environment for sleep. Although babies receive a certain amount of melatonin from breastmilk, they start producing their own at 6 weeks. Creating a dark environment will help her to wind down and reduce distractions.

- Follow a feed-play sleep routine. Newborns only need to be awake for a fraction of the time. Aim for around 40-45 minutes.

- Watch for sleepy cues. These can include whinging, red eyebrows, staring, rubbing their face, yawning, no eye contact, clenched fists, arching their back or hysterical crying.

- Ensure a good wind down before each nap which can include taking them into a dark room, changing the nappy and having a cuddle.

- Allow for one motionless sleep a day in which they are in their cot.

 - Focus on swaddling them with a jersey wrap to reduce the startle reflex completely.

- Start consistency from day one with little cues such as a bath in the evening to wind them down. Over time your little one will be able to identify this means their big sleep is coming.

 - Use a white noise machine from day one rather than using it on an iPhone or iPad. The reason for this is that the android can let off a high-pitch frequency that can irritate the baby’s ears. Aim to have your white noise sitting at around 60-65 db.