Summertime is such a bittersweet time for new parents or parents with infants. The weather is finally warm and the days are more often than not sunny and bright, however compared to the rest of the year, the sun just doesn’t want to go away when it’s time for baby to go to sleep at night. Depending on where you are in the country, it doesn’t start to get dark until after 9pm for a lot of the summer, yet babies need to be in bed by 7 or 7:30pm in order to get the most out of their night time rest period. If you’re not prepared, then you could be in for a rough summer trying to get your little one down for the night. Luckily, we have a great guide for you to help get you prepared for this summer and the next so that you and your baby can be set up for success each night.
Tip #1: Adjust Their Schedule To Compensate For Extended Daylight
Why try to fight the tide when you can just adjust to it, right? If your child is sensitive to the extended daylight seeping into the house while you’re desperately trying to convince them to go to sleep, then you may want to stop struggling and just back their bedtime up by a few hours to be more in line with the summer light schedule. Experiment with a new bedtime of 8pm and wake up time of 7:30am or 8am. Try backing it up by 30 minute intervals for the first few days/weeks instead of jumping ahead all at once as well. This will help them get suited to the new schedule more easily and gradually.
To help compensate for the additional hours of light, you may want to invest in a blackout curtains and/or blind window covering combinations if you haven’t already. Here are some great options:
1) Honeycomb – https://amzn.to/3nCPLXp (Home depot has these cut to size)
2) Roller – https://amzn.to/42ynq33
3) Temporary – https://amzn.to/42h9WJx or https://amzn.to/3nGlZAV
4) Curtain – https://amzn.to/3HQEd9F
Tip #2: Temperature Control. Drop The Degrees To Get More Z’s
Temperature control is really important to enable a good sleeping atmosphere for your baby. Their main sleeping room, be it your bedroom or their nursery, should be no warmer than 71 or 72 degrees fahrenheit. Preferably, it should be closer to 67 or 68 degrees fahrenheit. Having a cooler sleeping environment really helps to initiate their natural circadian rhythm that tells their body to go to sleep once their core temperature starts to dip in the evening. Keeping a cooler temperature at night is also a great way to reduce the risk of SIDS (if the room is warmer than 72F).
Tip #3: Use A Lighter Sleep Sack, Pajamas, And/Or Swaddle
In addition to dropping the temperature of the room, it’s important to dress your child in a lighter sleeping garment and sleep sack or swaddle. This will help them to regulate their temperature better and will allow them to stay cool throughout the night. Look for a TOG rating of .5 to 1 unless you’re keeping the house at 66F or under.
We really love these sleep sacks for babies 4-5 months and older:
Kyte (0-6 mo or 6-18 mo sizes) – https://amzn.to/3oFhVRX
Woolino (2-23 mo universal) – https://amzn.to/3MH20KP
Before You Go
We hope you enjoyed learning about summertime baby sleeping tips. If you would like to know more about this, our sleep programs or any of our excellent newborn care services, we are happy to help. Just contact us and we can go over your options and help you find the best path for your little one. We hope these tips have helped you along your journey. If you have any questions about helping your baby to sleep better, or about your baby in general, please reach out to us HERE. We are experts in all things baby and sleep and would love to help!
If you have questions about your child, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We would love to help. Please reach out to us here! We always look forward to hearing from you.
