I used to be such a mom who didn’t care about her baby’s daytime activity management so that she could have a proper sound night’s sleep. I was always worried about getting her adequate sleep every day, but I used to ignore the fact that daytime activities can significantly affect my baby’s night sleep. Why I did not, I don’t know. It may be because I couldn’t find any direct connection between these two. But, then when I started searching for ways to improve my baby’s sleep better (I had to because it was impacting my daily activities as well), I looked in the internet blogs, articles, YouTube videos; you just name it. And then I realized where I was doing it all wrong. My baby used to be very fussy at night. Sometimes she used to sleep well; but most of the time, either she fell asleep very late or even if she went to sleep on time, she used to wake up in the middle of the night. After reading multiple articles and listening to doctor’s podcasts, I noted some points which I implemented later and got a good result.
Babies are like sponges. Whatever you do, they try to mimic you. During the daytime, some interactive play, different physical activities, and exposure to the sun make them tired and keep their minds fresh. Being inside the house all day long isn’t healthy for them, which could be quite monotonous. Just think of yourself. Do you like being in the room all day? No. Your baby doesn’t as well. I was fortunate enough that there were many kids used to play in front of our parking lot. When my baby started walking, I took her to play with them. I don’t know how much she did understand everything, but she looked very happy and playing all afternoon made her tired as well. I also read somewhere that being in the sunlight helps your baby to differentiate between daytime and nighttime, which helps their body clock understand when to sleep and when to remain active. And I bet you already know the vitamins and all other benefits we get from sunlight.
Another thing is being consistent with the daytime routine, say if it is their feeding time or nap time, be consistent. Being consistent helps their body to expect something, and their body is already ready to accept it. It was quite a myth to me that having a proper nap during the daytime helps your baby to have a great night’s sleep. Being too tired from sleep deprivation doesn’t let them sleep further. So letting your baby sleep as long as they want during the day is crucial for their quality night sleep. And of course, I can’t stress enough the necessity of sleep for their proper physical and mental development.
Having proper nutrition and a full stomach support your baby with a great sleep. During the initial months, feed them as much as you can; either bottled food or breastmilk. The more they intake food during the daytime, the less likely they are to be hungry during the sleep. However, despite that if they are likely to be hungry during their sleep, try to feed them during their sleep even if they are not awake. I used to feed my baby during her sleep and change her diaper so that she doesn’t feel hungry and has a sound sleep throughout the night.”