We’ve made it our job to get babies to sleep! Top tips for snoozy babies – Newborn photography Essex

I guess every newborn photographer is the same! I’m frequently asked by my lovely clients if they can take me home when they astounded their non sleepy newborn drifts off to sleep to be photographed in dreamy sleepy poses! Newborn photographers have to have a warm environment during a shoot as most of the time baby is naked and snuggled up and needs to be kept warm. New parents and parents of older babies need to ensure baby doesn’t become too warm at home to protect from SIDS – link here for if you are unfamiliar with the syndrome NHS – SIDS  Once you familiarise yourself with the recommendatiosn – not smoking, not too hot, placing baby to sleep on their back, making sure baby can’t get tangled in anything, co sleeping e.t.c. There are so many brilliant things to now help with sleeping, so I’ve compiled a list of top tips for helping your baby to sleep.

• Co sleeping is fantastic if baby is safe in their cot that joins your bed – these co sleepers are tried and trusted by lots of my clients – The Mum Awards Co-Sleeper Awards
• Swaddling using light material and follow specific guidelines two excellent resources on swaddling are – Baby Centre & Lullaby Trust
• Darkness triggers Melatonin which is a sleep hormone – keep the room dark at night and bright during the day babies have a hard time distinguishing between the two. Lowering lights two hours before bed can help to get baby into knowing when they should be asleep
• When baby wakes at night, stay in a darkened room, consider installing blackout blinds
• Don’t immediately pick up a restless baby, but do intervene before baby is inconsolable, self soothing promotes easier sleep as does putting baby to sleep when they are sleepy but not asleep
• Don’t forget in the daytime hours to snuggle and kiss your baby – a baby that feels loved will be more settled
• Ask for help if you are really struggling – don’t suffer in silence – health visitors, Doctors, I can remember phoning the hospital with my first child in tear – it’s good to ask for help don’t feel you have to just manage
• Routine is really helpful, even as children get older routine is really important for them
• When placing baby down and baby is fussy, holding their hands and legs gently to stop them startling, and very gently removing your hand can help baby settle
• Baby massage is a superb way to relieve things like colic, and help relax there are fantastic baby massage classes around
• White noise apps – Ewan The Dream Sheep – the womb was very noisy, that’s why most photographers use some type of white noise app – however babies should never ever be in close range of mobile phones so if you’re using a phone keep it well out of babies way
• If you are breastfeeding research foods that unsettle newborn tummys – it really can help
• Unless baby has pooped – nappies will last a full night usually without needing to be changed – it’s no lie those pesky velcro style tabs cause babies eyes to fling open when we’re just about to nestle them down for their newborn shoot
• Eye contact and talking are stimulation, even though it’s hard to ignore your new utter bundle of cuteness – steel yourself at nightime to teach baby to distinguish between when they should or shouldn’t be asleep
• Dream feed – waking a baby between 10pm & midnight with more restless sleepers can sometimes help them sleep for longer stretches
• Baths tire babies out – it’s worth getting into a routine before bedtime
• Lavender oil is know to relax however not recommended before 6 months at which point a couple of drops on a tissue out of babies reach can help