We all love our kids. But sometimes, we love them more when they’re sleeping ;). 

These 3 baby bedtime hacks have helped get my son to sleep at the same time every night. I know that every baby is different and it might be luck, but I swear these hacks have also kept my son sleeping through the entire night since week 8.

1. Live-in Help

Invest in “live-in help.” AKA Alexa.

The second I get home from work I start ordering Alexa around to feel better about myself. This also helps me relax. And when I’m relaxed, my baby is relaxed.

Starting at 6pm I have her dim the lights, and every half-hour that follows I have her go a little darker. I bark arbitrary lighting scales around 10-50% until its pitch black after my son finishes his nighttime feeding.

She’s also replaced every alternative “white noise” machine, mobile music player, and my questionable singing voice. We’ve programmed her to play a solid hour of adult-approved lullabies before automatically shutting herself off.

#kaufMOMhacks: Set up Alexa with the skill to play an hour of bedtime music that you’ll actually enjoy. We love Sleep Baby Sleep on Spotify.

2. Snuggles

We always reserve the snuggle swaddling for nighttime and bedtime. The blanket doesn’t go on until 10 minutes before it’s time for the crib, for the last few sips of the nighttime bottle. The warmth and recognition of this pattern keeps our baby in the zone the second he gets snuggled up. Like it’s go time.

SwaddleMe’s are great when baby is small – my son always liked to have his hands free but we kept the rest of him swaddled in. Circa 3-months, he graduated to a sleep sack.

#kaufMOMhacks: Change baby’s diaper and swaddle him/her up to lull them into sleep mode before they finish off last 2 ounces of the night. That way, you don’t inadvertently wake baby for a change – or to adjust a bib – just when they’re on the verge of sleep.

3. The Opposite of Dieting

We always put at least 1.5 ounces more than our son typically eats in his nighttime bottle.

When he starts to pass out, we tempt him with just a tad too much – a slurp more that he even wants to eat. We do this by stimulating the jawline with a little tickle or wiggling the bottle/boob in question.

One small extra burp might be required after this move, but magic follows.

And by magic, I mean a long, restful night.

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