Creating sweet dreams: A parent’s guide to good sleep hygiene

Establishing healthy sleep habits for your baby is one of the most important steps towards ensuring they get the rest they need for proper growth and development. One key element is ensuring your baby has good sleep hygiene – a set of habits, behaviours and practices that create an ideal environment for better, more consistent sleep.

What is sleep hygiene?

Sleep hygiene refers to the habits and environmental factors that promote good sleep. For babies, this involves setting routines and creating surroundings that support restful and restorative sleep. Developing these habits early can help prevent sleep challenges down the road and encourage healthy sleep patterns as your child grows.

Top five tips for healthy sleep hygiene

Here are some simple but effective ways to improve your baby’s sleep hygiene:

1. Establish a consistent bedtime routine

A predictable bedtime routine helps signal to your baby that it’s time to wind down. Activities like a warm bath, a gentle massage, reading a short book or singing lullabies can create comforting sleep associations.

2. Create a sleep-friendly environment

Ensure your baby’s sleep space is quiet, dark and comfortable. Use a blackout blind to block out light, a white noise machine to minimise disruptive sounds and maintain a cool room temperature (around 16-18°C).

3. Follow age-appropriate sleep schedules

Pay attention to your baby’s sleep needs and wake windows based on their age. Overtiredness can lead to difficulty falling and staying asleep, so try to put your baby down when they’re showing you tired signs.

4. Limit stimulation before bedtime

Avoid overstimulating activities close to bedtime, such as loud play or screen exposure. Calming activities help your baby relax and prepare for sleep.

5. Optimise sleep latency

The time it takes for your little one to fall asleep after going to bed (sleep latency) should be around 15-20 minutes. You can’t accurately measure it, but you can get a sense of whether your child is ‘crashing’ into sleep or falling asleep slowly. Look for limp limb signs and changes to their breathing (quiet, deep, slow and even). 

Why is sleep hygiene important?

Good sleep hygiene helps regulate your baby’s internal clock and promotes longer, deeper sleep. It also supports cognitive development, emotional wellbeing and overall health. Establishing healthy sleep habits early on can lead to better sleep patterns as your child grows – and helps you get some much-needed rest, too.

Final thoughts

Mastering sleep hygiene doesn’t have to be complicated. With consistent routines, a calming sleep environment and following age-appropriate sleep schedules, you can help your baby – and yourself – enjoy more peaceful nights and well-rested days.