Send in the Blanket Whisperer

If you ask the new parents what is the #1 issue that they have with their new baby; it will probably have something to do with sleep. Frequently asked questions vary from how much sleep does a new baby need to how to get the baby to go to sleep and help him sleep through the night. Sleep is a precious gift. If baby gets a good nights sleep- so do you and then you are ready to deal with the next day well rested.

At www.namelynewborns.com we don't pretend to be experts on all of the many sleep tips that you can find in dozens of books, but as mothers and grandmothers we have discovered one simple solution that has worked for us for two generations. So many things can sabotage baby's sleep schedule. Every baby is different so that eating too heavy a meal before bed can disturb one infant but not another. Too much or too little light can be a problem. Too much noise can be distracting but the right soothing noise can be the key to a good night's sleep. Some baby's need a rigid schedule others are flexible. A bath can soothe one baby and over stimulate another. Games or reading can be overstimulating to one child but a necessary routine to another.

Every mother has to experiment to find the right combination of activities to calm her baby down and prepare for bedtime. But in the end there is one fail safe trick and this is to find the magical item that will be the signal to baby that this is bedtime. We have discovered that this magical item is his special baby blanket; it is used for bedtime and bedtime only. This is not the blanket that you tuck into the diaper bag or spread over his stroller or cover him in his car seat. This blanket should be given a special name; my grandchildren called a "kickee" because they couldn't pronounce blankie and it was only given to them at nap time or bed time. Your baby will realize that once this blanket appears, sleep will soon follow.

Babies have a strong sense of smell and feel. They will recognize this bedtime blanket by its scent and touch when they are newborns and as they eyesight gets stronger; they will know its color and shape. No other blanket will ever be the perfect substitute to help them nod off to dream land. It is always a good idea to buy two or more of these blankets when baby is first born so that you have a ample supply. You can alternate them so that there is always a clean one available. Because we can guarantee you that this will be baby' most important possession it will need to last past toddler hood. The more blankets you have in your stash, the less shabby they will look as baby grows and the better chance you have of getting baby to fall asleep and stay asleep through out the night.