Viral TikTok Shows Mom's Step-by-Step Routine for Getting Baby to Sleep Through the Night
"How's your baby sleeping?" is a question many parents get shortly after getting a newborn. (Note: "Can I watch the baby so you can shower and sleep?" is a far less loaded question.) The truth is, all children are different, but many parents are relieved when their little ones start giving them 11 to 12-hour stretches at night. One mom found her newborn started giving her that sought-after luxury pretty early in the game—her son is now 11 weeks old.
The mom, Caitlin Jane (or @caitsjayne4 on TikTok), shared her secrets.
Here's how the routine goes down: Mom draws a warm evening bath, followed by pajama time. Next comes a 6 oz. bottle and a quick comb of his hair. Then, she uses a Love To Dream swaddle and turns on the white noise machine. Sometimes, she'll give him a "dream feed" (a feeding right before you hit the sack, usually about two to three hours after you put the baby down). But her son didn't need it the night Jane filmed the video, so she followed his lead and let him sleep.
It sounds like magic, but Jane concedes that her process may not work for everyone.
"Every baby is different. Just because my baby sleeps through [the night] doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong. This may give you a few ideas to try," she wrote in a comment under her video.
Some parents offered praise for the mom.
"This is amazing, Cait. You're an amazing mummy," someone wrote.
"I wish him many years of health and happiness. He's adorable. Well done, mom," one person commented.
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"I did this routine with both of my children, and they were both long sleepers, too," wrote another.
But others were quick to point out the possibility that this successful step-by-step process could be less effective in the coming months. "I'll check back when the four-month sleep regression starts," someone said.
FYI: Sleep regressions happen to some—but not all—babies. There are many reasons regressions occur, including a desire to practice new milestones at night, the need to drop a nap, and separation anxiety.
And others just wanted all parents to know that how long your child sleeps does not define you as a parent.
"Anyone reading this is doing everything they can. You are doing enough, and there is no magic cure. Some babies do, and some babies just don't sleep well," a person wrote in a comment that's received 97 likes.
Sometimes, not overthinking it (or comparing) is the best strategy.
