Published: Monday 06 December 2021

Whether you’re a parent attending a baby massage class or a teacher running your own classes, one of the amazing benefits of baby massage is its ability to help establish a good nightly sleep pattern.

We all know that each baby is different, but there are some sleep patterns that most babies adhere to (read our previous article to get an idea of what you can expect).

If a child’s sleep patterns seem out of the ordinary or erratic introducing massage may help gain some consistency. Even just a short massage each day relaxes baby and can help them to sleep better, especially as part of a bedtime routine.

We’re all governed by our circadian rhythms - the pattern our body clock adheres to each day. There’s research that suggests a regular massage can help with establishing a baby’s circadian rhythms, which should result in more sleep at night and an active little one in the daytime.

We all start to produce melatonin - the hormone that makes us drowsy and ready for bed - as night draws in and it gets darker, and we continue to produce it during a night’s sleep. As babies don’t immediately appreciate the need to sleep at night, a relaxing massage can help to release the melatonin and, therefore, create a drowsy baby!

Make sure, as with your overall night time routine, that the massage is done in a quiet, warm and darkened environment to ensure that the experience is as relaxing as possible. This is also, of course, a great chance for parent or carer and baby to bond. It won’t work for all babies - some find it hard to get used to being massaged - but a gentle massage before bedtime should help your son or daughter drift off to the land of nod calmly and consistently.

If you're looking to train as a baby massage teacher - so you can share this amazing skill with families in your community - we usually have courses running throughout the UK. With the changes to situations relating to the pandemic we are holding off planning dates for the time being. However, we also offer an excellent online distance learning option. This course is studied at your own pace, from home and - like the face-to-face course - covers all you need to know to run your own baby massage classes. Both courses are fully accredited.

If you're a parent having problems settling baby into an acceptable sleep routine, To Baby and Beyond can help with their sleep support programme. We'll tailor the help and advice to suit your situation; just give us a call on 01273 702496 to have a chat about how we can help you claim back your nights.

Alternatively, why not learn some baby massage yourself? We've an easy-to-follow online course designed specifically for parents. Take a look at it here.


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