Sometimes our sanity and our family depend solely on the sleep habits of the baby, no matter how much caffeine we consume. Check out these five great tips on getting baby to sleep and stay asleep!
Routine routine routine!
Even infants need a bedtime routine. You can easily do this by figuring out what two to three things you want to do each night to let baby know it’s time to wind down. “Have a routine that your infant can associate with sleep time,” says Anne Zachry, Pediatric Occupational Therapist, “For example, if you notice that your infant is getting drowsy, sing him a lullaby, then put him down to bed. Eventually, he will associate the lullaby with sleeping, and a song will cue him that it’s time to rest.”
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About that rocking…
It’s completely normal for a baby (especially young ones) to desire rocking or swaying to fall asleep. After all, that is exactly the movement they were used to in the womb! However, constantly being rocked to sleep can create some really hard to break sleep associations that you’ll likely regret later on.
Try this: rock baby, but just as sleep is overtaking her, stop the rocking. Just sit still as she drifts off to sleep those last few moments. As she gets older you can work on her falling asleep without you, but breaking the rocking habit is a huge leap in the right direction!
Send good vibes
Babies can feed off our angst-ridden energy like crazy, so keep yourself peaceful, calm and ready to wait patiently for sleep to come over him. If you’re wound up, your baby will be wound up too! “I found that the calmer I was, the calmer my baby was,” says parent author and educator C. Lynn Williams. “He was very in-tune to my moods and emotions.”
Let it rain
Whether your house is loud or quiet, a sound machine is a great idea just to make sure no creaks from a settling house or a knock at the door will wake your baby. A rain machine is easy to find and the constant sound of water (instead of the stop and go of regular music) keeps baby’s room at a constant level of white noise.
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Keep trying
If the things you are trying aren’t working, don’t give up! Every baby is so unique in their sleep patterns and even the most finicky baby can be figured out. Just keep trying new ideas, new tricks and know that one day this season of life will be a distant memory.
Watch this video for information about sleep training
More on healthy sleep for children
How to get baby back into a sleep routine
5 ways to get your baby to sleep
Healthy sleep habits for mom and baby
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