Getting baby to sleep can be one of the most stressful events of parenting. Finding methods that soothe and relax baby, and establishing a bedtime routine, can help make bedtimes easier for parents.
Putting Baby to Sleep
Dr. Sears, author of The Baby Book [Little, Brown and Company, 2003], explains, “Sleep is not a state you can force a baby into.” Anyone who has complained that he couldn’t get to sleep should understand that sleep can’t be forced. Instead, Dr. Sears says, “create a sleep-inducing environment that allows sleep to overtake the baby.” Consider what helps you get to sleep; you probably know things to avoid and things to do to fall asleep faster. Similarly, learn what helps your baby fall asleep.
Many babies like being nursed before bedtime. Linda Folden Palmer, an expert for Mothering magazine, explains, “Babies are designed to nurse to sleep, and nurse back to sleep during night feedings snuggled up next to mom. (Babies can be nursed with a bottle, too.)” Warm milk can be soothing even for adults, and sucking is a comforting instinct for babies. Dentists and cry-it-out advocates prohibit this method, but if it works for you baby, use it. Baby will outgrow it.
Movement is very soothing to babies, who are used to motion while in mother’s womb. Palmer says, “Desiring rocking is also a deeply embedded instinct.” This is something either parent can do for baby, so dad gets a chance to help. Or, if parents are worn out and other help is unavailable, Palmer points out that “Electric swings, vibrating chairs, and well-timed car rides can all be effective for many babies.”
Sometimes just cuddling with a baby will lull them to sleep. Rachel Lister says, “Babies need to feel secure and being close to a parent is one of the most comforting things to an infant.” Knowing Mom or Dad is near may be all it takes for baby to relax and drift into dreamland.
Identify Sleep Problems
If you feel you’ve tried everything to get baby to sleep and nothing has worked, try to identify problems. While babies go through phases where they wake more frequently (due to growth spurts or changing sleep patterns), frequent night wakings could also be an indication of something wrong.
Check that baby is warm enough at night. Does he throw his blankets off or crawl out from under them while sleeping? Perhaps a baby sleeping bag may help keep baby warmer. Do loud noises, such as doors closing or toilets flushing, startle baby awake? Avoid these once baby is in bed. What did you or baby eat before bed? Palmer suggests that baby “could simply be intolerant to some foods in your diet.” Try changing baby’s diet or identifying foods that cause gas or discomfort.
Give Baby a Bedtime Routine
Following a consistent bedtime routine can help create that “sleep-inducing environment.” Baby has no sense of time, as adults do, but the routines of his day will communicate to him what comes next. Steven Schachter, a psychologist, explains that routines give kids “a sense of security in knowing what’s going to come up and they feel good about that. If things start to change, they get anxious” (quoted in “Sharing the Night Shift” by Tamar Satov, Today’s Canadian Parent, January 2009). While Schachter was talking about kids, routines work the same for babies and help establish habits that can continue into childhood.
Although bedtime can be hard because parents are often tired too, these tips will help baby adjust to bedtime and learn good sleep habits.
Related Article: Putting Baby to Sleep: Mother’s Instinct Helps Infants Sleep Better
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