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Getting your baby to fall asleep by him/herself can be a long and frustrating process. However, there are many ways to make it less stressful on you and the rest of your family, including the two most widely accepted methods:
· Let the baby cry. After making sure the baby is warm enough, has had enough to eat, and has a dry diaper, just let him/her cry. The baby will usually fall asleep after a few hours. The problem with this method is that it can be stressful for everyone involved. The idea is that if you let your baby cry him/herself to bed every night, eventually the time spent crying will be reduced until your baby just cries for a few minutes before falling asleep. This method should not be tried on babies younger than five months, because younger infants need to have the security of having their needs met immediately.
· An alternative to crying is letting the baby cry for ten minutes. Then enter the room, reassure the baby that everything is OK, and then leave again without picking him/her up. Let the baby cry a little longer each time, and eventually he/she will fall asleep without your help.
Don’t like either of these ideas? Neither did I, so I tried something else with my baby, who is now five months old. He used to have lots of trouble getting to sleep, but then – for several nights in a row -- he fell asleep on his own. The following are my suggestions for making that happen for you:
Before putting the baby in the crib
· Encourage the baby to take naps during the day. This may not happen for a while, but when it does, it will make it easier for the baby to fall asleep at night, because he won’t be overtired.
· Create a relaxing atmosphere before bed. That means no television, no radios, and no loud talking. Also turn the lights down.
Create a night routine, where you do the same basic things every night before you put the baby to bed, including baths and feedings.
· Make the baby feel safe and secure. Try to see bedtime from his/her point of view. He thinks, “Mommy and Daddy are putting me in a place all by myself, turning out the light, and leaving!” No wonder he cries.
· Making the baby feel secure can include several things --- a dry diaper, a full tummy, a nightlight, a crib mobile to look at, and a warm blanket for snuggling. Also make sure the room’s temperature is appropriate for the baby.
Putting the baby in the crib
· Hold him close to your body. Support his whole body on the way down, and hold him close to you for as long as possible.
· Make sure there is a warm blanket in the crib, because no one likes to sleep on a cold mattress.
· Once the baby is in the crib, his eyes may flutter open. Looking worried is usually a big mistake, because the baby picks up on your emotions and cries. Instead, try giving the baby a big smile, and saying softly, “I know you can do this!”
· If the baby’s eyes still stay open, grab a pacifier, and give it to the baby. The security of sucking may soothe him to sleep.
· After leaving the room, if you hear the baby make a noise, don’t rush in right away. Wait to see what develops. The baby may soothe himself back to sleep
· Also remember that sometimes an awake baby just needs to know you are still there. Give him a quick hug, and he may fall asleep in your arms.
Now I can hear you saying that none of these things worked for you. None of them worked for me either until my son turned five months old. I think the reason for that is that he wasn’t sure about sleeping or where Mom and Dad were going to be. What if he missed something? I guess he finally figured out that sleeping is no big deal.
If you try all of these methods, and your baby still stays up until the wee hours of the morning, try not to worry. Enlist help from your partner or friends, and try to stay patient with your child. Remember, the baby is not doing this to annoy you, and every late night is a step closer to more regular sleeping habits.
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