Sleep Maturity

During the first three months of development, tiny babies rarely sleep for more than four

hours without requiring feeding.  At around three to six months, the majority of babies

start to settle. They are awake for longer  periods during the day and some with lucky

parents may sleep five-hour stretches at night! The time they spend in deep sleep starts to

lengthen and the time spent in light sleep shortens. This means babies

are able to enter deep sleep more quickly. This is called sleep maturity.  (Sears, 2005).

The time your baby takes to reach sleep maturity may vary and even when she does reach

it, she may still wake up regularly.  This is because by the time she is old enough to reach

sleep maturity (usually towards the end of  the first year), uncomfortable and painful

stimuli present themselves, such as colds and teething pain.  Furthermore, separation

anxiety develops at around this age which causes sleeping problems.  Babies also start

reaching developmental milestones, such as sitting, crawling, and walking which causes

them to run through their newly acquired skills in their sleep .

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A word of caution regarding sleep-trainers

There is evidence to suggest  that sleep-trainers may be  a dangerous solution to a frequently waking baby. Encouraging a baby to sleep too deeply, too long, too soon, may interfere with the natural developmental and survival mechanisms that the baby is armed with.  Sleep researchers have found that blood flow to the brain is almost doubled during light sleep and believe this is indicative of a more active brain during these periods.  They believe important development takes place during light sleep.  Training a baby to spend more time in a deeper sleep may therefore be damaging to the baby.

Source: lullaby

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Crying it out

There is a theory that advises you not to respond to a baby’s cries during the night because it will teach him to comfort himself back to sleep and therefore, he won’t bother you as much.  I have to say, this is the worst advice I have ever come across.  A baby in the early stage of growth is very vulnerable and it is the parents’ biological duty to satisfy every need of their offspring.  Letting him  ‘cry it out’ can be very psychologically and physically damaging to the child in the early stages of development.  There does come a point in development when baby will reach the stage where he does need to learn to comfort himself on his own.  However, as far as the right and safest way to look  after your newborn is concerned, give him everything he needs, and yes that obviously means some sleepless nights in the beginning.   

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Understanding the stages of sleep

When an adult falls asleep, her higher brain functions decelerate which allows her to enter the phase known as deep sleep.  During this time her body hardly moves, breathing is slow and regular, and her muscles become relaxed and loose.  After around an hour and a half later and her brain becomes more active and she enters into a period called light sleep.  It is during this time when she may slip into REM (rapid-eye-movement) sleep where most dreams occur.  These deep/light  cycles continue throughout the night, at around two hours intervals, so that the average adult spends around 6 hours in deep sleep 

and 2 in light sleep. 

Babies need to be parented to sleep because, unlike adults, they only go into a deep sleep after an initial period of light sleep.  Let’s see how many of you can relate to this: Imagine you’re performing your bedtime ritual with your baby:  you’re rocking, walking, nursing etc until she falls asleep in your arms.  Her eyes  are completely closed, her eyelids may be fluttering and she may be twitching or showing momentary smiles (called sleep grins).  Just as you think it’s safe to place your baby in her crib and sneak away, she wakes and starts crying! Why does this happen?  It’s because she wasn’t properly asleep and only in a state of light  sleep.  Next time you attempt  your bedtime ritual, carry on past this first stage of sleep (usually takes around 20 minutes).  Wait until the twitching and smiling cease, the breathing becomes more regular and the muscles relax so that her limbs dangle weightlessly.  These are the tell-tale signs that the baby is in the deep stage of sleep and your chances of being able to put her down and sneak away successfully are dramatically improved.    

Like adults, babies’ sleep cycles continually change from light to deep throughout the night.  However, their cycles are significantly shorter than those of adults.  They will enter into a period of light sleep every hour or so.  During this time the baby is prone to awakening easily if an uncomfortable stimulus occurs, such as hunger. Some new parents will often spend time just watching their baby sleep.  If you do this, you may notice the tell tale signs that she is about to awaken.  You may be able to get your baby through this period of light sleep, without waking, if you place your hand on your baby’s tummy, whisper a comforting word  or play her favorite lullaby quietly. Sometimes letting baby know that you’re there will comfort her enough to enter back into deep sleep without waking.  Fathers may have more luck with this technique if the baby is breast fed because often the baby will pick up on the scent of breast milk and will automatically awaken for a feed.  In a chapter 2.3 we will discuss the advantages of playing comforting music in more detail.   

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Understanding why babies wake during the night ?

It is important that you understand the reasons why newborn babies wake in the night. In the first few months they have many essential needs, yet their ability to communicate is extremely low.  For example, their minuscule tummies digest milk extremely quickly and if the stimulus for hunger does not wake the baby, he  will not get the level of nourishment needed at that vulnerable age (Sears 2006). Likewise, babies are still learning to regulate temperature and it’s an important survival mechanism that they awaken if they are too cold or hot during the night.  The same applies to many stimuli that also have the potential to wake the baby.  Therefore, these mechanisms are not there just to annoy the parents, but to ensure the well-being of the baby!  As you are next dragging yourself out of bed to tend to your baby, you should take comfort in the fact that his innate, built-in defence-mechanisms are evidently working just fine!  

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Are sleeping problems common?

You’ll probably be relieved to know that they are very common and a lot of parents are in the same boat.  Between a fifth and a third of all families report they have some kind of sleeping problem during the pre-school years (Messer and Richards, 1993).  

Source: lullaby

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How much sleep is needed ?

Baby Sleepy

Parents are often concerned that their baby may not be sleeping enough, whilst others voice their concerns about their baby sleeping too much. I think it may be useful for parents to know the amount of hours that the average baby sleeps at different ages.  However, it is important to remember that there is a  huge variation that exists from one baby to the next.  Some newborn babies sleep 21 out of the 24 hours per day.  Others only need as few as 8.  The test to see if your baby is getting enough sleep is to examine if she is waking happy and alert.  If so she is getting enough sleep.  If she wakes and is irritable or tired, she may need to sleep longer.

Baby Sleeping Timing

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Why do babies need so much sleep?

Baby in blue Sleeping.

Babies have a great deal to learn in a very short space of time.  During waking hours, 

there is too much going on for babies’ brains to digest or reflect on the huge amount of 

information being received.  During sleep the brain can organise and make sense of the 

vast array of experiences without distraction.  Sleep is also a time for renewing the 

chemicals in the brain and the body, ready for another active day. 

Source: lullaby

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Rocking chairs

The one thing that expectant parents hear a lot about while they're pregnant are those long and tiring late night feedings. With the right nursery equipment, some extra patience, and a positive outlook those late night feedings can be a time of bonding and enjoyment that a parent would not miss for the world.

Science has proven that a rocking motion has a therapeutic effect on humans. When rocking in a rocking chair or glider rocker the blood pressure falls, respiration slows, and if the chair has an ottoman and a good thick cushion - sleep will ensue! The physical act of rocking taps into a pleasure center located in the brain somewhere between the one for chocolate and the one for music. A Texas study concluded that new mothers recovering from C-sections reduced their hospital stay by a full day by rocking an hour a day. No wonder our little ones learn to love it and really fight it when mom and dad decide that bedtime and naptime rocking must stop.

Rocking chairs have undergone some remarkable improvements over the years. Rocker/recliners offer a wide seating area, have generous padding and are very comfortable. Growing in popularity is the glider rocker, which often come with a glider ottoman. These rockers are wonderful for nursing mothers. They can help make those late night feedings more comfortable and easier on you and more soothing for your baby. The back and forth motion can calm a crying baby, help ease any lower back pain on your side, and reduce the stress associated with interrupted sleep patterns.

Before you invest in a good rocking chair or glider, go for a test drive. In the store, sit in the rocker for a while and gently rock like you would rock your baby. Is the seat roomy? Do the armrests come up high enough to make breastfeeding or bottle feeding easy and comfortable? Is the rocking chair solid and tight? The worst thing in the world is to have a loose rocking chair that squeaks as you rock or even worse when you get up to put the baby in the bed!

Rocking chairs are made by many manufacturers from all over the world so shop around and be choosey when it comes to quality and workmanship. Look for construction with sturdy and beautiful hardwood along with a style that will compliment the decor in your home, so once it has done its time in the nursery it can be moved to another room for many years of enjoyment.

Glider rockers have a glider mechanism rather than runners like a traditional rocking chair. They usually don't take up quite as much floor space as a conventional rocker. Glider rockers give a very smooth back and forth motion and in some instances depending on the person rocking, are easier to rock in a rhythmic motion because of the gliding action. Dutailier gliders from Quebec, Canada are considered to be the Cadillac of glider rockers. Gliders come with custom cushions and most styles have a matching ottoman available. . . ooh heaven!

One final note on another great piece of equipment to consider for nursery feedings and rocking time is a nursing stool. These stools are small and slightly slanted. (Medela makes a good nursing stool.) It raises the legs and lap up just slightly to the perfect height for breastfeeding, bottle-feeding and yes, even cuddling late at night.

During those first few weeks at home when stress and fatigue build with each passing minute of the day, remember rest and relaxation are only as far away as your baby and the rocking chair in the nursery. Put on a good lullaby CD and spend time during the day just holding, cuddling and rocking your baby. It will be time well spent for both you and your baby. Who knows, maybe you will beat the current world record for rocking! The current world record for rocking is held by Dennis Easterling of Atlanta, Georgia. He rocked for 480 hours. That's almost 3 weeks! I bet there are mothers out there who have already beaten Dennis' record but they're just too tired to make the call to the Guinness Book of World Records!

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Wonderful Sounds for Sleep

The environment that your baby enjoyed for nine long months in the womb was not one of absolute quiet. There was a constant symphony of sound -- your heartbeat and fluids rushing in and out of the placenta. (Remember those sounds from when you listened to your baby's heartbeat with the Doppler stethoscope?) Research indicates that "white noise" sounds or soft bedtime music helps many babies to relax and fall asleep more easily. This is most certainly because these sounds create an environment more familiar to your baby than a very quiet room. 

Many people enjoy using soothing music as their baby's sleep sound. If you do, choose bedtime music carefully. Some music (including jazz and much classical music) is too complex and stimulating. For music to be soothing to your baby, pick simple, repetitive, predictable music, like traditional lullabies. Tapes created especially for putting babies to sleep are great choices. Pick something that you will enjoy listening to night after night, too. (Using a tape player with an automatic repeat function is helpful for keeping the music going as long as you need it to play.)

There are widely available, and very lovely, "nature sounds" tapes that work nicely, too, as well those small sound-generating or white-noise devices and clocks you may have seen in stores. The sounds on these - raindrops, a bubbling brook or running water - often are similar to those sounds your baby heard in utero. A ticking clock or a bubbling fish tank also make wonderful white-noise options.

"I went out today and bought a small aquarium and the humming noise does seem to relax Chloe and help her to sleep. I didn't buy any fish though. Who has time to take care of fish when you're half asleep all day?" Tanya, mother of 13-month-old Chloe

You can find some suitable tapes and CDs made especially for babies or those made for adults to listen to when they want to relax. Whatever you choose, listen to it first and ask yourself: Does this relax me? Would it make me feel sleepy if I listened to it in bed?

If you must put your baby to sleep in a noisy, active house full of people, keeping the tape running (auto rewind) will help mask baby-waking noises like dishes clanking, people talking, siblings giggling, TV, dogs barking, etc. This can also help transition your sleeping baby from a noisy daytime house to which he's become accustomed subconsciously to one of absolute nighttime quiet.

Once your baby is familiar with his calming noise, or music, you can use these to help your baby fall back to sleep when he wakes up in the middle of the night. Simply sooth him by playing the music (very quietly) during the calming and falling-asleep time. If he wakes and cries, repeat this process.

If your baby gets used to his sleep time sounds you can take advantage of this and take the tape with you if you will be away from home for naptime or bedtime. The familiarity of these sounds will help your baby sleep in an unfamiliar environment.

Eventually your baby will rely on this technique less and less to fall and stay asleep. Don't feel you must rush the process; there is no harm in your baby falling asleep to these gentle sounds. When you are ready to wean him of these you can help this process along by reducing the volume by a small amount every night until you finally don't turn the music or sounds on at all.

Babies enjoy these peaceful sounds, and they are just one more piece in the puzzle that helps you to help your baby sleep - gently, without any crying at all.

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What is Preventing Your Baby from Sleeping Through the Night?

Sleeping Baby

Here's something that may really surprise you: As much as we may want our babies to sleep through the night, our own subconscious emotions sometimes hold us back from encouraging change in our babies' sleeping habits. You yourself may be the very obstacle preventing a change in a routine that disrupts your life. So let's figure out if anything is standing in your way.

Examine Your Own Needs and Goals

Today's society leads us to believe that "normal babies" sleep through the night from about two months; my research indicates that this is more the exception than the rule. The number of families in your boat could fill a fleet of cruise ships.

"At our last day-care parent meeting, one father brought up the fact that his two-year-old daughter wasn't sleeping through the night. I discovered that out of 24 toddlers only six stayed asleep all night long." …Robin, mother of thirteen-month-old Alicia

You must figure out where your own problem lies. Is it in your baby's routine, in your management of it, or simply in the minds of others? If you can honestly say you want to change your baby's sleep habits because they are truly disruptive to you and your family, then you're ready to make changes. But if you feel coerced into changing Baby's patterns because Great Grandma Beulah or your friend from playgroup says that's the way it should be, it's time for a long, hard think.

Certainly, if your little one is waking you up every hour or two, you don't have to think long on the question, "Is this disruptive to me?" It obviously is. However, if your baby is waking up only once or twice a night, it's important that you determine exactly how much this pattern is disturbing to you, and decide on a realistic goal. Be honest in assessing the situation's effect on your life. Begin today by contemplating these questions:

• Am I content with the way things are, or am I becoming resentful, angry, or frustrated?
• Is my baby's nighttime routine negatively affecting my marriage, job, or relationships with my other children?
• Is my baby happy, healthy, and seemingly well rested?
• Am I happy, healthy, and well rested?

Once you answer these questions, you will have a better understanding of not only what is happening with regard to your baby's sleep, but also how motivated you are to make a change.

Reluctance to Let Go of Those Nighttime Moments

A good, long, honest look into your heart may truly surprise you. You may find you actually relish those quiet night wakings when no one else is around. I remember in the middle of one night, I lay nursing Coleton by the light of the moon. The house was perfectly, peacefully quiet. As I gently stroked his downy hair and soft baby skin, I marveled at this tiny being beside me-and the thought hit me, "I love this! I love these silent moments that we share in the night." It was then that I realized that even though I struggled through my baby's hourly nighttime wakings, I needed to want to make a change in our night waking habits before I would see any changes in his sleeping patterns.

You may need to take a look at your own feelings. And if you find you're truly ready to make a change, you'll need to give yourself permission to let go of this stage of your baby's life and move on to a different phase in your relationship. There will be lots of time to hug, cuddle, and love your little one, but you must truly feel ready to move those moments out of your sleeping time and into the light of day.

Worry About Your Baby's Safety

We parents worry about our babies, and we should! With every night waking, as we have been tending to our child's nightly needs, we have also been reassured that our baby is doing fine - every hour or two all night long. We get used to these checks; they provide continual reassurance of Baby's safety.

"The first time my baby slept five straight hours, I woke up in a cold sweat. I nearly fell out of bed and ran down the hall. I was so sure that something was horribly wrong. I nearly wept when I found her sleeping peacefully." …Azza, mother of seven-month-old Laila

Co-sleeping parents are not exempt from these fears. Even if you are sleeping right next to your baby, you'll find that you have become used to checking on her frequently through the night. Even when she's sleeping longer stretches, you aren't sleeping, because you're still on security duty.

These are very normal worries, rooted in your natural instincts to protect your baby. Therefore, for you to allow your baby to sleep for longer stretches, you'll need to find ways to feel confident that your baby is safe-all night long.

Once you reassure yourself that your baby is safe while you sleep, you'll have taken that first step toward helping her sleep all night.

Belief That Things Will Change on Their Own

You may hope, pray, and wish that one fine night, your baby will magically begin to sleep through the night. Maybe you're crossing your fingers that he'll just "outgrow" this stage, and you won't have to do anything different at all. It's a very rare night-waking baby who suddenly decides to sleep through the night all on his own. Granted, this may happen to you-but your baby may be two, three or four years old when it does! Decide now whether you have the patience to wait that long, or if you are ready to gently move the process along.

Too Fatigued to Work Toward Change

Change requires effort, and effort requires energy. In an exhausted state, we may find it easier just to keep things as they are than try something different. In other words, when Baby wakes for the fifth time that night, and I'm desperate for sleep, it's so much easier just to resort to the easiest way to get him back to sleep (rock, nurse, or replace the pacifier) than it is to try something different.

Only a parent who is truly sleep deprived can understand what I'm saying here. Others may calmly advise, "Well if things aren't working for you, just change what you're doing." However, every night waking puts you in that foggy state where the only thing you crave is going back to sleep - plans and ideas seem like too much effort.

If you are to help your baby sleep all night, you will have to force yourself to make some changes and follow your plan, even in the middle of the night, even if it's the tenth time your baby has called out for you.

So, after reading this section and you're sure you and your baby are ready, it's time for you to make a commitment to change. That is the first important step to helping your baby sleep through the night.

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How to get baby to sleep through the night

How can I get my baby to sleep through the night?

In the early months, sleeping through the night for babies is considered to be only six straight hours. By the end of the first year, most babies will sleep 10 to 12 hours at night.

Baby Sleeping

You can start by regulating your baby's sleep patterns and teaching him good sleep habits early on. Unfortunately, in the early, newborn days, you really can't do anything to control a baby's sleep patterns -- he'll sleep when and where he wants: If he's tired, nothing will keep him up, and if he's not, well, he'll be awake. But from day one you can:

• Give your child a "transitional object". Chances are this security object -- such as a blanket or stuffed animal -- will become a much-cherished possession that helps soothe your child to sleep. One great way to make a blanket or teddy bear a favourite is to keep it near you for a while so it becomes "mom-scented". Babies have a strong sense of smell, and when they startle awake, which they do often during the night, the smell of their mothers nearby can be very reassuring and help them go back to sleep.

• Separate sleep from being merely sleepy. During infancy, your baby may move quickly between states of sleepiness and alertness. Take your baby's cues and use them: If he falls asleep while eating or being carried, lay him down in a designated sleeping place, such as a bassinet, crib or stroller. If he's awake, encourage that wakefulness, and socialize with him. By distinguishing between asleep and wakeful periods, you'll help him associate sleep with a proper sleeping place.

• Separate day from night. Though babies will eventually sleep longest at night, many newborns mix up day and night. To help your baby learn to use nighttime hours for longer sleep periods, distinguish between naps and bedtime. At night, start to create bedtime routines --playing quietly, reading, taking a warm bath, changing into pyjamas, singing, rocking, swaddling, and darkening the room.

• Treat night-time meals differently than daytime ones. Since your newborn needs to eat around the clock he'll awake several times during your sleeping hours. So to keep those night-time feedings functional and less disruptive, Dr Penelope Leach, in Your Baby and Child, suggests that parents make night-time feedings quiet and daytime ones social. In other words, when your baby starts to fuss and whimper in the middle of the night, go to him immediately and feed him before he really has a chance to wake up. If your baby sleeps with you, this will be even easier. Don't talk or turn on the light, but simply keep the quiet, sleepy atmosphere you've set so that baby understands it isn't playtime. During the day, do the opposite: Treat mealtimes as opportunities to coo, sing, talk to, and interact with your baby.

• Encourage an older baby to fall asleep on his own. At first, your baby will undoubtedly fall asleep in your arms while feeding or being rocked. He may sleep if you carry him in a sling, where the natural rhythms of your walk and your warmth lull him. But eventually, you want your baby to get used to the idea of going to sleep on his own.

Introduce the notion gradually: When your baby is drowsy, but not yet asleep, lay him down. By putting him down when he's awake -- but still feeling loved and cosy -- he may associate falling asleep himself with such feelings. This may be easier said than done, however. But do continue to try to put your baby down sleepy, but awake, and soon he'll get the hang of it.

What does it mean to let a baby "cry it out"?

For decades, parents have been told that the best way to train a baby who no longer needs nighttime feedings to sleep through the night is to let him "cry it out". In other words, put the baby in his bed, shut the door, and let him bawl. Though there are variations on this technique, the general idea is the same: After about a week of unheeded crying, a baby will learn to fall asleep on his own. Without a rewarding response to his cries, the theory goes, a baby learns that it's not worth the trouble to cry so hard.

Dr Richard Ferber, author of Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems, advocates the most widely-used approach to this seemingly heartless approach, which shouldn't be used with children under six months of age. Dr. Ferber recommends that parents not leave their baby cold turkey, but that they periodically comfort him without picking him up. Make sure he's not twisted up in his blankets or without his favourite stuffed animal, then pat him gently, tell him you love him but it's bedtime, and leave the room. Don't turn on the lights, linger, or hold him. The first night you might wait five minutes before your cribside appearance, the second night 10 minutes, and so on. Eventually, your baby will learn to fall asleep on his own. But Dr Ferber does caution that no one approach works for every baby.

Should we let our baby cry it out?

Among new parents, this question is hotly debated. Is there an easier, less heartless way than so called "Ferberizing?" Perhaps.

Here's what some childcare experts say about crying it out.

• Dr Penelope Leach, author of Your Baby and Child, and many other books on babies

Approach: "Compassionate Crying It Out" If you leave your baby crying, he'll feel abandoned and fear that your departure at bedtime -- and any other time -- isn't safe.

When: Starting at around nine months -- babies can't really learn that night-time is for sleeping until then.

What to do: Since the goal, Leach points out, is to help your baby feel that bedtime is safe and happy and that he can go to sleep on his own, don't abandon him outright. Instead, keep to your enjoyable bedtime rituals and when your baby cries go into his room, reassure him, and leave as often as you need to. Leach writes, "You may have to repeat this over and over again, but it is the only sure way eventually to convince him both that you will come and that you will not get him up."

• Dr T. Berry Brazelton, author of Touchpoints and many other books on babies and children

Approach: "Nurturing but Crying It Out" Before you begin any kind of program like this, make sure that both partners are in complete agreement.

When: Depends on the child -- you could do this at six months or two years. Brazelton urges parents to examine their own motivations and their child before they begin this programme.

What to do: Be sure you've eliminated late afternoon naps (after 3pm), keep a relaxing, loving bedtime ritual, and don't breastfeed or rock your baby to sleep. Instead, put him down awake and stay with him, reassuring him that you're there but that he can fall asleep by himself. If you like, you can wake him up before your bedtime for a feeding, so that you won't worry that he's hungry later. Finally, be prepared for wakings every four hours or so. When he does cry out, go to him quietly and try not to stimulate him. Don't pick him up or rock him, but do soothe him and quietly reassure him. After you feel comfortable with this, don't go to him, but call out to him and reassure him, suggesting he snuggle with his teddy bear or other security object. Again, when you're comfortable, wait 15 minutes before responding to his cries and then repeat the above step.

• Dr Benjamin Spock, author of Baby and Child Care

Approach: "Cry It Out"

When: Three months

What to do: Say goodnight and don't look back. Usually, after three nights of unchecked crying, your baby will start going to sleep by himself. Spock says that most babies will cry for up to 30 minutes on the first night, realise they're not getting anywhere, and fall asleep. He writes: "I'm convinced that they are only crying from anger at this age...[Checking on her] only enrages her and keeps her crying much longer."

• Dr. William Sears, author of The Baby Book and others

Approach: Sleeping with baby or other responsive tactics. He writes, "The result of [crying it out] is usually the same: A strung-out mother and an angry baby, who will eventually exhaust himself to sleep -- but at what price. We wish to put the cry-it-out approach to sleep -- forever."

When: From infancy until the child is ready for his own bed

What to do: Consider sharing your bed with your baby for the first few months or more of his life. According to Sears, mother and baby sleep better and longer side-by-side, baby gets warmth, nurturing and a readily available breast if he's breastfeeding, and babies thrive when they sleep near their parents. Plus, if the mother has returned to work, sleeping with her baby may help restore and build connections that can be frayed during the workday.

If you don't want to sleep with your baby, you can still use Sears' other suggestions for helping a baby learn to sleep through the night:

• Consider why your baby is waking and crying at night. Try to listen to his cries and reassure him.

• Share the comforting duties. Often a breastfeeding baby wants Mum at night, even if he no longer needs night-time feedings. But if Dad can be part of the night-time plan, the baby may learn to be comforted by him, and then to stop needing anyone when there's no food coming!

• Offer your baby a comforting stuffed animal or blanket. Help him make sleep associations with it.

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Sweet dreams little one

How To Put A Baby To Sleep

When it is time to put your infant to sleep, it is important to bear in mind that a baby's nervous system is not developed and therefore he requires the necessary stimulation to encourage sleep. According to pediatrician, Doctor Harvey Karp, author of the book "The Happiest Baby on the Block", babies require the rhythmic and hypnotic sensations that are reminiscent of being back in the womb.

Put into play the "five S's" for your baby. Some babies may need only one or two of these to sleep, while others may require more.

 

Swaddling- Babies are comforted when they are swaddled (also known as tightly wrapped). Lay your baby down on a large size receiving blanket and wrap him snugly in it, making sure her arms are tucked inside.

 

Side (or stomach) position- If your baby cries when you attempt to put him to bed, then make sure you do not place him on his back. This makes a baby feel as if he is falling which leads to a sense of insecurity. Once he is fast asleep in your arms you can lay him on his back but while still in your arms lay him across your shoulder or hold his stomach along the length of your forearm.

 

Swinging and rhythmic movement- Babies love anything that is swinging and rhythmic as it is soothing in nature. Put your baby in an infant swing and try the different settings to figure out which one works best for your baby. Another option is to take a walk (in your neighbourhood or even around your house or apartment) with your baby in some type of carrier.

 

Shushing (and white noise) -While babies are still in the womb the sounds they hear are many and variable in volume. Try different options to find what works best. Some babies fall asleep to the sound of fans or blow dryers. You might even want to purchase a white noise machine (or tune the radio to white noise if it helps your little one to drift off into slumber).

 

Sucking- Once your baby has calmed down, the sucking motion helps to relax him even more. Some babies like to suck more than others. Buy your baby a pacifier but do not rely on it to the point where he becomes too attached to it.

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