7 Ways To Put Your Baby To Sleep

All infants need help to fall off to sleep; however it is significant to find that the sleep technique that works for one does not for another infant.   

Some techniques that worked in putting a baby to sleep:

1.     Nursing the baby by lying next to him or her helps in many cases; breastfeeding or bottle feeding helps for the smooth transition from a warm bath, to warm arms, to warm breasts/warm bottle to a warm bed.

2.     Rocking the infant in a bedside rocking chair or walking with the baby patting his/her back and singing or saying prayers helps some infants to drift off to deep sleep.

3.     Some babies fall off to sleep when you rock them with their heads placed against the front of your neck, with your chin against the top of his/her head. Fathers, with their deep male voice can use this method to lull the baby to sleep. Some babies appreciate the adult in a lying posture; the bay can be put on the bed once he/she is asleep.

4.     You could use the “teddy bear snuggle” to put your baby to sleep; this involves lying close next to him/her after rocking and feeding until he/she goes into sound sleep.

5.     It would be best to place your baby in a baby sling about 30 minutes before the designated time for sleep; this works best for reluctant nappers and those babies that are revved up during the day and find it difficult to sleep at night. Once he/she is asleep in the sling the child can be eased out from the sling on to the bed; this method also works best where the baby is nursed to sleep and fathers take over to give the mothers a break. You could also have a nap along with the baby by lying down with the baby in the sling snuggled with his/her tummy against your chest.

6.     If you as a parent want to try out something new or all the other techniques have failed, you could try driving your baby around by placing him/her in a car seat. Once the baby is fast asleep and you return home you can carry the sleeping baby in the car seat and then ease her out of the car seat onto the bed; it would also help if you keep her/him in the car seat in the bedroom and wait till the first waking at night.

7.     Many parents that neither have the time, energy or creativity to try out new techniques and would do anything to have a good night’s sleep could go in for wind up swings; these mechanical methods are less stimulating, boring and could form an useful part of the baby’s sleep ritual routine.  Sometimes a plastic seat is more sleep inducing than the familiar pair of hands of the mother; though some babies would prefer nothing less than the warm, cozy and secure feel of the mother’s hand and the father’s chest.