15 Great Tips on Getting Baby to Sleep
Summary: Fussy babies that don't want to sleep wear on everyone's nerves.  These tips on getting baby to sleep can simplify your life and help you finally get some sleep.

Everyone seems to have their own ideas about when babies should be able to sleep through the night and what the best way is to get them to sleep.  Remember that while it is often helpful to listen to well-meant advice, you don't have to be a slave to anyone else's opinion about what is right for you and your baby.  With that caveat in place, check out these tips on getting baby to sleep.  If one of these sounds appropriate to you, give it a go.  If not, save it for later.

1.  Don't feed your baby more often during the day than every two hours.  If your baby gets into the habit of having a snack every hour, she will not be accustomed to taking the type of substantial feeding necessary to ensure a good stretch of sleep during the night.

2.  Establish comforting nighttime rituals to prepare for bed.  For instance, a nightly warm bath is relaxing and a chance to spend some soothing hands-on time with you.  Try to stick to the same time each evening.

3.  As early as the doctor recommends, you can offer your baby a serving of baby cereal right before bedtime.  The full belly can help the baby get to sleep and stay asleep.

4.  Try using a musical mobile.  Get the baby calmed down, fed, and clean first.  Then leave him alone for a few minutes with a mobile going.  Not all babies are mesmerized by a mobile, but some are, and it can be that last relaxing thing that helps them drop off to dreamland.

5.  Consider everyone's needs when figuring out the best sleep routine for your baby.  Some people swear by taking the baby to bed with them while others have better results leaving the baby alone in a quiet crib.  Try what sounds best, but if Dad absolutely refuses to have baby in the bed, going against his wishes is not going to improve the vibes surrounding bedtime, so think of his needs, too.

6.  Keep daytime naps to a minimum.  It can be hard when you're exhausted already and that fussy baby finally knocks off at 3:00 p.m., but you really should wake her back up by 4:00 or before.  You don't want to be trying to get a well-rested baby to sleep at night.  You want one who is tired.

7.  Have relaxed days with as much interaction with the baby as you can give.  Sometimes trouble falling asleep is related to insecurity.  If your baby has been comforted and carried around through the day, he should feel secure enough to go to sleep at night.

8.  Make sure your baby eats plenty during the daytime hours.  When babies are fed only on demand, it can happen that they get so busy and interested in things going on around them that they forget to eat.  Then when they are supposed to be falling asleep, they realize they are hungry.  Break that routine by seeing that they eat well during daytime feedings.

9.  Let your baby get used to different ways of falling asleep.  You might not always be able to nurse the baby right before bedtime.  Sometimes let Dad sing a lullaby or give the nightly bath.  Mix it up just a little without making things too stimulating.  This will give the baby the best chance of learning to go to sleep in a variety of circumstances.

10.  Use a mechanical swing.  The regular movement and lack of social interaction is less stimulating for some babies and works well to get them into a deep state of sleep.  If they are sufficiently relaxed, you should be able to move the baby from the swing to the bed without them completely waking up.

11.  Try using a pacifier.  These have their advocates and their nay-sayers, but for some babies they work like magic.  Attach it to the baby's sleeper with one of the safety clips available for just such a purpose so that you don't have to turn on all the lights looking for it in the middle of the night.

12.  Try using a sling to carry the baby around for about a half hour before bedtime.  

13.  Learn to identify the signs when your child is deeply asleep.  If you can pick up an arm and it drops limply, and if the baby's face shows no change in expression when you move the baby, she will be in a deep enough state of sleep that you can lay her down without her waking back up.  Some babies are simply lighter sleepers than others, but the sound sleepers won't wake up if you wait until they are completely asleep to lay them down.  

(Yes, this goes against all the "cry it out" theories you've been reading.  Again, remember it is OK to do what feels best for you and your family.  You won't make everyone happy, so don't even try!)

14.  Use what sleep experts call "white noise."  Having a fan going makes a nice continuous sound that blocks out the other noises that can wake a light sleeper.  There are machines on the market that make white noise without changing the temperature in the room.  One of these is likely to help you sleep, too.

15.  You don't have to rush to the crib with every whimper.  If you are sleeping well, you might just sleep through moments of wakefulness, so that Baby naturally learns to put himself back to sleep during the night.

Of course, you won't need all of these tips for getting a baby to sleep, but hopefully, one or two of these tips will be just what you need to help your baby sleep better so you can get the rest you need, too.