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15 Simple Tips To Make Your Baby Sleep Alone
Are you a first-time parent? Are you tired of adopting different ways to make your baby sleep alone, all in vain? Well, you can rejoice, as you're not the only one on this boat. Managing babies is a very difficult task, especially when it comes to helping them adopt the right sleeping pattern and habits.
If you're a first-time parent, you'll find yourself spending all your energy on making the baby fall asleep, then waking up in the middle of the night to put your crying baby to sleep again. This is actually normal. Since babies don't have sleep spans like ours, they take short naps and are bound to wake up after short time intervals. In fact, most babies don't get a set sleep routine until they become toddlers.
However, when they're around the age of 6 months, you can try to help them fall asleep on their own, throughout the night, and to make it a habit so that you don't get drained of your energy and sleep. If you're a working parent, this becomes even more important. You must have tried a lot of things and nothing might seem to work. But, don't worry. You can follow these simple tips to make your baby sleep alone.
Tips To Make Your Baby Sleep Alone
1. Select A Place
Find your baby a proper place to sleep. It could be a crib, it could be a bed, it could be in different rooms, it's up to you to decide. But, whichever place you choose, ensure that it is suitable for your baby to sleep. You can try different rooms until one works for you. Also, as your baby grows, make necessary changes to the place to suit her or his likes.[1]
2. Set A Cue Or Time
You must choose a set time to put your baby to sleep every single day. By doing this, you are actually teaching the baby that it is the right time for them to go to sleep and they will follow cue after a few days. Along with that, you can also provide other cues like a lullaby or an action while putting them to sleep so that they can understand that it's time for bed.[2] [3]
3. Employ A Daily Routine
You can employ a short and simple sleep routine for your baby for every single day. This can include things like a warm bath followed by a diaper change, then a small massage and then finally sleep. Once your baby's biological clock gets acquainted with this set routine, they will most likely fall asleep on their own at the end of the routine. [2] [3]
4. Make Them Wear Comfortable Clothing
Tight and irritating clothing can be a great hindrance from getting sleep. Isn't that also the case with us adults? Get your baby some comfortable and airy night clothing that doesn't suffocate or cling to them. Preferably get clothes that feel soft to the touch. [3]
5. Fill Their Tummies
One of the reasons why babies wake up at night is because they're feeling hungry. Hence, ensure that your baby is well-fed with nutritional foods at all times, especially before their bedtime.[4] But this doesn't mean that you need to overfeed them beyond their capacity. Feed them just enough to suit their hunger and fill their tummies. If your baby is still breastfed, then feeding them on the night bed, right before sleep will help. Even if your baby wakes up at night, instead of distracting her or him with toys, use the time to feed them and put them back to sleep.
6. Clear Their Nose
Just like adults, if babies have a blocked nasal passage from a cold, they won't sleep well.[5] If this is the case, you can often spot them sleeping with their mouth open due to lack of breath. Sleeping with an open mouth can also bring along other infections and diseases. Clean your baby's nose and prevent her or him from getting a blocked nose again. If none of it seems to work, and your baby still sleeps with a blocked nose and open mouth, visit the doctor to resolve the issue.
7. Set The Atmosphere
It is true that your baby needs to get adjusted to the sounds in your household and still get his or her beauty sleep. But that will only happen as they grow up. Before that, it is imperative that you provide them with a quiet and peaceful atmosphere to sleep. Loud, startling and even the mildest noises are going to disturb their sleep and wake them up. For this reason, you must take care not to place the television set near the place where your baby sleeps.[1]
8. Play Soothing Music
It is a fact that babies respond well to music even when they are in their mother's womb. So, even while out of the womb, you can use music to put them to sleep. But remember that it needs to peaceful and blend into the ambience. You can play some light instrumental music, or even sing a lullaby to your little one. It will help them relax and fall asleep faster.[7]
9. Place Warm Lights
Even though keeping the room dark is preferable, it might not be suitable for all babies. But you can make use of warm lights so that neither will your baby be intimated by the darkness nor will she or he be distracted by the bright lights. Warm lights also give a very relaxed and peaceful feel to your baby's room.[1] [6]
10. Tuck Them In Bed Comfortably
When your baby is in the womb, there is a completely different atmosphere for him or her, protected, secure and away from the outer world. But once your baby is out, it takes time for them to get adjusted to things in the outer world that they're not used to. So what you can do is give them a womb-like feeling for quite some time before they grow up. Cover them with a blanket, place a plush toy near them to hug, or keep a pillow near them. All these things will make them feel just about the same security that they felt in the womb and also will make them think that you're present near them. Keep them as comfy and cosy as possible.
11. Remove Allergens And Irritants
If there are irritants or allergens in your baby's room, it can again lead to a blocked nasal passage, making it difficult for your baby to breathe. When that happens, your baby won't be able to fall asleep well and will keep waking up. Clear the room of any such allergens, dust, powders, etc. Sometimes, your room freshener might be the reason your baby has a congested nose, in which case you'll have to get rid of it.[8]
12. Set A Comfortable Temperature
If your room is too hot or too cold, then naturally, the baby will find it difficult to fall asleep. Your babies had been sleeping peacefully in the warmth of the womb, and it is always a best to have a slightly warm temperature for your baby's room, but not too warm. Gradually, you can bring it to room temperature so that your baby can get adjusted in her or his own time.[9]
13. Give Massages And Warm Baths Before Bedtime
Your little ones are going to love a warm bath at night, followed by a gentle massage to relieve their body of all the day's stress. Yes, babies get stressed out too. As your baby's body relaxes, it will help her or him fall restfully asleep faster than usual. A warm bath and massages are two things you can include in their daily schedule to help them fall asleep on their own.[10] [11]
14. Keep The Baby Peaceful During The Daytime
Like we said, babies, become stressed out too. After a full day of activity, it is natural for your baby to be tired, confused and irritable, especially if your baby exhibits signs of restlessness. When they get tired in the daytime, it prevents them from getting proper sleep at night. That's why you must give them a peaceful environment and playtime during the day.
15. Try Co-sleeping
Usually, you might be in the habit of rocking your baby to sleep, in a crib, in your arms or anywhere else. Yet, when you do that, your baby will start getting adjusted to it and soon enough, it'll turn into a necessity for them. But, you can try co-sleeping if you're tired and don't have time for any of the other tips mentioned.
Basically, you just sleep next to your baby and make them feel your warmth and presence, till the baby falls asleep. Don't do anything to make them fall asleep, just lie next to them and let them fall asleep on their own. Once your baby's asleep, you can either continue there or switch places.[12]
If none of these seems to work, and your baby is displaying signs like sucking thumb in sleep, talking while sleeping, and sleeping with an open mouth, you must visit the doctor to fix any possible issues like sleep disorders or other problems. Hope these tips help your baby and you get a good night's sleep!
- [1] Creating a safe sleep environment for your baby. (2004). Paediatrics & child health, 9(9), 665-674.
- [2] Mindell, J. A., Telofski, L. S., Wiegand, B., & Kurtz, E. S. (2009). A nightly bedtime routine: impact on sleep in young children and maternal mood. Sleep, 32(5), 599-606.
- [3] Adachi, Y., Sato, C., Nishino, N., Ohryoji, F., Hayama, J., & Yamagami, T. (2009). A brief parental education for shaping sleep habits in 4-month-old infants. Clinical medicine & research, 7(3), 85-92.
- [4] Rosen, L.A. (2008). Infant sleep and feeding, Journal Of Obstetric gynecologic, and neonatal nursing, 37(6), 706-14.
- [5] Naclerio, R. M., Bachert, C., & Baraniuk, J. N. (2010). Pathophysiology of nasal congestion. International journal of general medicine, 3, 47-57.
- [6] Rea, M. S., & Figueiro, M. G. (2016). The NICU Lighted Environment. Newborn and infant nursing reviews : NAINR, 16(4), 195-202.
- [7] Haslbeck, F. B., & Bassler, D. (2018). Music From the Very Beginning-A Neuroscience-Based Framework for Music as Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents. Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience, 12, 112.
- [8] Trevillian, L. F., Ponsonby, A. L., Dwyer, T., Kemp, A., Cochrane, J., Lim, L. L., & Carmichael, A. (2005). Infant sleeping environment and asthma at 7 years: a prospective cohort study. American journal of public health, 95(12), 2238-2245.
- [9] Barbeau, D. Y., & Weiss, M. D. (2017). Sleep Disturbances in Newborns. Children (Basel, Switzerland), 4(10), 90.
- [10] Mindell, J., Lee, C. I., Leichman, E.S., Rotella, K,N. (2018) Massage-based bedtime routine: impact on sleep and mood in infants and mothers. Sleep medicine, 41, 51-57
- [11] Nahidi, F., Gazerani, N., Yousefi, P., & Abadi, A. R. (2017). The Comparison of the Effects of Massaging and Rocking on Infantile Colic. Iranian journal of nursing and midwifery research, 22(1), 67-71.
- [12] Jian, N., & Teti, D. M. (2016). Emotional availability at bedtime, infant temperament, and infant sleep development from one to six months. Sleep medicine, 23, 49-58.
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