How To Get Your Infant To Sleep

One of the main problems that parents come across, while taking care of their infant, is getting him/her to sleep. While many of them are not able to get the baby to sleep at a set time everyday, others have to face the problem of his/her getting up at night and not falling asleep again. In case you are also facing any one of these two problems, this article would prove to be of great help to you. Go through the following lines and get useful information on how to get your infant to sleep at night.

 

 

If you want to get your infant to develop a proper sleep pattern, it is very necessary for you to help him/her settle into a set bedtime routine. For instance, sometime around nine at night, you can give your baby his/her last nursing session or milk bottle of the day. Read a story to him/her or sing a lullaby, put him/her into the baby crib, tuck him/her inside the blanket and say good night. You can follow any such routine on a daily basis, as long as it is soothing to the baby and you remain consistent with it.

 

Do not let your baby fall asleep in your arms or your lap. He/she needs to learn how to get himself/herself to sleep. So, make sure that your baby is sleepy, but still a bit awake, when you put him/her in the crib. This will make sure that if, and when, your baby wakes up at night, he/she will be able to fall asleep on his/her own. If he/she becomes accustomed to falling asleep while you are nursing, rocking or singing (a lullaby), he/she will expect the same behavior on getting up at night and create a fuss in its absence.

 

If your baby cries when he/she is put to bed at night, resist the urge of picking him/her up and rocking him/her to sleep. There are two options before you - stay in the room, so that your baby does not start thinking that you have deserted him/her and panic, or leave the room, but keep returning at regular intervals (say five to ten minutes) and encourage him/her to sleep, by gently rubbing the back or speaking soothingly. You need to work out which of the options suit you. However, do make sure not to pick him/her up.

 

If your baby wakes up in the middle of the night and starts crying, go to his/her room immediately, but desist from any attempt to pick him/her up. Give him/her a feed, a quick diaper change or a milk bottle, trying not to take him/her out of the curb in the last two cases. Settle the baby in the crib once again, by tucking in the blanket and giving the 'cuddly', and leave the room. Don't keep on standing there till he/she falls asleep once again. However, do make sure to go back to his/her room every 5-10 minutes, until he/she falls asleep on his/her own.