Most babies around the world cannot seem to sleep, at all, without being held or do not sleep all night long in their crib. Getting your bab to sleep by themselves is not an easy task. In fact, most babies can tell who is holding them. They can distinguish the smell of their parents to someone else’s. Babies who are used to sleeping while held by their parents will most probably cry for them in the middle of the night. Is it possible to make your baby sleep without holding them? You can teach your baby to fall asleep without having to hold them. Here are some tips that will help your baby learn to put herself to sleep
Helpful Tips You Can Use to Make Your Baby Sleep
1. Rub her Gently
Place her in the crib and touch her there while she falls asleep. Stroke her cheek and forehead until her
eyes close. Alternatively, you can put your hand on her tummy to soothe her. Such gentle touch will make her sleep without necessarily having to hold her. Even if she cries, refrain from picking her. It will confuse her. Do this more often and eventually; she will fall asleep with you simply holding her hand, or putting your hand on her forehead.
2. Play Soothing Music
Music is food for the soul. Soothing music can help your baby to fall asleep without you having to hold her. Have you ever tried playing music for her? You can start by trying a few nights of listening to lullabies as you nurse your baby. That way she will associate the soothing music with sleepy time. After which you can start easing her into sleeping on her own as long as the comfort of the music is playing.
3. Hot water bottle trick
A baby may get a hard time sleeping if you subject her to a sudden change in temperature. The transition from your warm arms to the crib should not have a significant change in temperature. If your crib is relatively cold, you can use a hot water bottle. Lay it in her bed where she will lay while you do your last night feeding. Cuddle her for a couple of minutes after she feeds and then lay her down where the warm bottle was. Leave the bottle beside her so she can still feel the warmth. 30 minutes later, sneak in and take it out. This will work.
4. Come up with a bedtime Habit
Get in a habit. If feeding is part of that routine, do it first so that she doesn’t rely on it to fall asleep. Choose something you will do each night, like a bath or book. Figure out what exercises you have to do each night and work them out effectively. It doesn’t make a difference on the off chance that you feed your baby earlier or after shower time, however, anticipate doing likewise every night. Both guardians ought to take an interest at following the bedtime schedule so that your infant doesn’t turn out to be excessively subject to one parent and winds up noticeably not able to rest if one parent is not around.Put her to bed when her eyes become drowsy, but still slightly open.
5.Limit distractions
Like adults, babies need a quiet environment to sleep. Therefore, before she falls asleep, maintain a quiet surrounding. Ensure that the light is low and minimize any noise. Soothing music in the background is fine.
6. Try white noise
To make her sleep, buy a simple machine that will make a soothing sound. She will be soothed smoothly into the dream world. You will not have to whisper into her ears until she falls asleep.
7. Maintain your Routine
It is always easy to start something, but maintaining it is never easy. If you develop a sleeping pattern for your baby, stick with it. If you change it slightly, the baby may get confused and have a difficult time falling asleep. Always make your baby sleep at the same time using the same soothing patterns. If you’re thrown off-schedule, don’t worry, get back to the routine as soon as you can.
Conclusion
Just like adults who wake up many times, babies have an irregular sleeping cycle. On average they wake up every four hours during the night. Every time she wakes up, she needs to learn how to get back to sleep by herself. This is not easy, but with the above tips, you can teach her to.