Putting Baby Down
There is little doubt that whilst the ‘cry it out’ or Ferber methodology was immensely popular twenty or so years ago, most parents nowadays are probably not comfortable with the idea of just letting baby cry themselves to sleep. So, here are a few methods of putting baby down to sleep that are specifically designed to induce sleep without resorting to drugs or medicines: Nursing downNestle close to your baby and breastfeed or bottle-feed him or her off to sleep. If your baby finds that a warm bath helps to rest them (as most babies probably do) then the smooth transition from warm bath, to the warm comfort of being next to you, and finally to a warm bed is a recipe for sleep to soon follow. |
Rocking baby down
Try gently easing baby into relaxation and eventually sleep by rocking them in a rocking chair, if you have such a thing. Failing that, a suspended baby swing will most probably achieve the same result, or try walking with baby, patting them gently on the back whilst doing so.
Fathering down
Fathers are not entirely useless all of the time! The male voice, being deeper and coming more from the throat can be used to help get baby to sleep surprisingly quickly. Nestle baby's head against the front of Dad’s neck with his chin against the top of baby's head, ad then rock gently back and forth. If baby doesn't lapse into sleep while rocking, Dad should try lying down next to baby, still in same position, and let baby temporarily fall asleep draped over his chest. Once baby is asleep, ease the sleeping baby into his or her bed and make good your escape!
Comforting down
For more stubborn babies, the normal fall-asleep techniques are probably not going to be enough. If this is your situation, then you already know that your baby just doesn't want to be put down to sleep alone, and they are not afraid of letting you know the fact! So, after rocking, soothing or feeding baby so that they finally manage to fall asleep in your arms, take the time to lie down with them next to you and nestle close to him or her until they are as sound asleep as possible.
Wearing down
Some babies get so energized and revved up during the day that they have difficulty winding down when the night and time for bed comes around. In this case, place baby in a sling and carry them around the house for an hour or so before the normal bedtime. When baby is completely asleep in the sling, ease them out and into bed. And, here’s a tip especially for Mom’s whose baby is used to nursing off to sleep in your arms. Fathers can again come in useful! Allow him to do the ‘wearing down’ until baby is sound asleep, and take a break yourself! Incidentally, this technique is perfect for your baby if they do not like the idea of a daytime nap.
Driving down
If you've tried all the above transitioning techniques and baby still resists falling asleep, take baby out for a drive! Almost inevitably, the motion of the car will send baby off to sleep in the car-seat, and then when you return home and baby is in a deep sleep, remove the car-seat from the car and carry it into the house, with sleeping baby still in situ. Leave baby in the seat until the first night time waking, and then pop them into bed. If, on the other hand he or she is a deep sleep (look for unclenched hands, arms dangling loosely down by the side, facial muscles still), you might be able to ease baby out of the seat and into bed as soon as you return home.Solving Sleeplessness in Infants Will Help You...
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Cry It Out & The Ferber Method
