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Put Baby to Sleep - Techniques and Tips

Friendly advice to help put Baby to Sleep

Baby Sleep Problems can be fixed

Do you know the saying ‘I slept like a baby’? If you are the proud parent of a newborn, first of all, you never ‘slept like a baby’. And, what’s even more surprising, it is most likely that your baby did not either. Where does that saying come from? Who made it up? Certainly not a parent who had to cope with baby sleep problems! Most parents actually encounter them and there are a variety of different ways of coping with such problems. Every baby and every parent is different, so you may want to try out what works for you. Unfortunately, THE way of dealing with baby sleep problems that will work for everyone has not been found yet. While you may be too exhausted to feel like making much of an effort in order to change your situation, doing nothing is always the worst approach. Below are a number of different ways that could possibly improve your baby sleep problems and their sleeping patterns too, and consequently your own.

The Ferber method. Of all the methods of dealing with baby sleep problems, this one is probably the most contested. The pediatrician Richard Ferber postulates that falling asleep on their own is actually a skill, which those babies who are always cradled and rocked to sleep fail to learn.

In order to teach your baby this vital skill, he proposes that you let your baby cry itself to sleep. This approach may sound utterly cruel, but if you look up more information on it you will see that Ferber does by no means provide lazy parents with an excuse to neglect their babies. Instead, he offers a step-by-step guide on how to deal with crying babies. Especially at the beginning, this may actually require a lot of effort – going back into the baby’s room time after time, stroking your baby’s head, just no rocking. He even gives detailed information on how long baby’s should be left crying. While its opponents worry that the baby’s trust in its environment may be considerably harmed, followed properly, the Ferber methods is a safe way of dealing with baby sleep problems. Now if you as a parent can deal with hearing your baby crying is a different matter.

The ‘No Tears’ method. If you cannot bear the thought of giving the Ferber method a try, don’t worry, there are other ways of putting your baby to sleep. The ‘No Tears’-method, as proposed by pediatrician William Sears

relies on parents’ quick response to their baby’s crying as well as cozy night-time rituals. Many young parents make the mistake of believing that a reliable bed-time routine only becomes important once their child has grown into a toddler. This, however, is not true. On the contrary, calming bed-time routines can be a very effective way of dealing with baby sleep problems. While this method’s opponents worry that it may make a baby reliant on a parent and thus will prevent it from going to sleep on its own, those in favor stress the positive associations with sleep which are created.

The “Happiest Baby” method. Both methods are extreme opposites and maybe what works for you is an approach that is somewhere in the middle. Apart from that, trying out something different and unusual, such as the pediatrics professor Harvey Karp’s ‘Happiest Baby’ method, can’t hurt.

Karp suggests that in order to make your baby feel safe enough to go to sleep, you should recreate the secure feeling of being in the mother’s womb. This can be achieved by wrapping your baby in a soft blanket, making soothing noises or rocking it in a way that resembles what the baby feels in the mothers womb when she moves. While some people think this may be a waste of time, there are no worries that this method of dealing with baby sleep problems may actually harm the infant. So give it a try, it may actually work for you and your baby.

 Your own method? No matter which strategy you go for, remember that each baby and each parent is different. It may take a while to figure out what works for you and your family. Don’t give up, there is a wide variety of different ways of dealing with baby sleep problems out there and the best way is probably to get a little tip from each one and create your very own custom-made way of putting your baby to sleep.

Filed Under: baby sleep training Tagged With: "happiest baby" method, "no tears" method, ferber method

Baby Sleep Training Tips

Baby Sleep Training

Aaargh!  Sleep!  We all need it and cannot go very long without it, so how on earth can you get your baby to sleep soundly each night?  With the right baby sleep training this task will be a lot easier.  If you’ve not had children before, or you have a child who is having trouble sleeping then you are probably reading this with tired eyes.  It’s OK, we feel your pain!  Let’s take a look at what you can do.

Baby sleep training will happen in your own way using your own methods.  The methods you develop will be unique to you and your own style, but you will earn these from ideas which others may have told you to try.  Every child is different so you may need to try one or two types!

Routines hold the key to great baby sleep training!

Babies are just like us.  They thrive on routines and they pick them up really quickly.  If you are able to establish a routine very early on then there “bumps in the road” will be less severe along your journey to being a great parent and raising your own family.

Bath then bed.  That’s a great routine to develop.  Before bedtime, give the child a nice warm bath, followed by a cuddle, and then a drink of milk and then finally to bed.  Follow this routine religiously no matter how much the bay shows he or she isn’t happy.  They will improve and get used to it over time.

Meal then play.  Some parents let their infants go to sleep after eating a meal.  This is not a great habit to fall into as can tell the baby that they can only fall asleep after eating so try to encourage some gentle fun with them like playing, talking or dancing with the baby.  Try to keep them out of their cribs or strollers.

Same time each time.  Another great routine to consider.  Try to put them to sleep the same time each night.  Keep it to a reasonable time and try to let them sleep in their crib.  This routine will soon become instilled into them. Perhaps this baby sleep training tip might suit you best. If not, how about trying another idea?

Sleep baby sleep.  Try to avoid letting your child sleep in the same bed as you.  Sure they will cry for a while.  This is because they want to feel snug and secure.  To get round this, wrap their arms tight to their body with a wrap to make them feel snug while they sleep.  They will feel safe and protected.  You will be amazed by how well this works.

Baby Massage. How about a gentle and quiet massage for your baby before you put them to sleep? They can be fully clothed too, so once they are really drowsy, you don’t have to wake them to get into their sleep clothes. Try massaging their head, arms and feet.

Avoid stimulation. Try to locate baby’s room in a quiet part of the house, but close enough to hear them when they wake, or call out if in distress. Sitting in a slightly darkened room can help sooth your baby,  and sitting in a comfortable chair allows your arms to not get too tired. “White noise” from a gentle fan or radio can also help to avoid outside loud noises distractions – just make sure you have a baby monitor nearby so you can hear when your baby wakes up.

Whatever baby sleep training you choose, work it to your own needs and situation and please, just persevere.  You will soon find they settle into the new routine pretty quickly and you’ll thank yourself for sticking with it.  Being a parent is rewarding.  It may not be easy but it sure is worth it, so enjoy every moment!

Filed Under: baby sleep training Tagged With: toddler sleep training

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Chloe, mom of two, wants more sleep! She created this site to collect into one place her own ideas and recommendations from family and friends. She hopes you enjoy her site, and find some useful tips.

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