The Task Of Getting Your Baby To Sleep

Especially in those early months, the task of getting your baby to sleep may be a difficult and frustrating time. It gets better-but in the meantime there are ways to help baby fall asleep.

Some parents win the sleep lottery-they are blessed with a baby who falls asleep easily and remains asleep for long periods right from the start. Others have a more challenging start, with a baby who resists falling asleep with all their strength and who wakes soon after dropping off, making night times a painful feat of endurance.

For those who are blessed with a non-sleeper, it can help to understand a little of the changes that the baby is going through. As they grew in the womb they were in a confined space that was dark and noisy. They constantly heard the sound of your heart and when you spoke they heard that too.

They were also frequently on the move, since even when you are asleep you roll over and move around. They are warm, and never hungry. This is the world that they are accustomed to before they were born.

At birth they were forced into a bright world that overwhelms them in the day with too much noise and unfamiliar physical feelings. The physical freedom can be uncomfortable, with their uncoordinated limbs left flailing.

At night the situation is worse, with the baby expected to be in a large empty space in a quiet room. This is a situation that is alien to them, and that can be unsettling.

Swaddling can help some infants by mimicking the restricted environment of the womb. Others may respond well to a source of white noise-that is, a constant noise such as a fan that helps to distract from the silence and that covers noises in the house that may wake the baby. Other techniques may sooth the baby such as rocking, and quietly singing or talking to your baby whilst you rub their back or hold their hand.

Many mother resort to feeding the baby to get them to sleep but this can be habit forming. If a baby only ever falls asleep at the bottle or breast then they may become dependent on it. If this works for you then it is a wonderfully effective way of getting your baby to sleep but can be a problem later when the baby weans. It can be avoided by not letting your baby fall asleep whilst feeding, but putting them down to sleep once they are drowsy.

Some parents swear by the Ferber method, or leaving the baby to cry themselves to sleep. This is unsuitable for young babies who are unable to go through a night without being fed. For young babies and for parents who choose not to use the Ferber method, some things make things easier.

1. Don't let baby be over tired. Recognizing when baby is ready for sleep is important as an over tired baby will fight sleep.
2. 
   Don't expect your baby to sleep in the same conditions as you-a quiet bedroom is alien to a newborn.
   
3. Keep a good routine, including bed and nap times, and a calming before bed routine.
   Avoid bad habits-don't let baby fall asleep during a feed.

As your baby gets older, the sleep periods will get longer, making life easier for all.