Your heart may swell with love when you watch your baby sleeping. They look so sweet and innocent. However, new parents soon discover that “sleeping like a baby” isn’t always so peaceful. Your heart may race, though, when you can’t get them to stay asleep all night or at times when you really want them to nap or sleep. The first few months may be especially challenging as your baby’s biological clock does not start developing until they reach 3 months old. So, getting your newborn to fall asleep quickly can get troublesome and complicated, which is not great news for the exhausted, sleep deprived parents. But you don’t need to give up just yet. These 5 easy tips are just what you need to put your baby to sleep quickly and soundly.
#1 Avoid Making eye contact with your baby before putting them to sleep
Whenever you are trying to put your baby to sleep-be it nap time, bedtime or even during late night feedings- avoid eye contact. Each time you make eye contact it will motivate your baby to be remain awake and then it will be difficult to make her sleep again.
#2 Try to put your baby down drowsy but awake
If you put your baby in the crib when they’re already asleep and they wake up in the night, which all humans do, they won’t recognize their surroundings and will need your help getting back to sleep. Don’t wait until they are fully asleep in your arms; this could be a behavior that may become a struggle to get rid of later in their life. Hence, try to put your baby down drowsy but awake. This will help them learn to self-soothe and fall asleep—and, more importantly, fall back to sleep—on their own, which is the main goal of sleep training.
#3 Try To Get The Baby To Focus On One Particular Thing
Babies are naturally curious beings. The trick is to get your baby to focus on one thing in particular so that their eyes stop moving in order to take in their surroundings. Their eyes will get tired quickly, and your baby will eventually close them. Success! This super easy tips for getting baby to fall asleep is a total time-saver.
#4 Gently Wiggle Your Baby To Sleep
Babies love to wiggle about, even while trying to sleep. The purpose of this method is to give your baby a sense of disorientation, which is similar to the rocking of a cradle. Firstly, pick your baby up and hold them in your arms. Then, place your hand on their butt and start wiggling it gently. This action will also cause a slight wiggle around your baby’s head, which will lead them to experience a sense of disorientation that can put them into a deeper sleep.
#5 Try stroking your baby’s little nose
Stroking any part of your child’s face calms a child and allows them to fall asleep more quickly. Stroking allows your child to feel safe and loved, filling up their emotional needs. The theory is that the nerves of the face/head go straight into the brain, whereas nerves from the rest of the body do not go straight to the brain. The latter have to pass through the spinal cord first. Since the facial nerves have a direct connection with the brain, they are more potent. That is why kisses to the face provoke the most emotions.” Pretty fascinating stuff, right?
Putting your baby to sleep doesn’t have to take hours. It may seem silly at first, but these tips will help your baby fall asleep faster over time. So, have you used any of these Tips for Getting Baby to Fall Asleep before? How do you put your baby to sleep? Let us know in the comments section!