Getting baby to sleep

Elaine26 · Nov 5th, 2009, 08:27 AM

Hello, I have a 3 week old baby, its my second child. When I had my 1st child we use to rock him to sleep in our arms and then he found it really had for him to sleep on his own. We really want to get this baby use to going to sleep on her own straight away but how do I do it, when I put her down in her basket she gets very restless and starts to cry. I try and leave her for a while but then cant stand her crying a pick her up and rock her of to sleep, I know I am hopeless so I need your help. What do I need to do to teach her to sleep by herself.
Thanks
Elaine

MrsRH · Nov 5th, 2009, 08:38 AM

She is still so tiny and learning about bein gout in the big world.

I agree with you that rocking to sleep is making a rod for your own back.

Joe sometimes takes a while to settle. Even from being wee, we did a sort of bed time routine. Took him upstairs, nappy change, bottle cuddle/massage in a quiet dimly lit room.

Swaddling really helps too, if he cries we return to him, reassure him verbally, then with cuddle if that doesn't work.

the key is to be consistent.

hth
Rachael
xxx

faille · Nov 5th, 2009, 08:42 AM

I agree with adding some kind of structure or routine for bedtime, I know she's only really little still but I found it helped.

Try rocking her until she's drowsy and then put her down, so she actually falls asleep in her bed.

You could always try laying her down and then lightly stroking her nose, that always worked with my LO when she got a bit fidgety after putting her down. It still works now!

Also we found dummies come in very handy at about 3wks old.

Keeping the lights lower and the noise quieter also seemed to help and also no stimulating playing before bed - so nothing noisey or anything that lights up

Hth x

bjl1981 · Nov 5th, 2009, 14:38 PM

With our LO we would swaddle and then gently pat his back to settle him. If he was cranky we would "SSSSHHHHHH" and pat him.
When we stopped swaddling we would feed him in a dim room and then give him his dummy and put him down. He would sometimes whinge, but we only picked him up if he cried 'properly'. I still "sshhhhhushhh" him and put my hand on his chest if he's unsettled but he normally goes to sleep all by himself

I agree with everyone else though, consistency is key.

4Monsters · Nov 5th, 2009, 20:41 PM

Try a Snuggle Me Cushion! They are designed to make baby feel like you are still holding them so that they will stay sleeping. Babies wake up when they don't have secure boundaries around them and this helped us. The site is SimplyMommyOnline

Lorien · Nov 6th, 2009, 01:43 AM

Getting a bedtime routine to help is a great idea, but a tiny baby is too little to learn to self-soothe.

This article gives some compelling reasons why not to CIO: http://www.phdinparenting.com/2008/07/05/no-cry-it-out/

Nov 5th, 2009, 08:27 AM	#1
Elaine26 Mum (Mom) New BnB member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 1	Getting baby to sleep Hello, I have a 3 week old baby, its my second child. When I had my 1st child we use to rock him to sleep in our arms and then he found it really had for him to sleep on his own. We really want to get this baby use to going to sleep on her own straight away but how do I do it, when I put her down in her basket she gets very restless and starts to cry. I try and leave her for a while but then cant stand her crying a pick her up and rock her of to sleep, I know I am hopeless so I need your help. What do I need to do to teach her to sleep by herself. Thanks Elaine

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Nov 5th, 2009, 08:38 AM	#2
MrsRH Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,911	She is still so tiny and learning about bein gout in the big world. I agree with you that rocking to sleep is making a rod for your own back. Joe sometimes takes a while to settle. Even from being wee, we did a sort of bed time routine. Took him upstairs, nappy change, bottle cuddle/massage in a quiet dimly lit room. Swaddling really helps too, if he cries we return to him, reassure him verbally, then with cuddle if that doesn't work. the key is to be consistent. hth Rachael xxx

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Nov 5th, 2009, 08:42 AM	#3
faille Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Kent UK Posts: 3,663	I agree with adding some kind of structure or routine for bedtime, I know she's only really little still but I found it helped. Try rocking her until she's drowsy and then put her down, so she actually falls asleep in her bed. You could always try laying her down and then lightly stroking her nose, that always worked with my LO when she got a bit fidgety after putting her down. It still works now! Also we found dummies come in very handy at about 3wks old. Keeping the lights lower and the noise quieter also seemed to help and also no stimulating playing before bed - so nothing noisey or anything that lights up Hth x

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Nov 5th, 2009, 14:38 PM	#4
bjl1981 Mum (Mom) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Wigan, UK Posts: 1,660	With our LO we would swaddle and then gently pat his back to settle him. If he was cranky we would "SSSSHHHHHH" and pat him. When we stopped swaddling we would feed him in a dim room and then give him his dummy and put him down. He would sometimes whinge, but we only picked him up if he cried 'properly'. I still "sshhhhhushhh" him and put my hand on his chest if he's unsettled but he normally goes to sleep all by himself I agree with everyone else though, consistency is key.

Status: Offline

Nov 5th, 2009, 20:41 PM	#5
4Monsters Mum (Mom) New BnB member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 3	Try a Snuggle Me Cushion! They are designed to make baby feel like you are still holding them so that they will stay sleeping. Babies wake up when they don't have secure boundaries around them and this helped us. The site is SimplyMommyOnline

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Nov 6th, 2009, 01:43 AM	#6
Lorien Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada Posts: 817	Getting a bedtime routine to help is a great idea, but a tiny baby is too little to learn to self-soothe. This article gives some compelling reasons why not to CIO: http://www.phdinparenting.com/2008/07/05/no-cry-it-out/

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