How do you encourage your baby to sleep and stay asleep all night long?
He might be able to reach that goal on his own in the near future. Or he may want some assistance from you in learning how to fall asleep on his own, not only at bedtime but throughout the night. We all have sleep cycles that cause us to become slightly awake during the night, and we all need to learn how to return to a deep sleep.
You might be surprised to learn that the majority of newborns across the globe either cannot fall asleep without being held or do not sleep in their own cot all night. Biologically, it’s simply not a “typical” thing for newborns to do. If you’re willing to teach them, every baby can learn to sleep alone.
The key to helping your baby learn to fall asleep on her own is to realise that everyone wakes up a little bit during the night as their sleep cycles change. The goal is for the infant to learn to fall back asleep without your aid when they wake up.
Fortunately, this may be accomplished without causing your kid any distress. Is it necessary to sleep-train? No. You can educate newborns to fall asleep without rocking or sucking them to sleep, and without letting them cry. This isn’t a quick fix; it might take months. However, it does work. And after they’ve learned how to fall asleep on their own (without you giving them a breast, bottle, pacifier, or your arms to rock them), they’ll be more likely to put themselves back to sleep when they wake up in the middle of the night rather than waking you up.
If you want to assist your kid develop excellent sleep habits from a young age, start by teaching him to put himself to sleep. However, you must take little measures. Here’s how to do it.
1. When you put your baby down to sleep, you should wake her up
While most infants and babies are laid down alone when they are drowsy, they will cry. There’s a reason behind that. They are yearning to sleep, but they require a secure environment in which to do so. And they’re hard-wired to believe that the only safe place is in your arms. After all, newborns that were left to sleep in the forest were likely devoured by wild creatures.
The newborns that protested until they were held by their parents had a higher chance of surviving and passing on their genes to us. When human newborns are placed to sleep, they panic, and the adrenaline wakes them up, making it difficult to relax. While there aren’t any solid studies on the long-term consequences on the infant, it can’t be healthy for a baby to have to deal with the anxiety of wailing for a parent who doesn’t show up on a regular basis.
So, rather of working against Mother Nature, collaborate with her. Allow yourself to lull your baby to sleep. When you put her down in her crib or bassinet once she’s asleep, jolt her a little. Just enough to jolt her awake. I know, you’ve simply spent so much time trying to get her to sleep that this will take a lot of guts. But make the decision that this small jostling will always be a part of the process.
You’re teaching your baby something invaluable: that it’s safe to go back to sleep if she wakes up half-awake in her bed. Of course, she won’t do it the first fifty times you ask. She’ll cry, and you’ll comfort her by patting her or picking her up if necessary. But she’ll figure out that she’s safe after a time. She may startle or moan for a little period, but she will not panic. In fact, she’ll increasingly close her eyes and go back to sleep. Celebrate that accomplishment because, not long from now, she will be able to begin putting herself to sleep again. Continue to practise.
2. Begin to disrupt the connection between sleep and nursing/eating/sucking
If your baby requires you to feed him or give him something to suck on in order to fall asleep, he will always wake you up in the middle of the night to help him get back asleep. The second stage is to gradually dispel the link between sucking and falling asleep.
When it comes to newborns, it’s usually best to start by rocking them. Yes, there is yet another “crutch” for sleeping. It is, however, a less difficult sleep connection to break than sucking.
Feed your baby as soon as he wakes up from his sleep, and then again if he is awake and hungry. However, instead of feeding him when he is simply drowsy, try walking or rocking him. In this manner, he learns to fall asleep without sucking. Of course, you’re still rocking or walking him to sleep, but in the following step, we’ll break that sleep association.
PLEASE NOTE: This does not imply that you refuse to feed a starving child. This isn’t something you start until your kid is several months old, breastfeeding or eating properly, and physically well. Because infants require frequent feedings, you will frequently discover that your child is both hungry and sleepy at the same time. If your baby continues to cry and complain while you walk or rock him, he may be hungry as well as weary. In that scenario, feed him as soon as possible.
The goal is to progressively remove the sucking/sleep relationship by assisting your infant in falling asleep in non-sucking ways. He is falling asleep without sucking more and more frequently. If he’s hungry, he’ll keep wailing to let you know, and you’ll feed him, of course.
3. Encourage your kid in learning to fall asleep while lying motionless (in your arms)
The next step is to teach her to go asleep without being rocked or walked instead of eating. So you start by rocking her, but before baby falls asleep, you stop and just sit with her, quietly holding her. Start rocking again if she protests. This should be repeated. Even if you don’t rock her, she’ll ultimately fall asleep. That is a significant accomplishment.
Do this for a week or so until she gets used to it as your new routine: feel tired while rocking, then fall asleep in your arms while not rocking.
4. Guide your child in learning to fall asleep in his own bed
Next, wait until your baby is almost asleep in the chair with you holding him, then stand and hold him still in your arms in his sleeping position (on his back) until he accepts the stillness. If he objects, stand up and rock him in your arms until he falls asleep. Repeat for a week until he is accustomed to the routine.
The next step is to start lowering him into his cot or bed while he is still awake but close to falling asleep. When he complains, as he will, take him up in the rocking posture and rock a bit more before stopping. Continue to do so. It may take up to 25 tries, but he will ultimately let you place him in the bed without objection. Patience is required. You’re almost home!
5. Touch rather than holding in her bed
You’ll be able to put your baby in the bed and hold her there while she falls asleep eventually because she won’t need to be rocked. Then you go on to caressing, but not holding, your baby in her cot as she falls asleep. She’ll eventually be able to fall asleep only by holding your hand. Continue doing this until she accepts it as her new routine: getting drowsy while rocking her, then being placed in her bed on her back and falling asleep while clutching your hand. You can use a toy instead of your finger at some time.
What’s more, guess what? You now have a baby that can be placed in her bed awake and fall asleep on her own!
FAQ
- What age should a child fall asleep on their own?
When saying good-bye to a beloved parent before bedtime. Learning to fall asleep on one’s own, on the other hand, is a crucial ability that you may teach your baby when he/she is old enough—around 4 months.
- Is it normal for a 5 year old to sleep with parents?
If you choose to do so, Barclay says there’s nothing wrong with letting your child sleep with you. “In other cultures, many families sleep together,” she explains. “It’s completely acceptable if this works for you and your family.”
- How do you get a child to sleep in their own bed all night?
A good bedtime routine will assist your youngster in unwinding and preparing for sleep. 1 Warm baths, nice books, and cuddling can help your youngster prepare for sleeping in his own bed. When it’s time for lights out, leave the room and turn off the lights so he can practise falling asleep on his own.
