Baby

How to get a baby to sleep in a crib

baby to sleep in a crib

Young infants will always find the warmth and softness of your arms very soothing to fall asleep.

But there comes a time when you’re ready for your little one to nap in their crib.

Your baby might adjust to sleeping by themselves within a couple weeks or a couple of months. But no matter how long it takes, you should not take a step backward in the process.

 Try to follow some basic tips to make it smoother

Preparation

You can start by letting your toddler play in the crib before nap time in the day. Eventually they will start napping in the crib. Allow your baby about one week of this process to grow comfortable before moving on. It is advisable and recommended by experts to your your baby in your room for the first six months. You can add more distance between yourself and the crib as they fall asleep initially.

 

Day and night

Make the space very peaceful. Try to make distinctions between the day and night. You have to ensure the silence at night while the day time can be a little brighter. Letting them nap with the blinds down will also promote this process. If they wake from a nap in the daylight, they will understand it’s time to get up. Similarly, at night time, they will learn to go back to sleep.

 

Start with nap-time

You cannot plunk your baby down in a completely new space and expect them to be comfortable all at once. Instead, start with a small nap-time routine during the day. This way, your baby will get the idea of sleeping when they are put in the crib. You can rock them or pat them a little before placing them in the crib but it is best avoided if not really needed.

 

Try white noise.

Sometimes, it is helpful to use a white noise machine to help your baby fall asleep faster. Some babies are light-sleeper and may wake up with any outside noise. You can even use a fan and run it on slow speed. Make sure the fan is on a lower speed and is away from the baby’s ears.

 

Tough it out

The baby will cry and that’s a fact you cannot avoid. If you are having a hard time with listening to them cry, you can remind yourself that you have to be consistent to help your baby. If you are not consistent, your baby will know that the crying will get them out of the crib and they will keep doing it every time you try to make them sleep. Your toughening up is important.

 

Sound sleep

You don’t have to keep checking on them. They have to learn how to sleep without your presence. You can have a baby monitor. Some babies need a little patting before you leave them but do not pick them up unless they are really uncomfortable. Stick with the pattern for about three-weeks to settle down. It’s a transition for both you and your baby. You have to ensure for your sound sleep as well.

 

Also read: Easy ways to get your new-born to sleep quickly

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