7 Ways to Get Baby to Sleep

Sleep Soothers for Infants

by Melinda Copp

Even if your baby is normally a good sleeper, everyone has a bad night once in a while. And sometimes, no matter how tired and fussy they are, babies just can't seem to fall asleep. Unfortunately, the reason for this is a mystery.

"It's hard to say why some babies have trouble falling asleep," says Dr. George Toporoff, a pediatrician at the Volunteers in Medicine Clinic in Hilton Head Island, S.C. "But there are things you can try."

A little one who is so exhausted he can't fall asleep tests every parent's patience. And when you've tried all your normal tricks and nothing works, then you have to get creative. But you should start by eliminating the basic reasons.

"Your baby may have trouble falling asleep because he is teething or uncomfortable," says Dr. Alexander Horowitz, a pediatrician at the Volunteers in Medicine Clinic. If you've checked your baby's diaper and clothing, and teething doesn't seem to be the culprit, then you can try some of the following strategies.

"My daughter was awful about going to sleep," says Ramin Ganeshram, a mom from Stony Brook, N.Y. "She loved the vacuum so we were always running it. Then we got worried about burning out the motor." To save their vacuum, Ganeshram and her husband would take turns making buzzing noises. Then they found a Web site with downloadable mp3s of vacuum cleaner sounds and other white noises. "I put them on my iPod and played them in a loop to her," she says.

White noise also worked for Jessica Galligani and her son. "White noise was a great find," says the mom from Allentown, Pa. "It buffered the sounds that would infiltrate his slumber and startle him awake."

Although lullabies have a reputation for soothing fussy babies, they don't always work. But Baby might respond to something different. "I turned on a CD of [the band] White Stripes in our car one day when I was sick to death of lullabies; Isaac instantly stopped crying," says Amy Philo, a mom from Frisco, Texas. "Sometimes it puts him to sleep, but most of the time it just keeps him happy."

Your possibilities are as endless as your CD collection. And if that doesn't work, you can always sing a song of your own. Many parents that don't know the words to many songs just make up their own lyrics. Or you can always resort to the classics. Ganeshram used to sing the national anthem to her daughter when she had trouble falling asleep, and it worked. No matter how bad you think you sound, your baby might find comfort in the sound of your voice.

If you've cradled and rocked your baby without results, try a different approach to cuddling. Your baby may respond to being held a different way, such as cradled upside down across your forearms or lying on your lap on his belly.

"I used to lie on the floor and put my daughter on my chest," says Suzette Walker, a mom from Hope Mills, N.C. "She would fall asleep in minutes. I guess my heartbeat did it."

And even if your baby usually drifts off lying in his crib, he may have nights where he needs more attention. If your baby can't seem to get to sleep on his own, there's nothing wrong with a little extra cuddling to calm him down.

"Babies like to be held and cuddled," Dr. Toporoff says. "This may also help for colicky babies that have trouble falling asleep."

Although it seems logical that if you feed your baby a big meal right before bed, then maybe he won't wake up hungry in the middle of the night, this approach may actually make it more difficult for Baby to sleep. Overfeeding can cause heartburn or make Baby uncomfortable and restless through the night. It may also cause Baby to feel hungry before morning.

"Nine out of 10 babies are overfed and cry out of hunger, heartburn or colic," Dr. Horowitz says. Feeding your baby small meals several times a day will help prevent these discomforts.

"My son wouldn't sleep without being between his dad and me, which frightened me too much to sleep," Galligani says. "So I decided sleep training was necessary. I am not comfortable with the cry-it-out method so I found Tracy Hogg's Baby Whisperer and it did the trick."

Although sleep training isn't an instant solution, you can use one of the several methods available to train your baby to go to sleep independently. And with all the different techniques available, you're bound to find one that you are comfortable using.

"It took a lot of hard work on our part, and consistency," Galligani says. "And there was some regression, but our son can put himself to sleep and wakes happy now. We went from an oversensitive, constant crier who wouldn't sleep to a well-balanced, predictable sleeper."

Cold sheets can give your baby a chill that wakens him when you lay him down. To prevent this, warm Baby's bedding in the dryer before laying him or her down for the night. Or place a warm towel on the sheets to heat them up a little and then remove it when Baby is ready for bed. You can also try a warm compress on Baby's belly to help calm and soothe his nighttime fussiness.

Establishing a bedtime routine will help your baby develop good habits. But you can incorporate any soothing and quiet activities you want. For example, you can start with a warm bath. Then dress Baby for bed and finish by reading a story. You can also sing a song, cuddle together in your favorite chair or just talk to your baby. And try to start your routine at around the same time every night.

"Set a bed time and stick to your routine," Dr. Toporoff says. "And keep your routine short because the longer you make it, the less effective it will be." Although your routine will take a few days to establish and Baby will need some time to get the hang of it, starting now will mean easier bedtimes into the future.

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