Get Baby To Sleep

New babies don't know the difference between day and night. Forcing your baby into sleep won't work. So what do you do? You want to set the conditions that make sleep attractive. Babies need to learn that daytime is for eating and nighttime is mostly for sleeping. Stimulate your baby during the day. and feed your baby at least every three hours during the waking hours. Upon the first nightly awakening, give them a full feeding. This will deter them from nibbling all night.

So how do you get baby to sleep on your terms?

Establish A Routine

From the time you come home from the hospital begin a routine. Be consistent as possible and your routine will become habit. Start with your crib or baby moses basket. Set this up in your bedroom. Do this at least for a little while, you are going to want your baby close to you.

• Always laying your baby on it's back in it's crib to sleep. Your baby will make the association that "this is the place to sleep". It will take a few weeks for your baby to tell the difference between night and day.
• Always keep sleep safety in mind.

• Set predictable and consistent nap times. Lie down with your baby to get your baby used to a daytime nap routine. Babies who have consistent nap routines during the day are more likely to sleep longer stretches at night.

• Adjust your baby's body clock toward sleeping at night by avoiding night time stimulation. Keep the lights low, try not to play or talk while feeding and changing diapers. This will reinforce the association that "this is the place to sleep".
• Establish a bedtime routine, bathing, reading, sleep. This will help your baby to relax and also make the association of "this is the place to sleep". The smooth transition from warm bath, to warm arms, to warm bottle, to warm bed will make sleeping easy to follow.

By two months most babies are sleeping six to eight hours through the night. Check with your doctor if you have questions about how much or how little your baby is sleeping. Decide where your baby sleeps best. There is no right or wrong answer. More than likely these sleeping arrangements will vary over the next two years. Consistent bedtimes and going to sleep rituals get baby to sleep easier and they stay asleep longer. Follow your heart and you and your baby will work out the right nighttime schedule. If your baby wont sleep, try a combination of these techniques.