Getting a baby to sleep can be tricky, can’t it? Contrary to what many first-time parents-to-be assume, most babies do not simply fall asleep when they are tired and wake when they are rested. In fact, lots of babies go from sleepy to fussy to exhausted to overly tired to flat out screaming (sometimes, in a matter of minutes!)! There is just no “falling asleep naturally” at any point in that sequence. Similarly, not all babies wake up when they are rested and refreshed. By contrast, far more babies tend to wake up between sleep cycles and then can’t get back to sleep. That’s why some babies wake within 20-30 minutes of falling asleep and seem even fussier and crankier than they did before they fell asleep!
It’s clear, then, that getting your baby to sleep is an important task for many parents. Get baby to sleep, and you’ll ward off cranky overtiredness. And – even better – you’ll increase the chances that your baby sleeps for more than 20 or 30 minutes!
Now, a quick note about getting baby to sleep… There are tips and tricks you can use to get instant sleep. You can rock baby to sleep, pat baby to sleep, swaddle, use the swing, share a bed at naptime. All of these may indeed produce short-lived results. But the parents with whom we work are usually looking for more permanent solutions – like how to get baby to sleep well on a permanent, ongoing basis! That’s what we’ll address in today’s post.
Keep reading for tips on how to get your baby to sleep!
Get Baby To Sleep: 7 Sure-Fire Tips
- Start with a strong bedtime and pre-nap time routine. This is one of the easiest things you can do to help promote better, more consistent sleep.
- Keep your child’s room dark and quiet. Black-out blinds can help keep your baby’s room dim during the day – and that can really help promote sleep. In addition, a white noise machine (or a simple white noise app) can help block out unwanted noise that would otherwise make it tough for your baby to sleep.
- Establish a (semi) consistent daily sleep and feeding schedule. If your baby is quite young (less than 4 months old), then don’t focus on the clock; babies that age aren’t ready for fixed schedules yet. Rather, focus on establishing sleep and feeding cycles (like an eat-play-sleep cycle) that can help you organize your day. If your baby is 4 months or older, however, you can begin building in fixed points to help firm up the times of a few naps and feedings. Then, as your baby grows, just add in more and more fixed points.
- Watch for drowsy signs. You’ll know your baby is drowsy if she starts to yawn, looks off to one side and avoids your gaze, begins rubbing her face or eyes, or starts chewing on her hands or fists (just to name a few). Try to lay your baby down for sleep at the first sign of drowsiness; if you wait too long, she’ll likely become overtired.
- Try putting your baby down for bed drowsy but awake one or more times each day. It’s normal for your newborn or young baby to need help falling asleep (help in the form of nursing or rocking or patting to sleep). However, as your baby gets older (say, around 3 months of age), begin putting your baby down drowsy but awake for one or two naps. This will lay the foundation for eventually learning to fall asleep unassisted.
- Identify your child’s sleep associations, and try to gradually wean your baby away from them. Again, sleep associations are normal and understandable. Just about all newborns need help falling asleep! But they can become habitual as your child gets older. Try to identify HOW your child falls asleep. From there, you can gradually wean your child away from his preferred sleep association until he is able to fall asleep without help. This “weaning away” process is called sleep coaching – and we just so happen to be experts at it! 😉
- Do your homework! Prepare for upcoming sleep changes and adapt as necessary. Here’s the thing: even if you get to the point where your child is sleeping well on his own, it may all change as your child grows. Sleep and feeding needs change frequently in your child’s first few years of life. This means that just when you think you’ve got it figured out, your child will likely throw you a sleep-and-feeding curveball! Fortunately, you can look ahead at sleep and feeding schedules by age. You can also look ahead at changing sleep needs by age, to prepare yourself for what’s ahead.
Get Baby To Sleep, With Some Help From A Sleep Coaching Expert!
If your baby just won’t sleep well – if she’s up all night and taking micro-naps (or skipping naps altogether), we can help! Connect with one of our expert consultants today; she’ll craft a Personalized Sleep Plan™ just for your baby, walk you through every step of sleep coaching and schedule-making, and provide detailed answers to your most pressing sleep training questions.
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Need Baby and Toddler Sleep Help? We Have the Resources You Need!
If you are tired of wading through stacks of baby sleep books that just aren't working, if you are beyond exhausted and just can't solve your child's sleep problems on your own...then personalized sleep consulting is for you. We have been around since 2008 and invite you to tap into our MANY years of experience. Our team of expert consultants will create a Personalized Sleep Plan® just for your family and then support you through every step of implementing your plan. We encourage you to consider our personalized, one-on-one baby and toddler sleep consultation packages if you want to see real, meaningful results now. Your consultation package also includes ample follow-up help, designed to help you troubleshoot problems and tweak your plan as needed.Learn More About Services
For those persistent nighttime struggles, check out The 3 Step System to Help Your Baby Sleep. Using the same unique approach and practical tools for success, this e-book helps you and your baby sleep through the night.
Learn More About The 3-Step System
If you’re looking for ways to get your baby or toddler into a healthy sleeping routine during the day, explore Mastering Naps and Schedules, a comprehensive guide to napping routines, nap transitions, and all the other important “how-tos” of good baby sleep. With over 45 sample sleep schedules and worksheets, Mastering Naps and Schedules is a hands-on tool ideal for any parenting style.
Learn More About Mastering Naps
For those persistent toddler sleep struggles, check out The 5 Step System to Help Your Toddler Sleep. Using the same unique approach and practical tools for success, this e-book helps you and your toddler sleep through the night and enjoy a better daytime schedule.
Learn More About The 5-Step System
Join our VIP Members Area packed with exclusive content and resources: e-Books, assessments, detailed case studies, expert advice, and more. As a VIP member, you'll also enjoy a weekly chat with an expert sleep consultant.
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Lisa says
Hi there,
My baby is almost 3 months and I’m interested in attempting a fixed point in the morning and at night. Right now we have a bed time routine but it’s all over the place depending on when she naps and how long she naps for. I’m curious about exactly how to do these fixed points if they aren’t on a strict schedule yet during the day? Do you wake them at night to do their bed time routine or let them sleep and do it when they naturally wake? I’m also wondering if the same applies in the morning? Should I wake her if she is sleeping for the fixed point wake time and hope that she goes fairly according to a flexible schedule like eating and sleeping every 2 -3 hours? I feel like this is a part that no one explains! The schedules are great but we are never told how to execute them!
Danielle says
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for using The Baby Sleep Site as a resource! We have an article all about how to implement fixed points that I think will answer a lot of your questions here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-training/fixed-points-help-baby-sleep/
If you ever need more support, please let us know. Good luck!
Michelle says
Is it possible to sleep coach when starting to crawl/stand, teething and going through 8 month sleep regression?
Debbye @ The Baby Sleep Site says
Hi @Michelle – Thank you for visiting us! Milestones and teething sure can disrupt even the best sleepers, and when all hit at once, Wow! Regarding learning new developmental milestones, typically at this age, sleep disruptions due to this is just a phase. Most babies, within a matter of weeks, return to their usual sleep schedule. The key is to remain consistent with how you are putting to sleep and how you are getting your baby back to sleep to avoid creating any sleep associations that could linger after this phase passes. teething happens on and off for so long (or it feels like it is so long!), that not sleep coaching when you are anticipating a new tooth could mean not sleep coaching for a couple of years! Our typical recommendations here are to be sure that your baby is comfortable, and you can then feel better about continuing to sleep coach, and in dire times of discomfort, feel free to back off from sleep coaching a little, and do as little as you must, to help baby sleep.
If you find that things do not smooth out, and you would like some one on one help, please do consider contacting us for help choosing a consultation package!
Good luck and thanks again for visiting our sleepy little village!