Getting your baby to sleep can be a challenge, one that can cause lost sleep for you as well. Babies in the womb are used to sleeping whenever and wherever they want, so settling into a nighttime routine can sometimes take several months. There are several methods you can use to help your baby get to sleep.
Ferber Method
Sometimes called the “cry-it-out” method, the Ferber method involves weaning your baby from your presence to get him to sleep. In a week-long process, the Ferber method instructs parents to let their baby cry for at least five minutes before coming in the room to console him. As the week goes on, the length of time before consoling becomes longer and longer, until eventually the baby is left to cry himself to sleep. Some parents object to this method and find it almost a punishment to leave the baby by himself to cry. If you decide to use the Ferber method, pick a week in which you can afford to miss a good amount of sleep, as you will be getting up frequently to tend to your baby when he cries, especially at the beginning of the week.
Parent Soothe Method
In this method, the parent rocks, pats, cradles, sings to and otherwise soothes the baby until she falls asleep in her parent’s arms. Babies are used to the closed confines of a mother’s womb, and holding your baby and singing or talking to her may simulate that environment and help her fall asleep. Critics of this method say that parent soothing fails to teach babies how to properly fall asleep on their own, and doing so make them dependent on parents for getting to sleep.
Nursing Method
Babies tend to sleep better on a full stomach, so nursing your baby while laying on the bed is another method to get your baby to sleep. This uses the concept of the parent sooth method, because nursing is also an effective soothing technique for babies. This can be a particularly effective method for getting your baby back to sleep in the middle of the night, as babies often wake up to eat.
Swing Method
Some parents use a swing or similar device to get their babies to sleep. Babies enjoy the soothing rocking motion, which can help them feel comfortable in order to fall asleep. This also frees up the parent to perform other activities around the house while baby is falling asleep.
About this Author
James Patterson specializes in health and wellness topics, having written and produced material for the National Institutes of Health, the President’s Cancer Panel, and an Inc. 500 Hall of Fame company. He is also a former sportswriter, with writing experience in basketball, baseball, softball, golf and other popular sports, and writes relevant sports titles.
