As wonderful as it would be, it is simply not possible to snap your fingers and make your baby fall asleep. Regardless of how much the baby needs their rest, sleep is not something that can be forced. Setting up a sleep routine every night is an excellent way of creating good habits and lets your baby become accustomed to sleeping at the same time each night.
Comforting Sounds
According to the Baby Slumber website, babies are comforted by soft, rhythmic background sounds as they drift off to sleep. A baby spends nine months inside his mother, so a CD featuring the sounds of the womb can often relax the baby. Classical music is another popular choice. Many parents will put in a CD and, by the time it is over, the baby is sleeping soundly. If the baby does not like sounds inside the room, a washer, dryer, fan or air conditioner in the next room will provide white noise that can help the baby fall asleep.
Stay Consistent
Babies respond beautifully to routines and consistency. By trying your best to maintain the nighttime routine, your baby will come to know what to expect. By the time you bring out the lavender oil, he'll know it's time to sleep.
Calm the Baby
According to William Sears, M.D., a soothing massage before bedtime will relax the baby and soothe his muscles. Start by giving baby a warm bath, with lavender added to the water. Lavender is often used in aromatherapy and is known to naturally relax those who smell it. After the bath, dry the baby and put his diaper on. When the baby lotion is being applied, use long, gentle massages to rub it into your baby's skin. This calms the baby and makes him sleepy at the same time.
Nurse Down
If your baby does not do well falling asleep on his own, it is perfectly fine to rest next to the baby and either bottle feed or breastfeed him off to sleep. Going from the warm bath, to the warm arms, to the warm bottle or breast and then to the warm bed is a recipe for ensuring that sleep will be following soon.
Drive Down
All babies love rides in the car, so place your baby in a car seat and then drive around until he is sleeping soundly. Once the baby is in a deep sleep, return home and carry the carseat into the bedroom. Let the baby sleep in the carseat until he wakes for a feeding. If the baby is in a very deep sleep, he may be able to be eased from the car seat and placed gently into his own bed.
