Experts such as Dr. William Sears, associate clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine; physicians for the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; and the Nemours Foundation all recommend teaching babies to sleep by putting them in their beds when they are drowsy yet awake. The method teaches a baby to fall asleep on his own and soothe himself to promote health sleep patterns. To try this method in your own home, put your awake baby to sleep by following certain routines and activities.
Step 1
Establish a predictable bedtime routine that tells your baby when it's time for sleep, recommends KidsHealth.org, a division of the Nemours Foundation. By instituting a routine, you help program your baby's internal clock to go to bed at the same time each night. Soon, bedtime will become a habit, and your routine sends cues to your baby's brain that it is time for sleep, making it easier for him to fall asleep on his own.
Step 2
Engage in quieting activities before you place your baby in her bed. Instead of playing and offering activities and television shows that leave her stimulated, try quiet activities, such as looking through a picture book or singing lullabies. Add them to your bedtime routine so those quiet activities ready her for sleep by herself each night.
Step 3
Give your baby a number of sleep associations to help him soothe himself when you place him in bed while he's awake, suggests Dr. Sears. Sleep associations can be any number of items or actions that ready him for sleep. Just ensure that any parent-led sleep associations, such as rocking or singing, don't put your baby to sleep completely. Rock and sing, then place your baby in the crib while he's still awake but clearly sleepy.
Step 4
Watch for signs of drowsiness before bedtime. When you place your baby in her bed while she's drowsy, you create a positive correlation between sleepiness and her bed. Some signs of drowsiness include decreased activity, droopy eyelids, less vocalization and less visual focus, says pediatrician Dr. Marc Weissbluth. As soon as you detect signs of drowsiness, place your baby in her bed.
Step 5
Allow your baby time to fuss if he seems unhappy about the prospect of being placed in bed without being fully asleep, suggests MayoClinic.com. Set a time of how long you're comfortable allowing your baby to settle, such as 5 or 10 minutes. Wait the prescribed amount of time before you go to your baby and attempt to soothe him. Chances are that he'll soon become used to the routine and fuss less each time you try.
