By the age of 6 months, babies should sleep 10 to 12 hours each night, according to the University of Michigan Health System. If your baby's inability to fall asleep or remain asleep is cutting into her nighttime rest, adopting a new method to put her to sleep may improve and prolong her rest period.
Step 1
Watch for indications that your baby is tired so you can put him in his crib before he gets a second wind. When your baby grows fussy, rubs his eyes, yawns and won't make eye contact with you, it's time to put your baby to sleep, Cornell University's Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College notes.
Step 2
Complete a bedtime routine to relax your baby and help her transition to sleep mode, suggests the University of Missouri Extension. Give your baby a bath, dress her in comfortable pajamas, change her diaper and share a song or bedtime story, for example.
Step 3
Create an environment that will help your baby sleep safely and soundly. Follow U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommendations and place your baby in a crib with a firm mattress that fits properly, so there are no gaps between the mattress and the sides of the crib. Remove any pillows, blankets, stuffed animals or crib bumpers that could cover your baby's face and suffocate him.
Step 4
Rock your baby or walk with her in your arms if she's still too fussy to sleep. The University of Illinois Extension's Your New Baby website recommends letting your baby grow drowsy while you hold her but not letting her fall asleep in your arms, which may lead her to become dependent on your touch and attention to fall asleep in the evening or when she wakes in the middle of the night.
Step 5
Place your baby to sleep on his back in the crib. Cornell University's Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College notes that back sleeping may cut down the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.
Tips and Warnings
- Add a source of white noise to your baby's room to help drown out sounds from inside the house or outside her window. The University of Michigan Health System notes that a fan, vaporizer, radio or white noise machine may soothe your baby. White noise may remind her of the sounds she heard in the womb.
- Talk to a doctor if you notice sudden changes to your baby's sleeping habits. The University of Illinois Extension's Your New Baby website suggests sleep problems may indicate an underlying medical condition.
Things You'll Need
- Pajamas
- Diaper
- Crib
References
- Cornell University: Newborn Sleep Patterns
- Extension InfoNet: Establishing a Bedtime Routine for Baby
- University of Michigan Health System: Sleep Problems
- University of Illinois Extension: When Will Baby Sleep All Night?
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Soft Bedding May be Hazardous to Babies
