Your 10-month-old slept so well when she was a newborn, but now she fights sleep even when you know she's exhausted. What gives? According to BabyCenter online, babies between 9 and 12 months are hitting so many motor-skills milestones--crawling, cruising, then walking--that some of them are only interested in being up and about. Since you know your baby still needs sleep (and, let's face it, so do you), you're responsible for getting her relaxed enough to enter dreamland when bedtime draws near.
Step 1
Grab a pen and paper and make a rough sketch of your baby's current eating, playing and sleeping habits. Next, adjust the schedule so that she takes her naps and goes to bed at around the same times throughout the week. Also decide when you will feed her, bathe her and let her play. During her alert waking hours, expose her to natural sunlight. Also stimulate her mind and exercise her body by actively playing with her during the day. Most 10-month-olds take a morning nap and an afternoon nap. If your baby is sleeping multiple times for hours throughout the day, she may have trouble sleeping at night.
Step 2
Stick to a steady bedtime routine. Start winding down your baby's day an hour before sleep by playing quiet games with her and softening your voice. Once it's time to get ready for bed, develop a soothing ritual. Your baby may respond well to a warm bath and a gentle story or song. If she takes baths in the morning, maybe a nighttime tummy massage and rocking in a chair will soothe her. Dim the lights in her room when you are preparing to place her in her crib. Her body will begin to respond to "sleep time" cues when you employ them regularly.
Step 3
Make her drowsy and put her down. Get her eyelids droopy by using tried-and-true methods such as holding her and pacing, humming a lullaby and rocking her back and forth. By now you should know which method has been the most successful for your baby. As her limbs start to get heavy and she has trouble keeping her eyes open, place her in her crib facing up toward the ceiling. She may stir and even cry. However, according to the Mayo Clinic, putting her in bed while she's still slightly awake will allow her to associate "bed" with "falling asleep."
Step 4
Step aside. Your life could eventually be easier if your baby learns how to fall asleep without you. You're likely frustrated that even if you can get her to fall asleep the first time, she needs you to help her fall back asleep throughout the night. In the event that your baby doesn't adapt quickly, you may begin to feel guilty for letting her cry alone. If you feel trapped in this situation, ask yourself: Which option leads both you and the baby to feel as happy and well-rested as possible? Weigh the pros and cons of your choices.
