How to Get a Newborn to Fall Asleep
Babies under three months are supposed to sleep up to 16 hours a day. Apparently yours didn’t get the memo! Here’s how to help him find his way to La-La Land.
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You Will Need
- A bassinet or crib
- A receiving blanket
- A rocking chair or glider
- Your most soothing singing voice
- A large exercise ball
- A blanket sleeper
- A white noise machine or electric fan
- A pacifier
Steps
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To greatly reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), always, without exception, put your baby to sleep on his back.
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Step 1
Make baby comfy
Make sure your baby is comfortable: His tummy should be full and his diaper should be clean and dry.
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It’s okay to allow a very new baby to fall asleep while nursing or taking a bottle, but don’t let it become a crutch. You’ll regret it when he’s older and will only go to sleep while being fed.
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Step 2
Swaddle
Swaddle your baby. He’ll feel as cozy as if he’s still in the womb, and hopefully relaxed enough to drift off to sleep.
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Step 3
Make temperature adjustments
Make sure your baby is neither cold nor hot. If you think he might be cold, don’t add blankets—loose covers are a suffocation hazard. A blanket sleeper with an extra t-shirt underneath should keep your baby cozy.
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Step 4
Get moving
Get moving. Your baby is used to being rocked, swayed, and walked in Mom’s belly, so that’s often what he needs to enter Dreamland.
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Just can’t do another lap around the living room with Junior? Try sitting on an exercise ball and bouncing gently. This lulls many babies to sleep.
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Step 5
Sing
Sing—anything, as long as it’s gentle and lyrical. It doesn’t matter if it’s off-key. Your baby loves your voice no matter what. It doesn’t even matter if it’s made-up nonsense.
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Step 6
Add some racket
Add a little racket. The drone of a fan or white noise machine has been known to help babies fall asleep.
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Don’t let an infant cry himself to sleep. Even if you could stomach the heart-wrenching sobs, this tactic will only undermine your baby’s trust in your ability to comfort him.
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Step 7
Wait with him
Put your baby down when he’s drowsy, but not yet asleep; you can stay with him until he conks out. He’ll learn to drift off by himself, even when he wakes up in the night—meaning more ZZZs for you.
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Fetuses mostly snooze during the day, when Mom is moving around, because the motion rocks them to sleep.
