How to Break the Habit of Rocking a Baby to Sleep
Most babies love to be held, cuddled and rocked. Many parents practice the rocking-to-sleep ritual and love the closeness of holding their baby and helping him to fall asleep. There is nothing wrong with this; if it works for you and your family, keep it up! However, some parents prefer to let the baby soothe herself to sleep without rocking. Some families switch back and forth between the two styles according to the circumstances of a particular evening. If you'd like to switch from rocking to self soothing, try a variety of tips in order to do so.
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Instructions
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Transitioning from Rocking to Self Soothing
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Establish a bedtime routine. This may involve a bath, reading a book, cuddling and even rocking while the baby is awake.
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Make sure your baby has a full tummy and a dry diaper.
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3
Lay the baby in his crib while he is still awake or at least partially awake.
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Offer comfort before you leave the room. This can be in the form of patting or rubbing the back, singing, humming or some combination.
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Leave the room and wait for the reaction. If the baby begins to cry and it lasts more than 10 minutes or sounds distressed in nature, go back the infant's room and offer comfort again until she calms down.
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Repeat this process of comforting and leaving the room as many times as necessary. Hopefully as time goes by, the baby will become more used to the process and will require less comforting.
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Tips & Warnings
Pay attention to the specific needs of your baby. While you want him to go to sleep by himself, don't rule out the fact that there may be a legitimate reason behind his crying. Make sure she has a clean diaper and is not hungry; rule out a source of physical discomfort such as an upset tummy or a fever. Newborns require feedings at least every two to three hours for the first two to four weeks of life. Most doctors also say that you can't spoil a very young baby; give her the attention she needs.
