How to Get a Baby to Nap & Sleep at Bedtime
Once parents get their baby to sleep through the night and to take regular naps, life becomes much easier for everyone involved. The key to regular sleeping behavior is to provide a regular routine of feeding, playtime and sleep time. When you get your baby used to a routine like this, she will actually sleep more contentedly and peacefully. Likewise, when parents can get their baby to sleep better, they will better enjoy their sleep time, too.
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Instructions
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Do not feed your baby on demand. When parents feed on demand, there is no schedule, and the parent feeds the baby whenever he cries. If there is no regularity to feeding, there will be no regularity to sleeping either. After feeding your baby, wait at least 2 ½ hours before feeding again.
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Set up a feeding schedule. A typical schedule that works well for most young babies is to feed at 7 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. If you feed according to a schedule like that, the baby's hunger metabolism will begin to line up with those times, and the baby should be able to sleep through the night. You can start dropping feedings for older babies. Your schedule might then be 8 a.m., noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
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Play with your baby. After daytime feedings, do not put your baby down for her nap immediately after the feeding. Use this time to play, bathe, read, sing or take your baby for a walk. Then put her down for her nap.
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Do not nurse your baby to sleep. If you do that, you will establish a sleep dependency. Many mothers nurse until the baby falls asleep, then try to put the baby down while he is asleep and sneak out of the room. If the baby fusses, the process starts over again. It is better to put your baby down when he is awake.
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Do not rock your baby to sleep. Also, do not put her in the car and try to drive around until she falls asleep. These are only temporary measures, and in the end you have not taught your baby to fall asleep on her own.
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Do not sleep with your baby. Besides the fact that this could be dangerous if the parent rolls over onto the baby, by sleeping with your baby, you might create abnormal dependency in your baby, resulting in his being afraid to transition to his own bed.
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Do not be afraid to let your baby cry. When you put your baby down for a nap or for bed, it is okay if she cries for 15 to 30 minutes. This will not hurt her. If you constantly run to your baby every time she cries, you will have a fussy baby who cannot fall asleep on her own.
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