How to Teach an Infant to Sleep Alone

To you, the baby's crib seems welcoming; to her, it's a scary new place.

As a newborn, your infant may have slept in your room, or even in your bed. After all, especially for nursing mothers, keeping the baby nearby can change a nursing session into a calm experience. As your baby starts to grow older, however, you may feel the need to move your infant into a different room. Sleeping alone is a change that you have to ease your infant into, though, so try taking it step by step using the "Sleep Lady Shuffle," created by Kim West.

Things You'll Need

• Crib
• Chair

Instructions

1. Place a chair right by the crib, and place the infant in the crib when she is drowsy, but awake. If she fell asleep while nursing, wake her up slightly before placing her in the crib.

2. Stand by the crib and see if the baby falls asleep. If so, sit on the chair for a minute or two and then leave the room.

3. Calm the baby if he cries. Try patting him, soothing him, singing to him or talking to him. Do not take the baby out of the crib unless the crying gets harder. If you do, hold or rock him until he is calm but not asleep, and then put him back in the crib and try again.

4. Sit by the crib until the baby falls asleep. Your presence is comforting for the baby, but you are not teaching the baby to rely on your touch as a crutch. Do this for three nights.

5. Place the chair a few feet away from the crib, and repeat this process. Try to verbally calm your child, and only go to the crib if the child seems inconsolable. As soon as your baby calms down, return to the chair, which is now in the middle of the room rather than right next to the crib. Do this for three nights.

6. Place the chair by the door, and repeat this process for three nights.

7. Place the chair outside the door, and repeat this for three nights. You will still be able to verbally calm your child, but do not go in unless you absolutely need to.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure that the lighting, the crib and as many other factors as possible are the same as they were in the previous sleeping arrangement.

• Give your baby a very small square of material that you have worn inside your shirt for a few nights. This will have your scent on it, and may calm the child.

• Do not re-nurse your child to sleep during this process. Doing so will show the baby that if he cries for long enough, you will nurse him.

References

• Good Night Sleep Tight: The Sleep Lady's Gentle Guide to Helping Your Child Go to Sleep, Stay Asleep, and Wake Up Happy; Kim West; 2006