Unique Ways to Get Your Baby to Sleep Through the Night!

I am a mother of four beautiful daughters. Beautiful daughters that won't sleep that is. I have tried the most organized of routines and most of them have failed. I have been advised to make them tough it out and cry. This just made me want to cry. I would like to share with you the methods that I have actually found to work.

1) Buy an Aloha Breeze. These fans are amazing! There is something about the rhythmic bursts of air that put little ones out like a light! They are not very expensive and they really work!

2) Put them on a routine. I know you have heard this a million times, but I have modified this tactic. Start at about 6:00 p.m. I have learned that most parents simply wait too long to get the routine started. Many times there is a window of sleep. If you try to keep the baby up until 10:00 to ensure that they will sleep later in the morning, most of the time they wake back up because they were overtired to start with. Feed them a very moderate amount of dinner. Several bites of fruit or cereal will satiate them. A huge bowl of food will make them cranky, give them indigestion, and defeat the purpose. Some infants also favor a small bottle or short nursing session. A soothing bath with a lavender bath wash will work wonders. A calming massage, new sleeper, and fresh diaper will make them comfortable and ready for bed. When the bedtime is near, turn down the lights, read to them or sing them a song. The sound of your voice reassures them. Babies may need a little while to adjust to the new routine. If you see it through, they will start to get sleepy at that same time every night.

3) It is all in the little things. Make sure that your baby is not wearing an outfit that is too small, or that the television is not too loud. Make sure it is not too hot or too cold. I always found that letting them sleep in a one piece footed outfit eliminated many problems. It allows you to use a lighter blanket ( which is also a good safety bet to prevent suffocation). It also narrows the chances of their arms or legs getting chilled in the night. This can cause a baby to wake up. This also alleviates your worries of them kicking off the elusive socks that never stay on!

4) Avoid over stimulation. You will hear from well meaning people to wear the child out so they will sleep better at night. While activity is good during the day, too much excitement before bedtime can prevent your baby from being able to calm down. It can wake them up even more. You are ready to crash and they are ready to play!

5) Play soft music. This may seem like an obvious choice, but many parents overlook this step. If they learn to associate relaxation with music, they will automatically relax every time it is played. This is also useful in preventing the tip toe dance that we have all become familiar with. It allows for a moderate amount of noise to occur without defiling all of your efforts. It is also vital that you leave the music on. This soothes the baby back to sleep when they awaken during the night.

6) Give different methods at least a week to decide whether or not they work. Many parents try rocking for one night and deem it ineffective when in fact, the baby just did not feel well that night. You need to invest the time to see what works for each individual child. My first daughter fell asleep everywhere and stayed asleep. My second daughter had colic. My third daughter would only sleep completely alone in a dark room. My fourth baby girl prefers to sleep with me. They all have different personalities and all deserve security that is tailored to them.

7) The last and most important piece of advice I can give is to simply not lay your baby down too soon after they have fallen asleep. Babies have shorter sleep cycles than we do. We have all been there. We watch as they take the last few drinks and finally drift off to sleep. We are so exhausted that we gingerly walk them over to the crib and lay them down. Then, they open their eyes and we want to cry. This is completely preventable. Some babies take 20 to 30 minutes to get fully asleep. If you can be patient and truly devote the time, they will fall deeply asleep and stay asleep through the night. Babies are such a gift. They need us. They need constant reassurance that they are not alone. Harsh cry outs simply do not work. These techniques will give you more hours of rest and a happy baby. That is what we want after all.