Worried About Your Baby Sleeping Alone?

One of the most difficult tasks a parent faces is letting their baby sleep in a room by themselves. It can be a very traumatic and hard thing to do. You may want to keep your baby near you, so that you know they are safe and happy. Keeping the baby in your bedroom for the first few months or so makes sense, because he or she will be up often in the night to eat. However, as baby grows older, it eventually will become time to give them their own room.

One step to help both of you to prepare is to move baby into his room during naps. This may require you to move baby while he is sleeping. Once he falls asleep during the day, carefully place him in his crib, so that he wakes up there. Check on him as often as you need to, making sure to not disturb his sleep.

Once baby begins to realize that he always wakes up safe in his crib, he'll be more comfortable falling asleep there though you may need to stay in the room, near the crib until he gets used to falling asleep there. Over time stay shorter and shorter amounts of time while slowly moving farther and farther away.

As time goes on, eventually your baby will need to fall asleep in his crib at night, by himself. To help him with this step, you may want to establish a nighttime routine. A good idea for a night time routine are the three B's:

· Bath- giving baby a nice warm bath before bed time can help relax him to go to sleep. You can purchase night time baby bath to help as well. After the bath, put baby in a pair of warm, soft pajamas.

· Bottle- feeding baby right before he goes to sleep can help him sleep longer. Many babies need to suck on something to soothe them. With the soothing sucking on a bottle, and a full belly, baby will find it easier to drift off to sleep. Just be sure to burp baby as well, so he doesn't spit up in his sleep.

· Bed- finally, place baby in his bed, covering him with a warm blanket. Sometimes a night light and/or soothing music can help as well. Your baby is used to the noise he hears all day and the sudden quiet may scare him.

It will be a difficult transition for both of you in the beginning. If you stick to it, and are consistent, both of you will soon be feeling better about the sleeping situation. Always be sure to be close enough to hear baby if he needs you. Baby monitors are a big help in this step. Being able to clearly hear your baby crying while being rooms away will be a big relief. It helps you relax and fall asleep yourself, knowing that if he needs you, you can wake up and be there to comfort him in the night. By starting these techniques early, you can assure yourself that baby won't have a problem sleeping in his crib when he gets older and will sleep enough to be fully rested.