• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Shop ModernMom
  • Become An Insider

ModernMom

The premiere destination for moms

  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Kids
    • Tweens and Teens
    • ModernMom Monday Videos
  • Cooking
  • Living Healthy
    • Breast Cancer
    • Health & Fitness
    • Body after Baby
    • Beauty
    • Relationships
    • Love
  • Lifestyle
    • Crafts
    • At Home
    • Education
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Decorate
    • Money
    • Brooke Burke
  • Celebrate
    • Holidays
      • Easter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • New Year’s
      • Christmas
      • Hanukah
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
    • Birthdays
    • Parties
  • Must Have
  • Contests
  • Entertainment

Things to Do to Help a Baby Fall Asleep

October 22, 2010 by ds_9723 Leave a Comment

Your baby needs an adequate amount of sleep to grow and develop properly. Unfortunately, for many parents, getting their baby to sleep is quite a challenge. The good news is that there are specific things you can do to help your baby fall asleep and get the rest he needs.

Establish a Bedtime Routine

Establishing a consistent, structured bedtime routine can help your baby fall asleep easier. A solid bedtime routine may consist of a bath, a bottle or time of nursing and a short story, followed by putting your baby into his crib or bassinet. When putting your baby into his crib, it’s important that he is drowsy but still awake, so he can learn to fall asleep on his own. Babies who are rocked to sleep regularly will come to depend on being rocked to fall asleep. A consistent bedtime routine will help your baby develop self-soothing skills and help to set his biological clock, according to TinyLove.com.

Swaddle Your Baby

Swaddling your baby can be calming and soothing and help to facilitate falling asleep. The snug wrap of a swaddle offers a sense of familiarity as your baby spent lots of time sleeping in the tight quarters of your uterus. Since young babies still have their startle reflex, a reflex that causes them to suddenly jerk their arms away from their body in response to loud noises, swaddling can prevent your baby from hitting herself in the face as she is drifting off to sleep.

Use a White-Noise Machine

In addition to masking unwanted noise, white-noise or sound machines create soothing sounds to help your baby fall asleep. While in the womb, your baby constantly heard sounds that were twice as loud as a vacuum, according to Parents.com. For that reason, it should be no surprise that consistent, rhythmic noise is familiar to your baby and can provide him with a sense of comfort and security that can help him to fall asleep.

Keep the Room Dark

Keeping your baby’s room dark can help your baby drift off to sleep. If your baby’s room is too light, she may be distracted by the things she can see around her and it may be difficult for her to settle down and fall asleep. Keeping the room dark also helps your baby to form an association between darkness and sleep. If your baby’s room is kept consistently dark for sleeping, each time she goes into her room to sleep she’ll form a deeper association between darkness and sleep time. Room-darkening shades or blinds can help to block out sunlight and keep her room dark.

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Parenting

About ds_9723

Michelle LaRowe is the 2004 International Nanny Association Nanny of the Year and the author of the "Nanny to the Rescue!", "Working Mom's 411" and a "Mom's Ultimate Book of Lists." Michelle graduated from Bridgewater State College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry and holds a Certificate in Pastoral Studies from Global University. To learn more about Michelle visit www.michellelarowe.com.

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Search

Tell a friend

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
ModernMom Boutique

ModernMom TV

Featured

Nursing Mothers Granted Tax Break

Great news! Nursing moms are getting a new tax break from … [Read More...] about Nursing Mothers Granted Tax Break

Must Have

STEM-related Toys to Include in Your Child’s Easter Basket This Year 

April has arrived which means it’s time to pull out the food … [Read More...] about STEM-related Toys to Include in Your Child’s Easter Basket This Year 

Did you know?

When Can a Baby Hear in the Womb

When Can a Baby Hear in the Womb ?

Do You Have to Refrigerate Glazed Donuts?

Do You Have to Refrigerate Glazed Donuts?

Signs of Gestational Diabetes

Pregnancy & Signs of Gestational Diabetes

diabetes in infants

Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes in Infants

How Does IVF Work

How Does IVF Work?

Baby Brain Development in the Womb

Pregnancy and Sinus Pain

Pregnancy and Sinus Pain

Footer

  • About Us
  • Contact ModernMom
  • Advertise With Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contributors

Copyright © 2023 Modern Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of this website only at the express permission of Mom, Inc.

The information provided on ModernMom is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.