There is nothing more frustrating and painful for a new mother than to hear the cries of a baby who can't get to sleep at night. Here are twenty time tested and true ways to help lull your child to sleep.
1. Rock your baby in a rocking chair. Holding a child in your arms while rocking back and forth is one the most traditional and effective ways to get a baby to sleep.
2. Take your baby for a ride in a car. Strap your baby in their car seat and go for a drive. The sound and motion of the car is an effective way to quickly send your baby to sleep.
3. Relax your baby before it is time for bed by giving him or her a warm bath. This warm water helps the muscles to relax and this helps to naturally make your baby drowsy.
4. Breast feed or feed the baby warm milk just before it is time for the baby to go to bed. Warm milk contains tryptophan, which is a natural sedative.
5. Try holding your baby and signing or humming softly. Place baby in the neck nestle position (nestle baby's head against the front of your neck with your chin against the top of baby's head.) The vibration of your voice can help to lull your baby to sleep.
6. Make sure the baby's bedroom is dark. Light can be distracting for a baby and can keep your child awake. Invest in some thick curtains or blinds that block out most of the light.
7. Use a sound machine to create a constant noise at a low level. This can help to block out external noise as well. Some sound machines include dehumidifiers, air conditioners or air cleaners.
8. Perfume your baby's room with lavender. Properties in the scent of lavender can have a sedating effect on infants.
9. Sometimes something as simple as changing your babies dirty nappy can stop irritation and calm your baby down. Always put your baby to sleep with a clean nappy.
10. Make sure the room is neither too hot or too cold. Babies are very sensitive to cold and to heat, and it is important to make sure that they are not overheating, or feeling the cold.
11. Is loud noise from playing children, television sets or loud construction sites keeping your child awake? Make sure the room is as quiet as possible or turn on some kind of white noise from a sound machine to block it out.
12. Playing your baby a music CD. There are all kinds of music CDs on the market specifically created to help soothe and relax your baby to send it to sleep.
13. Make sure your baby is not suffering from anxiety or stress. Infant sleep experts say that a baby who has had a happy day will have a restful night. Like adults, babies too can suffer from stress that they can relive just before they go to sleep.
14. If your baby suffers from separation anxiety try leaving an article of clothing that smells like you in the crib. This can help to soothe your child and provide them with a level of comfort that allows them to sleep soundly.
15. Is your baby napping too much during the day? Try rearranging your child's daytime naps to encourage sleepiness at bedtime. Of course this doesn't apply to newborns.
16. Soothe your child to sleep in your own bed, and then take them back to their crib. This can be effective for a temporary solution, but is not recommended on a regular basis.
17. Have a bedtime routine for your child and be consistent. Consistency is the key to develop an effective routine for both parents and children.
18. Dummies or pacifiers can be effective in helping your child to sleep, but beware that dependency can be developed which can be difficult to break later on.
19. Is teething pain keeping your child awake? Teething gel can help soothe sore gums just before putting your baby to sleep and again in four hours if baby awakens.
20. Massage and stroke your baby to help calm and pacify them before sleep. Gentle touch can help to soothe a distressed baby and help to send them off to sleep quickly.
