One of every mom's big dreams is to have her baby sleep alone in her own room, and preferably all night. However, many mothers find it difficult to put their young children to sleep, especially at night. Newborn babies don't know what is day and what is night, and although they sleep between 15 and 18 hours a day, often the few hours they stay awake are only dawn. So what to do when baby does not want to sleep in his bed?
If you are going to be a mother for the first time, you are sure to have a lot of doubts, especially when it comes to your child's sleep. How to make him sleep? How to get an uninterrupted night's sleep?
In the first few days of life, most can only sleep when they are on your lap, rocked, or during and immediately after feedings. To make matters worse, when placed in the cradle, they wake up and scream, much to the despair of the parents! The result: distressed moms yearning for a peaceful, uninterrupted night's sleep.
But to learn how to get your baby to sleep alone in the crib, you need to learn some secrets about toddler sleep and have the patience and perseverance to figure out what works for your baby. Sleep is training and we need to remember that children are different, and what works for one baby may not work for another.
If you want to spend peaceful nights and ensure restful sleep for the whole family, but don't know where to start, this post is for you. We'll show you some facts about baby sleep, then some tips for getting your child to sleep alone.
Baby does not want to sleep in his bed: Sleep habits
In the first months of the baby's life, the parents (especially those of the first) experience an interesting paradox: if, on the one hand, the impression is that the baby is only sleeping, on the other hand, the nights have tend to be troubled and not provide needed rest. Newborns typically wake only to perform their physiological functions such as suckling, turning, and voiding. They sleep about 15 to 18 hours a day but do not know what day is and what night is and cry to manifest all their desires.
Tip: Why do newborns sleep a lot?
The truth is, babies' sleep patterns are different because they don't follow the circadian rhythm, which governs the life cycle of most adults. Until the baby understands the natural day-night flow, several months of sleepless nights may pass.
Additionally, baby's sleep cycles in the first few months are shorter (about 50-60 minutes, half the sleep cycle time of an adult) and the duration of deep sleep is considerably shorter.
This means that the baby can easily wake up: 50% of sleep time is spent in the REM phase, characterized by rapid eye movements, irregular breathing and occasional body movements or vocalizations (the famous grunts that babies make during sleep and which delight parents).
But what exactly does all this mean? The baby won't be able to sleep through the night? In fact, this information proves what parents quickly discover when they try to put their child to sleep:
- Babies' sleep is very light;
- The first 25 minutes of sleep are the most critical phase of the cycle;
- Every 50 minutes, the baby may have a slight awakening and fall back to sleep without complications (or wake up for good and need comfort).
Another important factor to consider is the baby's actual need for sleep at each stage of life:
- newborn: 17 hours a day (8 to 9 hours at night, almost never without a break);
- 1 month: 17 hours a day (at least 9 hours at night);
- 3 months: 16 hours a day (10 hours at night);
- 6 months: 15 hours a day (10 hours at night);
- 12 months: 14 hours a day (11 hours at night);
- 18 months: 13 hours a day (11 hours at night);
- 36 months: 12 hours a day (10 hours at night).
With all this in mind, it is possible to learn how to make the baby sleep alone in the crib even if baby does not want to sleep in his bed! However, it must be accepted that toddlers need their parents for sleep and that sleep habits should be cultivated by the whole family. Teaching a baby to sleep in his crib requires patience, consistency and a lot of affection.
Learn how to make the baby sleep alone in the crib
If you have been facing problems and feel difficulty when it comes to napping your baby, here is what to do when baby won't sleep in bed.
Teach your baby to understand the difference between day and night
Shortly after birth and in the first months of life, the baby is not able to tell the difference between day and night. It is up to the parents to gradually show the differences between the two periods.
During the day, leave curtains and windows open to keep the house bright and airy. Let the normal sounds of household routine (doorbell, telephone, television, dogs barking) circulate through the house. Thereby, baby will notice that daytime naps are different from nighttime sleep , which is more peaceful.
At night, keep the baby's room as dark as possible, keeping a lamp or sockets for nursing times and keep the environment as peaceful and welcoming. This will help keep your baby from switching day to night and can be helpful in finding more full nights of sleep.
Baby doesn't want to sleep in bed: create a bedtime ritual
To get your baby to start realizing that bedtime is approaching, developing a sleep ritual is a great idea.
There are no hard and fast rules for creating this ritual, as you choose what will be done, but it must happen every day in the same way and at about the same time so that the baby understands that the time has come to rest.
Tip: what to do to ensure quality sleep for the baby?
You can give your baby a good bath, change him, tell stories or sing songs, then catch him a little and finally put him in the crib while he is still awake. The goal is to calm and relax the baby and make him realize what is coming next.
Experiment and see what works best. The important thing is that you and the baby feel comfortable and that sleep time is a pleasant time for the whole family.
Prevent the baby from falling asleep on your lap
Some babies associate bedtime with lap comfort and rocking motion. This makes them dependent on their parents' bedtime tricks, which becomes a problem, especially when the baby wakes up crying in the middle of the night - and the parents are "forced" to rock him until he returns. fall asleep. In short, baby does not want to sleep in his bed because he is used to sleeping in contact with his parents.
The baby deserves and should have affection, but at bedtime try not to rock him in your arms. Leave him awake in the crib so he gets used to sleeping alone and feels safe with it.
Reserve the crib only for sleeping and napping
Do not use the crib as a feeding place, punishment corner or place to play: it should only be used for sleeping. Thus, your baby will begin to understand that when he is placed in the crib, it will be time to rest.
Use items to your advantage
All children have a pet that gives them security and comfort. It can be a toy, a diaper... and the baby chooses.
Find out what your child's favorite item is and place it next to him in the crib at night. This will make the baby safer and help him fall asleep again if he wakes up in the middle of the night and doesn't see his parents around.
Do not wake the baby to breastfeed
Unless there are pediatric guidelines that say otherwise, after the first few months of life, do not wake your child in the middle of the night during strict feeding times. Many babies end up waking up at night just out of habit.
If the child is hungry, he will wake up, you can be sure. Let him set the pace of feedings , as this will help regulate sleep periods .
If you need it, give the pacifier
There is no consensus regarding the pacifiers . Some parents and pediatricians are totally against the use and others are very supportive. But the fact is, pacifiers, when used sparingly, can make a big difference to your life and your baby's. The suction movement provided by the pacifier has the power to calm the child. Therefore, this item can be used at night if baby does not want to sleep in bed.
Avoid overfeeding it
In the case of baby, it is necessary to avoid making him eat less than 30 minutes before bedtime and not to reject belching. For babies who are already feeding on baby food or solid foods, offer dinner 2 hours before and favor healthy and easily digestible foods, such as lean meats, legumes and vegetables.
Put the baby to sleep in the right position
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome has long been a threat to parents and pediatricians. Although there is no proven cause, the main recommendation from specialists is that the baby is asleep in a supine position: back supported on a firm surface and on the back.
Also, the crib should not have any loose objects, such as pillows, stuffed animals, excess blankets, or ruffled protectors
.
Keep the room dark at bedtime
When the baby sleeps, it is not enough to turn off the lights in the room, it is necessary to eliminate any source of light that could disturb the quality of sleep. This includes light fixtures, night lights, and even the bright glow some fixtures give off.
The light, even small, impairs melatonin secretion, a hormone that facilitates deep sleep, essential for releasing growth hormone. Therefore, the rest period is essential for the full development of babies. However, avoid making him wear a night mask if he is too young, for safety.
If it is really impossible to keep the room dark, due to the child's fear, invest in a lamp with blue light, which causes more drowsiness, and remove it from the socket after the baby has fallen asleep.
Monitor room temperature
If baby does not want to sleep in his bed, it may be due to the temperature, a factor not to be overlooked is thermal comfort: the temperature of the room must be pleasant, ranging from 18º to 24º C. In hot weather, parents can use air conditioning or a fan to cool the environment, and the baby should wear cool and comfortable clothes.
In cold weather, it is not necessary to increase the number of blankets (which can even compromise the baby's safety): just dress your little one in a warm jumpsuit and thick socks.
Avoid strong aromas in the environment
Home hygiene is one of the biggest concerns for parents in the first few months and tends to increase as the baby begins to crawl and move around the rooms. However, care should be taken when using chemicals for cleaning.
The strong smell of these products can cause allergic reactions and impair sleep. Aromatizers are also discouraged in the first few months - a clean room doesn't necessarily smell.
Keep the room quiet
Many babies fall asleep faster when listening to music, whether sung by their parents or played in the environment. However, when they realize the child has fallen asleep, the parents should cut off the sound and keep the room quiet. This way, when the baby is between sleep cycles, he won't be woken up by outside noises and will go back to sleep on his own.
