Infant Sleep Tip #7

Infant Sleep Tip #7: Put your baby down drowsy but awake at least once every 24 hours (ideally bedtime or first nap).

Holding our baby as she falls asleep in our arms is one of the most precious parenting moments we get. Feed, nurse, rock, bounce her down in your arms as much as you want those first few weeks/months, without any guilt about “creating bad habits.” Your young baby and you both benefit from that close contact and time together.

At some point – and there is a huge range for this – parents and/or babies do better falling asleep on their own. Some parents need a break to care for other children, work, cook, or simply take a few minutes for themselves. Likewise, some babies may only sleep for short times in someone’s arms.

I remember frequently swaying my firstborn to sleep as she cried, only to have her wake again as soon as I transferred her to her crib. At some point, I realized that she was crying herself to sleep regardless, so why not just have her fall asleep in her crib and avoid the transfer drama? I felt less guilty about the crying if she was in my arms, but it was starting to feel ridiculous. And I was exhausted. That was what prompted me to try a new approach.

Bear in mind that the easiest time to fall asleep in the 24-hour period is at bedtime, provided she’s not overtired, or first nap. When you are ready, try putting your baby in her crib/co-sleeper/bassinette drowsy but awake at one of those times.

What does drowsy but awake mean? Imagine a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being wide awake and 10 being sound asleep. Aim for a 7. She should be fed, clean, snug, and ready for sleep. You can do some singing, bouncing, etc. and when you see her eyelids getting heavy, try putting her down. She might fuss or cry a bit, but you can try some patting and shushing, or of course you can pick her up and try again then or another time. A few sleep experts encourage multiple pickups and putdowns, though depending on temperament, for some babies this can be very stimulating. With alert babies, less is usually more.

More tips to follow soon. In the meantime, wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday.

Rebekah