How To Get Baby To Sleep In Crib

How To Get Baby To Sleep In Their Crib

It’s time for your baby’s nap. This should be an easy task, right? You have them in your arms and they are dosing off so you take this opportunity to take them to their crib, but as soon as they hit that surface they are wanting none of it.

If your baby doesn\’t want to sleep in their crib, being consistent with a specific strategy can help! Popular strategies include having a bigger contrast between awake time and sleep time, creating a sleep routine, shifting temperatures at sleep time and using sound and sleep association.

To learn the best ways to get your baby to sleep in their crib, continue on to find out our handy tips and tricks.

Why Is Your Baby Not Sleeping In Their Crib?

For a baby to not want to sleep in their crib is a completely ordinary scenario. You will find in many babies their need for maternal comfort so to be taken away from that only creates a stressful environment.

It is important to recognize that every baby is different, therefore the reasonings behind their dislike of the crib will all vary. However, here are some possibilities of why your child may be kicking up a fuss:

They are not used to the crib – From being in their mother’s womb for nine months to having to remove themselves from their mother for a crib, not all babies are able to adjust too quickly.

The crib is in an uncomfortable environment – the room the crib is in may not be comfortable or present a peaceful, sleep-worthy environment.

You have triggered their alert reflex – imagine your baby is drifting off into dreamland just to be descending down into their cribs. This automatically sets off their alert reflexes as they feel the sensation of falling, ultimately waking them up.

Things To Consider

As a parent it is easy to think you are the one doing something wrong yet for the majority of the time that is not the case. There are plenty of things that should be considered before jumping to conclusion.

By considering these factors, you will then be able to eliminate some potential issues surrounding your baby.

Are they hungry? The answer to your problems may be as plain and simple as hunger. Babies can only communicate with tears so when your baby is crying during naptime, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they do not want to sleep in their crib.

Try changing their eating schedule. You may find that all they need is some food before they go to sleep.

Are they teething? At as young as 3 months old can a baby start to experience teething pains. This can make your baby uncomfortable and therefore make it harder for them to sleep calmly. There are plenty of ways to soothe this pain such as using teething rings or safely numbing the gums.

Are they missing their mom? You may find that your baby is just simply missing their mother. They are always in your arms either with you breastfeeding or cuddling them and with that your baby forms a bond that they don’t want to let go of.

To help pry your baby away, sleep with their blanket of next to a stuffed toy of theirs. By doing this, they will recognize your scent on these items as they enter their nap.

How To Get Your Baby To Sleep In Their Crib

\"How

When it comes to getting your baby to sleep in their crib, there are plenty of ways to do so. Here, we have come up with a number of tips and tricks to help both you and your baby.

Don’t Always Check

When you hear your baby crying in their crib it is a parent’s gut reaction to tend to their distressed child, but this will not help. If you rush to your baby’s aid as soon as they start crying, they will see you and not want to go to sleep at all.

As well as this, they will start to acknowledge that if they cry then their mother or father will come. Instead, let them cry for a little while. Soon enough, your baby will drift off on their own.

Every Day Is Playtime!

Play, play, play! Make sure that your child is always occupied throughout the day, no matter how exhausting this may be. Entertain them with bright colors, noises, rattles and have fun with your baby.

Lift them up, spin them around. Sure enough, your baby will be just as tired as you and will be ready for sleep.

Don’t Let Your Baby Fall Asleep

It is common for a baby to be rocked in their parent’s arms until they are completely asleep. Don’t do this. In a lot of cases, the parent would then try to put their sleeping child into their crib just for them to wake up and start crying.

What you should be doing is rocking them until they are drowsy. Once you see them starting to drift off, then should you attempt to place them into their crib.

Stick To A Routine

It can be tough for a baby to experience new changes so it is important to follow a strict routine. They should know when to be expecting their lunch, they should know when it’s time for a bath, they should know when it’s naptime.

Changing up the routine can confuse and distress a baby so it is important to make them feel comfortable and stick to a schedule.

Be Cautious Of The Temperature

It is important for your baby to feel comfortable so you should be cautious of the temperature. Perhaps they are not wanting to sleep in their crib because the room is too warm or too cold.

Try adjusting the temperature to see if they are more comfortable in that environment.

Final Thoughts

A baby is a beautiful reward and a tough job all in one, and it is even harder when we cannot communicate properly. However, as a parent it is our job to adapt in order to benefit our child.

It is common for babies to struggle sleeping in their crib, yet this is not your fault. This is completely normal for many parents and babies. The best thing we can do is experiment, learn and adapt and soon enough your baby will be sleeping blissfully.

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