How to Put a Baby to Sleep: 9 Tips and Tricks

Key Takeaways for Better Baby Sleep

Of all the parenting challenges, none are more confounding than putting your baby to sleep. Luckily, there are tried-and-true methods to help you and your baby settle for the night. Creating the right sleep environment, swaddling, and bedtime routines are highly effective, and pacifiers can often work wonders.

If you're struggling with naps or bedtime battles, check out the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™. This easy-to-use app provides expert sleep coaching support to help your baby fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, making nap and bedtime stress-free.

9 Tips and Tricks: How to Put a Baby to Sleep

Mastering how to put a newborn or older baby to sleep takes practice, but these nine strategies can encourage restful sleep and soothe fussiness. Using them consistently may help your baby settle more easily for naps and bedtime.

1. Keep Your Baby Comfortable

Before placing your baby in the crib, make sure they’re comfortable. Check for:

• A clean diaper or full tummy

• Appropriate layers for warmth but not overheating

• A cool, comfortable room temperature

Other ways to enhance comfort:

• Darken the Room: Turn off main lights and close the shades.

• Use a Night-Light: A dim light can provide comfort.

• Play Soothing Sounds: Soft music or white noise may help.

2. Swaddle Your Baby

Swaddling can help newborns and young infants fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer by providing a sense of comfort and security while limiting movement that might startle them awake.

Swaddling Tips:

• Use a lightweight cotton blanket to prevent overheating.

• Leave room for hips and legs to move freely to avoid hip problems.

• Stop swaddling once your baby starts rolling over, usually around 2 months.

3. Establish a Sleep Schedule

A baby’s circadian rhythm takes about 16 weeks to mature, meaning early sleep patterns can be unpredictable. However, it’s never too early to create a routine. The Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™ app simplifies sleep scheduling by tracking your baby’s sleep and aligning it with their biological rhythms, providing notifications when it’s time for sleep.

4. Give Your Baby Attention During the Day

Babies who receive plenty of attention and stimulation during the day often feel more secure at night. Hold, cuddle, play, and talk to your little one to create a sense of security. At night, keep interactions during feedings and diaper changes quiet and brief to reinforce the idea that nighttime is for sleep.

5. Establish a Bedtime Routine

Start a soothing bedtime routine as early as 6 to 8 weeks old. Keep the routine calming and relaxing, and ensure the final part of the routine takes place in the bedroom to help your baby associate it with sleep.

Possible bedtime routine activities include:

• A warm bath

• A baby massage

• Dressing for sleep

• Brushing teeth

• Swaying, swinging, or rocking

• Dimming the lights

• Reading a story

• Singing a lullaby

• Playing soft music or white noise

• Counting to 10 or singing the ABCs

• A goodnight hug and kiss

• Swaddling (for infants)

6. Place Your Baby in the Crib Before They Fall Asleep

Put your baby in the crib before they fall asleep to help them form a positive sleep association with the crib. Look for sleep cues like drooping eyelids, rubbing eyes, or fussiness. Always place your baby on their back in the crib, which should be free of loose bedding, blankets, pillows, and toys to reduce the risk of SIDS.

7. Offer Your Baby a Pacifier

A pacifier can help calm your baby at night and reduce the risk of SIDS. If breastfeeding, wait until your baby is about 3 to 4 weeks old before offering a pacifier. Avoid letting your baby fall asleep with a bottle to prevent dental decay and ear infections.

8. Work With Your Baby’s Preferences

Consider adjusting your baby’s sleep schedule to align with their natural sleep tendencies. This approach allows your baby to sleep when they want to and avoids forcing sleep when they’re not tired.

9. Strike a Balance When Attending to Your Baby’s Needs at Night

If your baby wakes up after falling asleep, give them a chance to self-soothe before attending to them. If they continue to cry, check for needs like feeding or a diaper change. Keep nighttime interactions quiet and calm, and put your baby back in the crib for sleep.

How to Put a Baby to Sleep: What Not to Do

Things to Avoid:

• Thinking You Can “Make” Your Baby Sleep: You can’t force a baby to sleep. Work with their preferences and gradually establish a sleep routine.

• Holding Your Baby Until They Fall Asleep: Avoid this to prevent your baby from becoming dependent on being held to fall asleep.

• Keeping Your Baby Awake All Day: This will only make them overtired and harder to settle down at night.

Conclusion

If you’re trying to learn how to put a baby to sleep, the best piece of advice is to give the process time. Following our tips and tricks may help make it easier for your baby to fall asleep and become accustomed to a sleep routine. Consider things like creating a soothing bedtime routine, adjusting bedtimes and naptimes to align with your baby’s natural tiredness, and giving your little one lots of love and attention when awake. These strategies could help make bedtime smoother.

Hang in there. Getting your baby to sleep is a common challenge of parenthood, but soon enough, your baby (and you too, with any luck!) will be sleeping like, well, a baby!

_{How We Wrote This Article The information in this article is based on expert advice from trusted medical and government sources, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Always consult medical professionals for diagnosis and treatment.}