No matter how excited you are to have your new precious bundle in your arms, but there does come a time for every first-time parent that the need for a quality night’s sleep takes over. Here’s an article aimed at addressing a frequent question from all new parents: Why does my newborn refuse to sleep in his or her crib? Training your baby to sleep in his or her crib may be a difficult task – for both of you.
But if you get it correct, you can make the transfer process run seamlessly, free of the common difficulties.
By following a couple of strategies to get your baby to sleep in a crib at night, your baby should easily adapt to his or her new sleeping surroundings. You will not need to go through continuous weeping and moodiness over weeks.
While it may appear challenging in the beginning, both of you should be better rested and much happier over time. Let’s have a look at the most frequently raised concerns below:
Baby Sleep Essentials
When should my baby begin sleeping in a crib?
How to get baby to sleep in the crib without crying it out?
It can be hard to overcome these problems, but it is not impossible.
How to get baby to sleep in the crib after co-sleeping?
Tips for transferring a baby to a crib
Get it to feel like “mom”
In order to guarantee that your child quickly adapts to the crib and is able to make the switch from co-sleeping, you should introduce the new surroundings as similar as you can to the ones he or she is accustomed to. The point about babies is they comprehend the world surrounding them in a highly tactile manner. Therefore, if you manage to recreate the comfort, warmth, and noises your baby feels while sleeping with you, then there should be much less opposition.
Try to refrain from adding a cushion, quilt, or cuddly toy to your baby’s crib, as this will likely raise the choking risk. Sleeping sacks and swaddling clothes do miracles to hold the little arms as though they are held. Sound equipment might provide the infant with the illusion of being near to your body.
When the baby continues to complain, stand by for a couple of minutes and put your hand on the child’s breast to calm him or her down. Pacifiers may also help meet his or her need for calming.
Begin with naps
A simple switch might be one that relies on experiencing what the baby has been used to already. Nights may be long and exhausting when he or she is overwhelmed, so starting with naps that occur a minimum of one time per day is a smart practice.
This ought to provide a faster and much gentler transfer since the infant will be getting accustomed to sleeping in a new setting while you will be clearer-headed, as opposed to in the middle of the night whenever you are likely to be pleading for sleep.
Establish a bedtime routine
As previously stated, babies notice the outside world in a sensorial manner. Therefore, keeping in mind that if you would like to transition to crib bedtime in a way that is much simpler and more acceptable, you need to establish a routine that your baby will be able to predict and get used to. Routines enable him or her to get used to the crib, especially when he or she is just a couple of weeks old!
Be sure the routine should be enjoyable, low-stress, have several steps, and transition into bedtime. It doesn’t need to be something overly weird. An example could be feeding, bathing, pajamas, story time, sleep time – whatever will work best for your family.
Include a snack
Try to include a snack before you put your baby to bed, but don’t let him fall asleep in the middle of it. If the baby is older than six months, you can also include 1 or 2 tablespoons of cereal in the meal. Be careful not to overdo it, as an overstuffed tummy is likely to cause discomfort.
Bathe your child
A bath can naturally lull your child to sleep. If bath time is more stressful than relaxing, it doesn’t need to be included in the bedtime routine.
To make bath time more comfortable, put the towel in the dryer for a few minutes before removing your child from the tub. This way it will be warm while you dry them off once they are completely clean.
Reading a book
The calmness of your voice is something that can easily put your child into a sleepy state. Although it’s unlikely that younger babies will understand what you’re actually reading aloud, the soothing sounds and rhythms will likely help prepare them for sleep. In addition, reading aloud to babies has been shown to improve vocabulary and language later in life, according to the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics.
How to get baby to nap in the crib instead of arms?
Besides, most newborn babies are not capable of settling down to sleep on their own until they’re a couple of months older. More often than not, it is fine for your baby to fall asleep in your arms – it is a passing period.
Drowsy instead of asleep
A major clue to a good crib nap is getting your baby to feel comfortable being placed in bed sleepy – instead of fully asleep. Whether you think so or not, with some effort, your baby can get to sleep this way! If this idea appeals to you, there’s no harm in taking no risks and avoiding tears when you try it. The following advice might be helpful to you.
Have exercise sessions
Have short, relaxing playtime with the baby in the crib multiple times throughout the day while being around to keep them amused – by singing, talking, or demonstrating toys. Such sessions might be helpful in establishing a favorable connection with the bed, which will carry over into bedtime.
Get your baby cozy
Babies are as different as we are grown-ups, and over time you will come to appreciate your own baby’s preferences. Below are a couple of thoughts on how to make your baby comfy so that he or she goes to sleep without help. Try experimenting with them, and you will quickly discover which are the most suitable for your baby:
Cozy crib, sleeping place
It may be helpful to establish a cozy sleeping spot to facilitate getting the baby to sleep. Always check that your baby’s mattress is comfy because many that come in a crib or bassinet can be rigid and unstable. Try using soft linens, like fleece or flannel (always use sheets that are sized to match your baby’s mattress), as well as making sure the room is dark and silent except white noise – maybe try a device that produces sea waves or rain sounds.
Smaller room
So many babies find a big bassinet to be too roomy. Your baby might prefer a smaller crib or bassinet. (Make sure the crib is marked as safe for uncontrolled sleeping). A young child might profit from this suggestion, as well, though, setting up a tiny nap corner or fort. Prefabricated toddler beds complete with tents can provide a lovely place to sleep during the day.
Great scents
A baby’s sense of smell is more acute than that of an adult. Studies suggest that an infant is able to detect his or her own mommy or daddy just by smelling them. Therefore, if you have a tiny cuddly toy or baby quilt, you can put it inside your shirt for a couple of hours and then put it near the crib while the baby is sleeping. (Be sure to observe all the safety measures, one of which is not to put this object right in a newborn’s crib).
A Warm Bed
Putting a drowsy infant on cool bedsheets can wake him or her up. While feeding your baby, you may warm the sleeping space using a swaddled hot water bottle or a heating pad turned to the minimum level. Take the warmer out of the crib before putting your baby to rest, and keep moving your arm across the area gently to check that it’s not overly hot.
A softly swaying crib
For many newborns, going to sleep is a lot easier in a gently swinging or moving crib compared to a surface that doesn’t move. (Ensure that the bed is sturdy and appropriate for sleep).
Baby won’t sleep in a crib anymore
If a newborn baby doesn’t fall asleep in a crib or bassinet, the reason could be that he or she has adapted to going to sleep somewhere else. A couple of the regular spots for it to sleep include your arms, your spouse’s breast, or the baby’s automobile seat. It might also go to sleep in a sling, a baby carrier, or a baby swayer.
Regardless of how gently you move it from your arms (or anywhere else it has fallen asleep) to the crib, the passage may be brief. Since a large part of a neonate’s sleep happens in the REM or active sleep stage, defined by twitching extremities, sighing, screaming, and at times even short awakenings, he will probably get upset once he awakens and notices that he is not sleeping in the same place where he began.
Why does my baby suddenly not want to sleep in the crib anymore?
- Growth spurts. An increase in appetite can occur at any time, but fast-growing babies typically have one at 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months.
- Teething pain. As early as 3 or 4 months of age, babies can get gum pain and discomfort from teething, although the first tooth typically doesn’t appear until 6 months of age at the earliest.
- Illness. A cold, otitis, rash, or other condition may interfere with your baby’s sleeping and cause him not to want to be placed in the crib.
- Reaching new milestones. Turning over, trying to sit up, jabbering is some thrilling tricks your infant will attempt to accomplish in his or her crib during the night.
- Sleeping regression. This is a common occurrence in your baby’s nighttime schedule that may appear at 4 months, 6 months, anywhere from 8 to 10 months, as well as once again at 12 months.
When to move baby to crib?
Conclusion
There is no fixed period for the transfer, and it may last from a couple of days to a couple of weeks, based on how stepwise the transfer process is. It might also be dependent on the readiness or unwillingness of the baby to sleep in the crib during the night.
Parenting brings a lot of highs and lows, regardless of how well-prepared you are for the situation. Your baby’s switch to the crib might feel like something of a wild nightmare, in the beginning, all the screaming, and fussing, yet it is going to improve each day.
This is all a question of time and attitude, so just think about appreciating every single minute and building long-lasting memories for you and your baby.
