How to Get Your baby to Sleep through the Night Part Two

Yesterday we talked about how the bedtime routine is the key to getting your child to sleep through the night. Now that you know what to do, here are some tips to help you stay on track! Remember that this is what worked for me and what I recommend. It’s not the only way to get a child to fall sleep on their own. There is no so-called “best” way it’s just my way.

1. Put them in their own room.
Your child needs their own space dedicated to sleep. It doesn’t matter if they share a room with other siblings, but it’s going to be hard to get them to sleep without you if they can roll over and see you.

2. Make sure they are safe and not sick.
Don’t ever let a baby cry it out when they are in a potentially dangerous situation. You need to know they are safe. This means no pillows or blankets or other stuffed animals in their crib. Everyone knows their baby and their cry. Your baby may be ill. Talk to your pediatrician to make sure they are healthy and there is no medical cause for their awakenings such as reflux.

3. Make sure you are ready.
Think hard about why you want your baby to all sleep by themselves. If letting them put themselves to sleep is against your philosophy then don’t do it. There’s nothing wrong with you soothing your baby back to sleep…if that works for you!

4. Make sure everyone else is ready.
Before I decided to embark on “Operation Sleeping through the Night”, I told everyone in the household what I was doing. If anyone had any objections I usually offered that they are the one to get up 5 times a night. Nobody took me up on it so I went through with my plans.

5. Choose the right day
Chose a night where you don’t have a lot of pressing things the next day. It’ll be a tough couple of nights and you’ll be tempted to stop if it gets too hard. Don’t do it when your mom is in town. Trust me, I tried this and it failed miserably!

6. Be consistent.
Once you decide what you are going to do, be consistent. Don’t stop and start, stop and start. It’s unfair to you and your child. I figured that at some point I was going to have to let them soothe themselves. What better time than the present.

7. Expect setbacks.
Once they are sleeping through the night, expect setbacks! When they were sick or we were traveling they all woke up at some point and I soothed them back to sleep. I took that time to enjoy the cuddles and knew that they needed me. When the time was right I let them put themselves back to sleep, and they went right back to sleeping through the night.

8. Be strong.
It won’t be easy. For all of my children, I slept just outside their door so I could be near them if they needed me. I covertly checked on them periodically particularly when they stopped crying.

9. Use your clock.
When you first put your baby down, look at the clock. It’ll feel like forever if your child is crying. You’d be surprised at how relatively short it can be.

10. Ask for advice
If you need help along the way, check in with your pediatrician. They can guide you with your baby’s sleep issues.

Good luck and let me and let me know how it works for you!

Sheila Cason, MD

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How to Get Your Baby to Sleep through the Night