Rock-a-Bye Baby (8 page)

Play CDs or DVDs that have the gentle sounds of rain, the ocean, the forest, birds, and so on. They help relax baby and drown out other noises.

Put your baby in his crib, then gently pat or stroke his arms, legs, forehead, and belly.

Keep the lights dim in baby's room at nighttime, and use blackout curtains during baby's daytime naps.

If your baby is teething, apply a little teething ointment to his gums and rub them gently.

Give your baby a gentle verbal reminder that it's almost bed or nap time, such as “Night-night time!” or “Time for beddy-bye!” so she can adjust to the idea before you put her down.

If your baby or toddler is beginning to skip his second nap, try alternating one nap one day, two naps the next. That way your baby will still be tired enough to go to sleep at night. Or, just let him skip the second nap all the time if he doesn't seem to need it.

Put your baby in the car seat and drive around until she falls asleep. This works with most babies almost every time.

“No day is so bad it can't be fixed with a nap.”

—Carrie Snow

There's no better expert in getting baby to sleep than an experienced parent. That's why I gathered the following tips from mothers who searched until they found a technique that worked. If you've tried the standards and your baby still isn't sleeping well, do something a little unusual to lull your baby to dreamland. Often parents stumble upon a method by accident and, to everyone's surprise, the trick works when tried again! Remember, one size doesn't fit all. You never know what will work with your baby until you try it!

I played a CD of classical music softly, especially violin pieces, to get my son to sleep. (By the way, he ended up playing the violin when he got older.)
—Julaina K
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I remember riding in the car while singing “The Wheels on the Bus” over and over to get my babies to calm down and fall asleep when they were fussy.
—JoAnne D
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I sang to my baby using different accents. The Scottish one was his favorite.
—Isobel C
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