Rock-a-Bye Baby (9 page)
Authors: Penny Warner
I wrote down his schedule for feeding and napping and realized he was following a pattern. Then I would anticipate by a few minutes when he would be ready for a nap and put him in his crib, and he'd happily go to sleep.
âStefany M
.
I recommend investing in a self-rocking cradle. It saved us.
âMelanie E
.
We bought a small refrigerator and kept it in the baby's room to make that nighttime feeding as easy as possible.
âJamie W
.
To help my baby sleep through the night, I double-diapered her, using two cloth diapers. She woke up a lot less after I started doing that.
âRocio D
. (
NOTE
:
Today you can buy extra-thick “overnight” diapers that serve the same purpose
.)
Even if your baby doesn't nap well, give him a half an hour or so in his crib so both of you can get a break. Oftentimes he'll surprise you and end up falling asleep after half an hour of play.
âCourtney M
.
All babies are unique, with different personalities, different temperaments, and different sleep cycles. Here's a chart that shows the typical number of hours a baby sleepsâbut remember, these are just statistical averages. While this may be a helpful guide, no baby sleeps exactly as a chart implies
.
When Jake was little, I would turn off all the lights except the TV light and turn the volume way down while I sat on the couch with him. I think he was so bored, he just fell asleep to the droning of the TV.
âStaci M
.
The best advice I ever got was “Keep trying.” Finding the best way to get your baby to sleep just requires trial and error. For me, each baby responded differently. My son would fall asleep when I sang rap songs to him, but my daughter only responded to lullabies.
âSimonie W
.
I tape-recorded the sound of my hair dryer. Then, after putting my baby in his crib, I would play it. (
note:
Try tape-recording a number of soothing sounds or white noises and playing them for your baby at sleep time.)
âJana L
.
When I'm desperate, I call my mother, and we talk while I hold and pat my baby. My mom calms me down, and soon my baby is asleep.
âJanet S
.
Make sure you've changed him, fed him, and burped him. Then wrap him securely in a light cotton blanket (arms and all) and lay him halfway on his side against a small pillow. Worked for me!
âMary L
.
I couldn't live without the white-noise machine.
âSansa B
.