How to Get Baby to Sleep in Bassinet
How to Get Baby to Sleep in Bassinet. Every new parent understands the challenges of sleepless nights. One solution lies in getting your baby to comfortably sleep in their bassinet. But, how do you make this transition smooth and easy? In this guide, we delve into the best practices and tips on how to get your baby to sleep in a bassinet. Learn the secrets of ensuring restful nights for both you and your little one.
Babies, especially newborns, are a handful—this statement is probably one thing that all parents throughout the world would agree on. Getting them to sleep comfortably throughout the night is every parent’s wish, and while it is tempting to have them sleep beside us, it is not safe. That’s why experts created bassinets. If you’ve found yourself asking how to get a baby to sleep in the bassinet, then this article is for you.
A bassinet is a baby bed that is most commonly used for newborns and babies up to six months old. It can be easily relocated from one room to another, which makes it the number one choice for the baby’s first bed. However, babies tend to crave their mother’s touch and embrace. As a consequence, it is sometimes hard to get them to sleep on their own.
How to Get Baby to Sleep in a Bassinet
In this article, you will be provided with the most basic steps with which you can successfully get your baby to sleep in his bed. Carefully follow each of these steps to give your little one a comfortable night’s sleep.
Step 1
Early on in a newborn’s life, it is important to establish a routine for you and your baby to follow. A consistent routine should provide them with cues that it is time to sleep and that they are about to be placed in the bassinet.
A typical parent’s nighttime routine usually consists of bathing the baby, feeding, and changing its diaper followed by gentle rocking and a sweet lullaby. After this, you can now put the baby in the bassinet while continuously singing the lullaby.
Step 2
Make it your goal to put the baby in the bassinet while he is still awake. This is to make sure that the baby understands that he can sleep on his own and not rely on your gentle rocking to fall asleep.
After you are done feeding the baby and changing his diapers, rock him gently while singing to him his favorite lullaby. Once he starts feeling drowsy, you can slowly place the baby in the bassinet. In this way, you are helping him to learn how to settle himself to sleep.
Step 3
Newborns feel safe and comfortable when they are hugged, which is why wrapping them in a blanket is very important. If your little one likes to be swaddled, wrap him in a tight receiving blanket. Being in a tight swaddle will also be a great help in minimizing the baby’s startle reflex, resulting in uninterrupted sleep.
Create a swaddle by folding the blanket into a triangle, and placing him in the middle. Use one side of the triangle to wrap him up, making sure that the end part is securely tucked under him. Take the other side, fold it across him, and also tuck the end under his body as you place him in the bassinet.
Make sure that you make it as tight as possible, providing only a small wiggle space for his arms to move freely. If done properly, this will give him the impression that he is hugged and therefore safe and secure.
Step 4
Once you have carefully positioned him in the bassinet, continue singing him a lullaby. You can also read him a bedtime story if that is what you prefer. Babies do not yet have the complete ability to recognize day and night, that is why it is up to the parents to make them understand that nighttime is for sleeping.
By singing a lullaby or reading him a bedtime story, you can make him feel that you are still in the room and that he is not alone. Your voice is among the few things that are familiar to him, so he must always know that you are near.
Additional Advice and Tips
Babies have a hard time sleeping through the night because their body is constantly growing and developing. He needs time to adapt to the outside world, and you are his only hope to guide him in this time.
In most cases, they will wake up several times during the night and bellow cry for help from you. While some say to ignore a baby’s cry, it is vital to always check on newborns as they have still yet to adapt to their new environment.
Their small stomachs cannot handle and hold onto the many calories they consumed before they slept, so they need their diapers changed during the middle of the night. Additionally, they sometimes get startled by noises or other stimulants while asleep causing them to wake up and cry.
As much as possible, while they are still in their early months, run to their rescue and rock them gently to sleep. Sometimes, your voice is all they need to soothe them back to sleep.
CONCLUSION
Accounts from parents all over the world suggest that getting a good night’s sleep when they recently just gave birth to a baby is impossible. However, it is important to remember that it is not only you who suffer this fate. Even your baby has a hard time sleeping because of all the changes that he also needs to adjust to.
This step-by-step guide on how to get your baby to sleep in a bassinet is a tried and tested way to help you and your baby get the good night’s sleep that you both deserve. It will help if you keep in mind that this routine is also just another way for you to bond with your baby.
Just like in any other relationship, remember that both of you are only at the getting-to-know-you stage. So hang in there, mommy! Soon enough, you will find out what kind of routine your baby prefers, and you can both get what any newborn and his parents need—some sleep!
