5 Ways to Get A Newborn to Sleep in a Bassinet
You want your baby to sleep close, but they do not like the bassinet. You want your baby to sleep in your room. Here are some must read tips to get
your newborn to sleep in a bassinet.
Bassinet Troubles
Getting your baby to sleep in a bassinet could be trickier than you imagine. Babies like to feel the warmth of their parents, be held, and tightly swaddled for comfort. Your child might not like change or sleeping in different positions, but you can help them to overcome that.
When babies sleep, it’s very light, and they can awake easily. Their sleep can be easily interrupted, This affects the baby’s health and you could have a fussy baby on your hands. I’m not suggesting that these will cure your baby from waking at 2 AM, but I am suggesting that these cues from you will help your baby to fall asleep in their bassinet much easier.
How to Get Your Baby to Sleep in a Bassinet
I have five ideas that will help you to get your baby to sleep much easier. Bassinets are small, mostly portable cribs that you can have at your bedside. Having the best baby bassinet for your family will ensure that you and your baby are comfortable.
1. Have a Routine
Livestrong suggests that having a routine for bedtime is paramount. Making sure your baby knows when they are going to be bathed, fed, and put down to sleep is a system they need.
Babies require structure and demand you always. Babies want to eat when they’re hungry, and they want to sleep when they’re tired, but setting a routine in place will help shift the baby’s brain into recognizing the pattern.
When you have a routine, it is important to stick to it and carry it out. If you do not follow through with the routine, your baby will feel unsure what to expect next.
2. Make the Bassinet Smell Like You
Babies can smell their parents within days.. In just a matter of days, your baby knows what you smell like and can determine the smell of their mothers’ breast milk.
You can remove the sheet on the bassinet mattress and sleep with it between your chin and neck to get the scent your baby loves. You can also do this with your babies’ clothing for the night and anything you have them sleep with to make them more comfortable.
Keeping items on you will help the baby get used to their bassinet because it will smell like their parents. You can even try making their swaddling blankets smell like you before wrapping up your child.
3. Play Lullabies or Sing to Your Baby
Playing certain music or lullabies at nighttime will help your baby associate the sounds with sleeping. In an article by Jhoanna Robledo, she suggests that soothing your baby with music, lullabies, or singing is an excellent idea, but turn it off before the child falls asleep.
If you play the music or sing until your baby is asleep, you risk developing a habit. Your baby will expect that when they wake up, the music or singing will soothe them once more, but by turning it off, your baby recognizes that this is a routine and now it’s time for sleep.
Your baby will love you singing to them. They can recognize how you sound in as little as a few hours. Your voice will help calm and soothe them, adding to the routine for bedtime.
You can also sing and rock your child until they are almost asleep, and then place them in the crib. By swaying and rocking with your baby to music, you are creating a bond and building trust with your little one.
4. Make Sure Your Baby is Awake
Soothing your baby before placing them in the bassinet is vital, says Nicole Johnson. She believes that soothing a baby to a drowsy state will help with your baby being able to sleep on their own and can decrease the risks of developing sleep associations.
When your baby is drowsy, place them on their back in the bassinet. Your child will adjust to their new bedtime surroundings and smells to familiarize their location. If you make the sheets smell like you and follow through with your routine, this step should proceed well.
If your baby begins to cry, rest your hand on your baby’s tummy and rub it gently until the baby is calm again. When your baby is quiet, remove your hand slowly and watch over them until they fall asleep.
5. Keep the Room Dark and the Bed Warm
Dr. Sears takes an interesting approach to making your baby more comfortable. He recognizes that babies do not like to be cold, and after being a womb for nine months, the warmth makes them feel more familiarized with their surroundings.
Placing a child into a cold bed can make your baby fussy and irritable. Warm a sheet and put it in the bassinet to warm up the mattress and sheet before laying your baby down, this will give them added security and warmth. Make sure to remove the sheet before placing your child in the bassinet.
Having a dark room is also important for a newborn. Babies can see light and shadows for the first few months of their lives, and they are very light sleepers. Providing a dark room for your baby will encourage them to understand that dark is bedtime and that light means it is time to be awake.
Your Baby is Sound Asleep
With five new ideas to try out, there has to be at least one way to help your newborn sleep in their bassinet. I loved the idea of putting in a breast pad so my baby could smell me near them at all times. These tips and tricks helped me with my children as I was trying to get them to sleep in a bassinet, rather than using my body.
The simple trick is always to stay calm and use a soothing sounding voice that will help your baby to stay calm and know that you love them. Developing a routine might be hard at first, but you will thank yourself later when you see how well it helps your child. If you have anything to add or anything you’ve tried, I’d like to hear from you on your experiences and trials!
About Alanta
I’m the mother of two beautiful children. I base all my posts on my personal experiences and research as a parent. You can visit my blog at TopTenStrollers.
