Co-sleeping with Baby

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Cosleeping with BabyCo-sleeping is a practice where a baby sleeps close to one or both parents at night, instead of in a crib in his or her own room. This is a fairly common practice, and there are different subsets of it. What are the benefits? What are the risks?

Parents usually have a reason to start co-sleeping. Whether or not you should stop, and how to make the transition, are hard questions to answer. I’m here to help.
Contents:
Types of Co-sleeping
Benefits of Co-sleeping
Co-sleeping and SIDS
Other Risks of Co-sleeping
How to Stop Co-sleeping

Types of Co-sleeping

Cosleeping is a broad category in which the baby sleeps close to one or both parents. There are a few different subtypes of this:

  • Room sharing, in which the baby sleeps in a crib or bassinet in the parents’ room.
  • Bed sharing, where the baby sleeps in bed with parents at night.
  • Co-bedding, for families with multiples, is when twins share the same crib to sleep for naps and/or for the night.

As a father of twins, I must admit that I’ve done all three of these at some point or another. We have a small crib in our room (room sharing). On rare occasion we’ve picked up a twin who was crying in their room, and let him sleep in bed with us (bed sharing). A few times when they were newborns we’ve put both boys to sleep in the same crib or pack-n-play (co bedding).

Benefits of Co-sleeping

Portable Baby Bassinet for Cosleeping

There’s a reason that cosleeping is a common practice: parents find one or more benefits to it. These might be simple economic realities. Extra rooms and baby beds cost money, and some other expenses (diapers, formula) have higher priority. In the case of room-sharing, the American Academy of Pediatrics actually recommends it for babies because it lets parents more closely monitor their infant while he’s sleeping. Convenience is another benefit of cosleeping; when your newborn wakes up every three to four hours, and you’re exhausted, it’s tempting to keep him close by, especially at night.

One of the most common justifications I hear is, “My baby only sleeps if one of us is holding her, or if she’s in bed with us. And I’ve got to get some sleep!” I’m very sympathetic to the parents who admit this. Sometimes you have to do what’s necessary to get your baby to sleep so you can get some shuteye of your own. However, this is something you can work on by establishing a sleep routine for your baby, and there are definite reasons to try to stop co-sleeping with baby in your bed.

Co-sleeping and SIDS

The American Academy of Pediatrics released updated baby sleep safety guidelines in late 2011. Among these are some specific points related to co sleeping. Basically, it is recommended that you sleep in the same room but not the same bed as your baby. There is substantial evidence that this practice (room sharing but not bed sharing) decreases the risk of SIDS by up to 50%.

Infants may be brought into the parents’ bed for feeding or comfort, but should be returned to their crib or bassinet to sleep. This helps prevent suffocation, strangulation, and entrapment that could occur in the parents’ bed. Devices that claim to make bed sharing more safe are not recommended. The AAP recommends against bed sharing flat-out, but the most dangerous practices of it are:

  • Bed sharing with infants younger than 3 months of age.
  • Bed sharing with a current smoker, even if he/she does not smoke while in bed.
  • Bed-sharing with someone who is excessively tired, taking medication, or has used drugs or alcohol
  • Bed-sharing with anyone who is not a parent, including other children
  • Bed-sharing on a soft surface (water bed, old mattress, sofa, armchair, etc.).
  • Bed-sharing on any surface with loose soft bedding, such as pillows, quilts, and comforters.

You should try to avoid bed sharing altogether, but the above practices especially.

Should Twins Share A Bed?

The issue of bed sharing with twins is a contentious one. Some argue that twins should sleep in the same bed to encourage their co-development and comfort one another. Others might do this for practical reasons; it takes extra space and extra money to buy a second twin when you’re having twins.

My twin boys share a room but sleep in separate cribs, which seems like a good compromise. The older one is a couple of pounds heavier, and we didn’t want him rolling on top of his brother (or waking him up) on accident. This way, they can see and babble at one another and still have a safe place of their own to sleep in.

You might think “Oh, I’ll never have to worry about this,” but here’s a little statistic for you. The chances of having twins are around 3% with each pregnancy. It could happen to you!

Other Risks of Co-sleeping

There are some disadvantages to cosleeping, even the recommended and safe practice of having your baby sleep in his own crib or bassinet in your room.

  1. Although your presence is probably a comfort, your baby might have trouble sleeping if he sees you or hears you moving around. Sources of loud irregular noise, such as cell phones, alarm clocks, televisions, and radios, are likely to wake babies up if they’re in your room.
  2. Having the baby in your room (or worse, your bed) can prevent you from sleeping. Parents are programmed to respond when a baby moves, coughs, or makes any irregular noise. Also, you might be tempted to respond too quickly if your baby does wake up. A significant fraction of the time that my babies have woken up and fussed, they go back to sleep on their own within a minute or two.
  3. This might be a minor point, but cribs and bassinets take up a lot of space in your bedroom, and they’re notorious for causing stubbed toes and cracked shins for parents late at night.

How to Stop Co-sleeping (Bed sharing)

So, you’re co sleeping, and not the good doctor-recommended kind? Don’t feel too badly about it – there are reasons why so many parents find themselves bed sharing. Here are some strategies you can use to transition to safer sleep routines for your baby.

  • Don’t make bed sharing a habit! Occasional cosleeping is much easier to fix. If part of your baby’s nighttime sleeping routine is falling asleep in your arms or while snuggling you, that’s a hard precedent to break.
  • Put your baby to bed before he or she falls asleep. Babies need to learn to fall asleep by themselves while laying (on their backs) in their own cribs.
  • Be strong. I feel a powerful urge to run to the rescue whenever I hear one of my babies cry, and I’m sure you feel the same way. This transition period will almost certainly involve some crying. Let your baby fuss for five minutes or so before going in to comfort him or her.
  • Start slow. Don’t go cold-turkey on breaking your cosleeping habit, or you could be in for a stretch of sleepless nights. Instead, try it one night out of four and increase the frequency over time.
  • Think about the benefits. Moving the baby out of your bed is a win for everyone. For the little ones, it’s a safer night’s sleep. For the parents, it’s so much more freedom. You can do what you want, when you want, and sprawl however you want, when your baby is in his own bed. You’ll probably get more sleep, and better sleep, without fear of rolling over on top of him. Keep these benefits in mind, and you’ll stay motivated to do the right thing.

You don’t have to go cold turkey. You can invest in a mini crib or bassinet and put them right next to your bed. That way you get all of the benefits but your baby gets to sleep in his or her own little space. There are even special safe co-sleeping cribs to help this transition.

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Best baby pacifiers Baby sleep problems Periodic Table of Baby SLeep Get baby to sleep through the night
Best Baby Pacifiers has our recommendations for newborns, older babies, and teething infants. Baby sleep problems takes you through the most common sleep issues and how to address them. The periodic table of baby sleep has all the essential elements for healthy baby sleep habits. Visit our sleep training section for strategies and tips for teaching your baby to sleep through the night.

Does My Baby Have Reflux or Colic?

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baby reflux colicReflux and colic are similar conditions that put babies in a lot of discomfort. So how do you tell them apart? More importantly, what can you do if your baby is affected? This guide will help you answer those questions.

Symptoms of reflux
Symptoms of colic
Helping a baby with reflux
Helping a baby with colic

Symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) in infants is different from acid reflux in adults. Infant reflux is simply frequent “spitting up”, which many babies do. It’s estimated that up to 35% of the 4 million babies born annually in the United States suffers at least mild reflux. If your baby spits up occasionally, it’s nothing to be concerned about. The symptoms of GERD tend to be more severe:

  • Repeated vomiting
  • Spitting up with little or no apparent effort
  • Frequent wet coughing
  • Apparent respiratory problems, such as wheezing.

If your baby suffers any of the above symptoms, it may be reflux.

Symptoms of Baby Colic

Baby colic (also called infantile colic) is a condition in which an otherwise healthy baby cries or appears stressed for long periods without any obvious cause. Typically, it manifests during the first month of life and continues until the baby is 3-4 months old, though rare cases have persisted up to a year. The medical criteria specify that babies with colic cry or fuss for at least three hours, at least three times a week, for the first three weeks of life. That being said, many doctors believe that a baby can have colic without quite meeting these symptoms, especially the 3-hour rule. A more general set of symptoms of baby colic include:

  • Sudden onset of crying or fussiness without any discernible reason
  • Intense crying that lasts for hours
  • Hunching and other signs of intestinal/GI discomfort
  • The frequency and intensity increases over a course of weeks
  • Symptoms happen more often or more acutely in the late afternoon or early evening.

The late afternoon / early evening fussiness is common among babies, even those without colic. We asked our pediatrician about it, and even he was uncertain as to the reason. He did point out that the early evening is when babies (1) tend to get more tired, as they don’t sleep as well during the day, and (2) usually have gone a longer time without substantial feeding, which usually happens in the morning and at night. The confluence of these factors may explain why many babies are colicky at around 4 or 5 p.m.

Helping A Baby with Reflux

There’s lots you can do to deal with babies with mild reflux. The most important thing is to minimize the stress placed on your baby’s tummy. This means that you should avoid overfeeding and try to burp your baby at least twice during feedings. You should also keep your baby in a somewhat upright position for at least half an hour after he’s eaten. You can hold him, of course, or put him in a baby bouncer or Bumbo-type seat. Always put a burp cloth or towel on your shoulder when you’re holding the baby or burping him, as infants with reflux tend to spit up a lot.

Helping A Baby with Colic

The jury is still out on the cause of baby colic. While gas bubbles in the stomach or digestive tract have always been a popular theory, it is clear that the set of causes goes well beyond that. Worse, many of the standard treatments for digestive discomfort — simethicone, for example — seem to only offer temporary relief or none at all. Wikipedia recommends that babies with colic be treated instead with the five S’s:

  • Swaddling your baby to keep him warm and help him feel secure.
  • Side or stomach positions to comfort your infant while holding him (he should only be put on his back to sleep).
  • Shushing or sound. Make a soft shushing noise near your baby’s ear, or use something else to make white noise in the baby’s room.
  • Swing the baby back and forth in tiny movements. Make sure he’s tucked close to you, and support the head and neck.
  • Sucking. Give the baby a breast, pacifier, or a (washed) fingertip to suck on.

You’ll notice that these are all baby soothing techniques, nothing more. Unfortunately, since the medical basis of colic remains understood, there are not many advanced treatment options. No matter what the experts say, I recommend that you try gas relief drops with simethicone (Mylicon) and gripe water to see if they make a difference for your baby.

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How To Burp A Baby

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How to burp babyLearning how to burp a baby is a crucial skill for new parents. In reality, it’s nothing like what you see on TV, where the actors (who are too rested, clean-shaven, and nicely dressed to be real newborn parents) put the baby on a shoulder, pat him a few times, and go on with their day.

In reality, it takes a little more technique and a lot more patience to burp a baby successfully.

When To Burp A Baby
Burping On Your Shoulder
Burp in Sitting Position
Why Burp A Baby?
Why Do I Have To Burp My Baby?

When To Burp A Baby

Early and often, especially with babies that are fussy or have reflux. One common misconception is that you should only burp a baby after he or she’s finished eating. You’ve probably learned the hard way just how wrong this is. As a rule, you should at least try to burp your baby halfway through the feeding. If your baby spits up a lot, divide feedings into thirds. You may not get a burp every time, but you should give your baby a chance to do it. Look for these warning signs that your baby needs to burp:

  • Your baby stops eating or starts gurgling the milk.
  • He/she squirms or twists as if uncomfortable
  • You hear bubbling or rumbling sounds from your infant’s belly

If you notice any of these, stop feeding and offer your baby a burp.

Burping On Your Shoulder

The classic burping technique is to put the baby on your shoulder and gently pat his back. You should be aiming for the middle of the back, opposite the sternum. Not low on the kidneys, not high on the shoulders. You shouldn’t apply a lot of force, especially if you’re trying to burp a newborn. All you’re trying to do is loosen the bubbles of air in baby’s belly; you don’t have to physically push them up and out. If there’s an audible slap when you make contact, it’s probably too hard.

Just a warning, your baby might spit up. Occasionally there can be some spit-up when you go to burp a baby on your shoulder. This is normal, but plan accordingly – wear old clothes, or lay a burp cloth on your shoulder where the baby’s face will be.
How to burp a baby in sitting position

Burp In Sitting Position

Some babies have trouble burping in upright position on your shoulder. Another position I like to try is having the baby sit up, either on your lap or on a hard surface. A diaper changing table is perfect for this. Make sure that you support your baby, since they can’t sit up on their own at this point. Sit him at a comfortable 90 degree angle and pat the back gently.

Your infant might dislike this position, especially if he feels insecure. If this is the case, try it on your lap first and keep him close to you. Sometimes the sitting position gets a burp when the upright shoulder one does not; sometimes it’s the other way around. The important thing is to try different positions when you know that your baby needs to burp.

Baby Burping Tips

If your baby has trouble burping, you might have to get creative.

  • Instead of patting the baby’s back, you can try rubbing upward on his back, in the direction you want the bubbles to go.
  • You might also put the baby on your shoulder and move around a little. Often we get the stubborn burp out when carrying a baby up or down stairs; the bobbing motion seems to help.
  • I’ve also gotten a burp by putting the baby down on his back for a minute, and then picking him up again. Just don’t move or jiggle the baby too much, or he might spit up.
  • As they get older, some babies can sort of burp on their own if you support them in a sitting position for a few minutes.

Whatever happens, you should find something that works for your baby and stick to it.

Why Do I have To Burp My Baby?

Babies take most of their food in liquid form (breast milk or formula). They tend to ingest some air when drinking or even spoon-feeding, and they’re usually unable to relieve that pressure by belching on their own. Trust me, it’s better to get this gas up and out the way it came in. Bubbles in the tummy are often the reason that a baby won’t sleep. If air bubbles get into the digestive tract, your baby can be painfully uncomfortable for hours. So help your baby out, and give him a little pat on the back. He’ll sleep better for it.

If you have a gassy or fussy baby, see our article on 5 things to do when baby has gas.

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Baby sleep problems Periodic Table of Baby SLeep Train baby to sleep through the night Best Baby Mobiles
Baby sleep problems takes you through the most common sleep issues and how to address them. The periodic table of baby sleep has all the essential elements for healthy baby sleep habits. Visit our sleep training section for strategies and tips for teaching your baby to sleep through the night. The best crib mobiles in musical, black/white, and organic categories.

Soothe Your Baby Back to Sleep

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soothing baby back to sleep

Credit: Flickr user peasap

Sometimes your baby will wake up in the middle of the night when he or she normally would sleep right through. The same thing can happen at nap time. There’s no need to panic! This is not as disastrous as it seems.

My twins often wake up in the midst of a sleep cycle; nine times out of ten, I can soothe them back to sleep within a few minutes. Do it right, and your properly soothed infant will probably sleep for hours more.

Do it wrong, however, and you’re dealing with a stressed baby that’s now completely off his regular sleep schedule. Here are some tips for soothing your baby back to sleep.

baby moon night light

Night Light

1. Count to Ten

If you can, wait ten or twenty seconds before entering your baby’s room. Sometimes they fuss a little, and then go right back to sleep. Of course, you might not have this luxury if there are other sleeping children in the room (as in twins) or down the hall.

2. Skip the Grand Entrance

The worst thing you can do when a baby wakes up suddenly is barge in, throw on all the lights, and pick him right up. I find that the best soothing takes place in the dark and in the quiet, with as few stimuli as possible. Slip into the room, get the baby comforted, and slip out again.

3. Keep the Baby Close

If your baby wakes up in the middle of the night and you want to soothe him or her quickly, think about getting a mini crib or bassinet and keeping it in your room. That way you can reach out and calm your baby back to sleep without even getting out of bed.

Soothing Cute Baby with Pacifier

4. Install a night light or small lamp

Make sure it’s within easy reach. This will give you enough light to see by but without over-stimulating the infant. It’s a handy way to help you (1) hunt down missing pacifiers, and (2) not wipe out on heavy pieces of furniture.

5. Find and re-insert the pacifier.

Half the time I can’t find the one that the baby went to bed with, so I keep one at each end of the crib and another on a nearby nightstand. You can’t ever have too many pacifiers. See also our review of the best baby pacifiers.

Pink MAM pacifiers

6. Touch your baby and quietly reassure him.

I usually stroke his head, very gently, and tuck the Aden+Anais blanket back down around him. Much of the time, this is all I have to do, and the baby goes right back to sleep.

7. Pick your baby up

Do this only if the previous two things don’t work. It’s far easier to get a baby back to sleep when he’s already in bed. Often your presence alone is enough.

8. Rock your baby.

If you have a rocking chair in the room, which I recommend, use it now. Sometimes my boys don’t care for the motion of the rocker and I have to stand up to rock them. Either way, find a position and motion that gets your baby calm.

9. Keep the pacifier in

unless your baby actively pushes it out. Sometimes the baby will turn his head back and forth against you, losing the pacifier in the process. This doesn’t mean he doesn’t want it, he’s just stressed. If he doesn’t want the pacifier, he’ll push it out with his tongue and rear back when you try to put it back in. Invest in good pacifiers so that this isn’t an issue.

10. Put the baby to your shoulder and pat his back.

Just like you’re burping him. Sometimes this will even produce a belch, which was likely what roused him. You need to address gas (ideally before putting baby to bed), because a gassy baby won’t sleep.
Try humming, singing, or a music box. The effectiveness of these varies substantially between infants, but if it’s something your baby likes (and has been comforted by in the past), do it. See my review of soothers and sound machines for baby’s room.

Still Struggling?

soothing sound machine

Graco Sound Machine

If you’ve tried all of the above and your baby’s still crying, something is probably wrong. We’re beyond soothing at this point: you need to find the problem and fix it. I have an entire post breaking down the reasons a baby won’t sleep. Usually, I like to start with a diaper check. This is something you can fix (change) right there and in relative quiet, without waking your baby up too much. Never underestimate the importance of diapers for sleeping.

Over time, you’ll learn to recognize the signals your infant gives you. Nuzzling at you and slurping heavily on the pacifier usually means hunger. A baby that arches his back and cries in apparent discomfort probably has gas or digestive discomfort. Find the problem, fix it, rock your baby a little bit, and put him back to bed. You can often do it in less than five minutes.

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Best baby pacifiers Baby sleep problems Periodic Table of Baby SLeep Get baby to sleep through the night
Best Baby Pacifiers has our recommendations for newborns, older babies, and teething infants. Baby sleep problems takes you through the most common sleep issues and how to address them. The periodic table of baby sleep has all the essential elements for healthy baby sleep habits. Visit our sleep training section for strategies and tips for teaching your baby to sleep through the night.

Back to Sleep Safety Guidelines

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Baby sleep safety tipsBack To Sleep is a public education campaign started in 1994 to combat the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The central recommendation, the one for which the campaign was named, was that babies be put on their backs to sleep (not their stomach or side). This has been proven to reduce the risk of SIDS. Since the campaign began, SIDS death rates have dropped by 50% (see figure).

Sleep Safety Guidelines

In late 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released updated guidelines for promoting safe sleep for babies. These are recommendations made by pediatricians to reduce the risk of SIDS. Though their list is extensive (and backed up with a lot of research), I’ve boiled it down to the essential baby sleep safety tips.

Baby Death Rates Since Back To Sleep

Effect of the Back To Sleep Campaign

Put your baby on his or her back to sleep every time

Infants should be placed in a “supine” position — completely on their backs — to sleep. This should be done every time the baby goes to bed (including naps) and continued until 1 year of age.

Some parents worry that doing so increases the risk of choking, but this is not the case. Babies have protective airway mechanisms to prevent this. Even with babies that have reflux should be put on their backs to sleep.

Use a firm [flat] sleep surface

Ideally, a firm mattress covered by a fitted sheet. The AAP recommends that a crib conforming to ASTM safety standards be used. Check to make sure that your crib or mattress hasn’t been recalled. The mattress should be sized to fit your baby’s crib (see our list of the best baby crib mattresses). Importantly, don’t put your baby in a crib with missing parts, and don’t try to fix a broken crib yourself.

Also, make sure the crib or bassinet is placed in a safe location, away from electrical cords, mini-blind cords, etc. (see our article on 5 dangers near your baby’s crib). Sitting devices, such as car seats, strollers, and swings, are not recommended for routine sleep. This is especially important for babies younger than 4 months of age, as partially-upright positions might cause their airway to become obstructed.

Sleep in the same room, but not the same bed, as your baby

Under no circumstances should your baby sleep in bed with you. Doing so exploses them to lots of suffocation and strangulation hazards, including pillows, loose blankets, sheets, and the bodies of the parents. This is a real danger. Also, it’s recommended that the mini crib or bassinet be put in the parents’ room near their bed so that they can monitor and comfort the baby overnight. There are now baby monitors that detect sound and movement to help you monitor your infant when you’re out of the room.

Keep soft objects and loose bedding out of the crib

Your baby’s bed should have three things in it: a mattress, a fitted sheet, and the baby. No pillows, no soft cushy toys, no sheepskins, no loose bedding of any kind. It’s OK to swaddle or put him in a baby sleep sack, but loose blankets are not recommended. Crib bumpers and bumper pads should not be used. These increase the risk of suffocation, entrapment, and strangulation. Don’t worry that your baby will injure himself on the bars of the crib – he won’t. Throw those bumpers away.

Offer a pacifier at nap time and bedtime

Though the mechanism is unclear, the use of a pacifier is associated with reduced risk of SIDS. My personal suggestion is to keep two or three of your best baby pacifiers in the crib so that you can find one when you need it, even in the dark. The AAP says that you should put it in when you put the baby to bed, but you don’t need to re-insert it if the pacifier falls out while your baby is asleep; the protective effect continues even if the pacifier isn’t in the infant’s mouth. For breastfed babies, the pacifier should not be introduced until 3-4 weeks of age to avoid nipple confusion.
Soothie Baby Pacifier

Avoid Overheating the Baby

Your infant should be dressed appropriately for the environment, with no more than 1 layer of clothing on than an adult would wear comfortably. Check your baby for signs of overheating — perspiration or feeling hot to the touch — and address them immediately, even if the baby’s asleep. See also our guide to what a newborn should sleep in.

Breastfeed your baby

The AAP recommends that you breastfeed your baby, feeding only breast milk (directly or expressed) until 6 months of age. There is a protective effect against SIDS for breastfed babies. Exclusive breastfeeding is best, but some breastfeeding is better than none at all. If you’re having trouble, consider a quality breast pump so that you can store and feed expressed milk.

 Safe baby breast pump
Medela Breast Pump

Do not use home breathing/heart rate monitors

This one surprised me. The AAP recommends against using home cardiorespiratory monitors, the kind that detect apnea (pauses in breathing while sleeping), brachycardia (heart rate drops) and/or blood hemoglobin oxygenation. There is no evidence that these decrease the incidence of SIDS.  While there may be some values for certain infants (preemies?), monitors should not be used routinely.

I did not see any specific recommendations against using a baby movement monitor like the Snuza Halo. See our review article for some good options.

You may have seen baby sleep positioners, crib ramps, or other products claiming to reduce the risk of SIDS. The AAP found no evidence that these were effective and recommends against them. For more, see my post on the myth of baby sleep positioners.

Pregnant women should receive regular prenatal care

According to the AAP, there is “substantial evidence” that women who have prenatal care are less likely to have a baby that dies from SIDS.

Avoid smoke exposure during pregnancy and after birth

Smoking should absolutely be avoided by the mother, during pregnancy and after birth. Also, you should minimize your baby’s exposure to smoke from other people, including relatives and friends. Smoke lingers in hair and clothing; people who smoke should generally not be near (and certainly not holding) your baby. Also, smoking combined with co-sleeping creates a high risk for SIDS.

It’s just selfish to smoke around a baby.

Avoid alcohol and illicit drug use during pregnancy and after birth

Alcohol taken during pregnancy endangers a fetus. You should know this already. After birth, alcohol should be avoided because it impairs your judgment and dexterity, which could prevent you from caring for your infant. Alcohol and/or drug use in combination with co-sleeping creates a particularly high risk for SIDS.

My question to the AAP: shouldn’t illicit drug use be avoided at ALL times?

What To Read Next

Baby sleep problems Periodic Table of Baby SLeep Train baby to sleep through the night Essential Baby Sleep Gear
Baby sleep problems takes you through the most common sleep issues and how to address them. The periodic table of baby sleep has all the essential elements for healthy baby sleep habits. Visit our sleep training section for strategies and tips for teaching your baby to sleep through the night. Check out our reviews of Essential baby gear for helping babies sleep at night.

Getting A Sick Baby To Sleep

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getting sick baby to sleepSick babies often won’t sleep. When your baby is sick, all of those good sleeping habits seem to go out the window. Even babies that have been sleeping through the night for months suddenly have trouble falling asleep or wake up periodically at night. It’s especially frustrating for the parents, because we know our little one is suffering but feel powerless to help.

In this article we’ll talk about how being sick disrupts a baby’s sleep habits, and what you can do about it.
Contents:
1. How to tell when your baby is sick
2. Why sick babies won’t sleep
3. Help a sick baby sleep

Signs that your baby is sick

Most of the symptoms of a sick baby are pretty obvious, but it’s a bit harder because they can’t communicate with you. Here are the signs that your baby is falling ill:

  • Runny nose. This is the classic symptom, the one you often notice first. Keep lots of tissues handy and wipe whenever you can. The moistened Boogie Wipes are good for this.
  • Coughing and sneezing. This is another symptom, and one that can linger long after your child has otherwise recovered. Fair warning: infants have absolutely no concept of covering the mouth or turning away. They will literally cough into your open mouth if you’re not careful!
  • Congestion. You notice this primarily in two ways. First, you hear it when they breathe. Second, you notice that they have to spit out the bottle or pacifier to breathe because their nasal passages are clogged.
  • Fever. The most measurable and definitive symptom that your baby is sick is a consistent fever above 100.3 degrees (F). It’s tough to measure a baby’s temperature accurately using crappy little baby thermometers, so I highly recommend one of the no-touch infrared thermometers; they cost around $30.

Why sick babies won’t sleep

The reasons babies have trouble sleeping are similar to the problems that we grown-ups encounter, with some additions:

  1. Trouble breathing. This is mostly due to congestion, and it gets in the way of keeping the pacifier in.
  2. Can’t eat enough. A sore throat, irritability, loss of appetite, or all three keeps the baby from eating enough.
  3. Coughing. This can wake the baby up or prevent him or her from falling asleep.
  4. Fatigue. You’d think this would help the baby sleep, and sometimes it does. Other times they’re overtired and too fussy to go to sleep.

Helping a sick baby sleep

You’re going to need a well-stocked baby medicine cabinet with an arsenal of things to make your baby more comfortable. Stock up now, before the symptoms hit, and you’ll be glad that you did. Here are some specific things to help make your baby more comfortable when sick.

Getting Baby’s Nose Clear

I don’t recommend the blue bulb syringes for trying to clear out baby’s nose. It’s hard to know how deep to push these in, and most of the time you just end up irritating the nose even more. Our pediatrician recommended instead using infant saline drops (such as Little Noses) several times a day: two drops in each nostril before they eat and before they go to sleep. You don’t have to use a syringe to clear it out and the drops won’t sting. We also came to appreciate Boogie Wipes, soft little moistened tissues for gently rubbing the crusties away.

With saline drops you can provide your baby some relief, but let’s be honest, it’s not equivalent to adult blowing his or her nose. Some congestion will remain. It’s time to ask yourself: how far are you willing to go to help your sick baby?

 Saline Drops for Sick Babies
Saline Drops		 Nose Wipes for Sick Babies
Nose Wipes

The Nosefrida Snotsucker

There’s another, more direct option for getting the snot out. Something that has 800+ reviews on Amazon, most of which give it 5 stars. I’m talking about the Nosefrida Snotsucker Nasal Aspirator.

This is a Swedish device that you can use to physically clear out your baby’s nose, not unlike a bulb syringe except you (the parent) provide the suction. In that way it seems a bit safer than other snot-suckers.

Now, this idea probably grosses you out. But is it any worse than being peed, pooped, or spit-up on by your little one? You’ve undoubtedly been through that. So bite the bullet and order this.
Nosefrida Aspirator

Help with Breathing Problems, Coughing, and Sore Throat

The dry, stale air indoors in winter time is a major culprit for breathing problems. You can minimize the problem with a humidifier for the babies’ room. Humidifiers now-a-days come in two forms: warm and cool. I don’t know much about the differences between them, only that cool-air is the newer thing and these tend to be a bit more expensive.

We chose a cool-air humidifier for safety reasons, not just for the babies but for their two-year-old sister. Crane makes a series of small, quiet cool-air humidifiers for children shaped like a penguin, frog, cow, puppy, or half a dozen other animals. They’re cute and have over 3,000 reviews on Amazon, usually a good sign.

 Humidifiers for Sick Baby
Cool Air Humidifier

Dress Your Baby Comfortably

Even if your baby has a fever, you want to dress him or her warm enough (especially for bedtime). Usually a clean diaper, long-sleeve pajamas, and a swaddle or sleep sacket is the winning combination. For a complete guide, see our article on what a newborn should sleep in.

Elevate the Crib Mattress

Second, we elevated one side of the bed so that our babies’ heads were higher than their feet. This helps keep their airways clear of mucous, which is loosened by the saline drops. You can do this the “right” way, by lowering the setting at the foot of the bed (assuming that the crib is already at its highest setting), or you can do this the “easy” way by putting a couple of books or similar sturdy, flat objects under the head of the mattress.

Don’t use baby sleep positioners, ramps, or other after-market products that go in the baby’s crib. They’re not safe, especially for infants! See our article on the myth of baby sleep positioners.

 

Infrared baby thermometerChecking for Fever

You can often tell that your baby has a fever when you pick him or her up, because feverish babies feel unusually warm. It’s best to know if and when your baby has a fever, and just what that fever could be (your pediatrician will probably ask). Taking an unhappy baby’s temperature is an exercise in frustration, particularly when using those crappy little thermometers they give you in the hospital.

Fortunately, there are now reasonably priced infrared baby thermometers that take temperatures quite accurately in just a few seconds. Well worth the investment!

Treat Your Infant’s Fever (if possible)

If your baby has a fever, he’s probably uncomfortable even with a clear nose. And you should be checking for fever on a regular basis. I wouldn’t bother with the cheap plastic digital thermometers… they’re inaccurate, even when you get them to work.

If your pediatrician gives the OK, you can treat your baby’s fever with a number of over-the-counter pain reliever / fever reducer products. These are usually acetaminophen- or ibuprofen-based, in liquid form, often flavored to make your infant take them. Follow the dosage instructions carefully, as these medicines tend to vary in concentration. It goes better if your infant is partly or fully inclined, and somewhat calm. Administering medicine helps if you do it a little bit at the time so that your baby can swallow it. Make sure that you wash the dropper after each dose!

You should also look into the Cold and Flu Season section of Amazon.com. They have everything you could possibly need!
Baby Advil

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With cold and flu season approaching, here are 14 things for baby’s medicine cabinet. The periodic table of baby sleep has all the essential elements for healthy baby sleep habits. Visit our sleep training section for strategies and tips for teaching your baby to sleep through the night. Check out our reviews of Essential baby gear for helping babies sleep at night.

Establishing A Routine for Putting Baby to Bed

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bedtime routines for babyOne of the most important things you can do to help your baby get to sleep is establish a daily routine. You should start this the day your baby comes home from the hospital! A bedtime routine has two parts: a schedule specifying the times of day that you put your baby to bed, and a series of events that you go through every time before doing so. Since our main goal is to get a baby to sleep through the night, we’ll focus on the nighttime routine.

Why Establish a Bedtime Routine?

Establishing a bedtime routine for your baby early on has many, many advantages. It helps you plan your day and evening. It saves time. It helps you to remember to do everything, like put on a night-time diaper. A good routine also teaches your baby that certain events will be followed by him or her going to bed. It’s a subtle reminder that this isn’t just a nap, this is the big sleep overnight. In time, you’ll find that a sleep routine relaxes your baby and prepares him, physically and mentally, to fall asleep. Do it right, and he’ll usually be asleep the moment you put him in bed.

When to Start the Routine

It might surprise you to learn that putting your baby to bed early can help him or her sleep longer. This seems counter-intuitive, I know, but it worked for my boys. It turned out that we were keeping them up until 8:30 or so, and they were ready for bed by 7:30. So start your baby bedtime routine early enough to have your baby ready for bed when the first signs of sleepiness show. See Benefits of an Early Bedtime for details.

Elements of A Baby’s Bedtime Routine

Here are the seven basic steps that you’ll probably follow when putting your baby to bed at night.

  1. Bath
  2. Bottle and Feeding
  3. Burping
  4. Clean Diaper
  5. Sleeping Clothes
  6. Rocking and/or Soothing
  7. Pacifier
  8. Room and Bed

Bath

This is optional, but a bath is a wonderful way to get your baby clean and relaxed. Make sure the water is the right temperature. If you use a little cloth-covered baby holder in the bathtub, splash it with warm water right before you put the baby in. If these things get wet, they become chilly and your baby won’t like it.

See our article on 7 steps to the perfect baby bath.

Baby bath routine

Baby Bathtub

Feeding

Your goal is to get the baby to eat as much as is comfortably possible. For most babies, the amount of food ingested is directly related to how long they’ll sleep afterward. For newborns, this is milk. If you’re not nursing, make sure the milk is nice and warm. Not lukewarm, but body-temperature warm.

As soon as you can give your baby cereal, make that a part of the nightly routine. If your baby is old enough to start solid food, give that around dinnertime. Let it sit a bit, and then follow with a bottle.  See my post on nighttime feeding for more.

Baby feeding routine

Baby Cereal

Burping

You will need to burp your baby thoroughly, to help prevent gas discomfort and nighttime spit-ups. Do this after solid food, too, since even spoon-fed babies can get bubbles in the tummy.

If you’re having trouble getting a burp, or your infant seems to have some discomfort, see my post on helping babies with gas.

Diaper

The importance of diapers for sleep is something you might not fully appreciate. Usually, changing a baby right before feeding and burping is just fine, as long as it’s not noticeably wet or dirty.

If you find that your baby often wakes up with a very wet diaper, look into Huggies Overnites. These have extra padding to wick away more moisture during the longer sleeping hours. We used them from size 3 to size 5.

Overnight Diapers

Clothes

You should always change your baby into fresh clothes before bed, ideally nice soft pajamas with covered feet and long sleeves. Don’t put the baby to bed in day clothes. I highly recommend that you swaddle a newborn. If you aren’t going to swaddle, use a baby sleep sack or sleeping bag keeping him warm and snug. Avoid overheating your baby! At most, infants should have one more layer on than an adult might to feel comfortable. See my guide to what a newborn should sleep in.

Sleep Sack

Rocking and/or Soothing

This is the winding-down time just before you put the baby to bed. Rocking the baby in your arms or a rocking chair is a great soothing technique. You might also try reading to your baby, a great habit to get into.

See our list of favorite baby bedtime books for some suggestions of short but soothing night-night reads.

Favorite Baby bedtime books

Bedtime book

Pacifier

A good, clean pacifier should be part of the routine. Keep a couple of extras in the bed in case you need to find one in the dark. I was surprised to learn that pacifiers are recommended by pediatricians to protect against SIDS.

Once your baby is asleep, you don’t have to stick the pacifier back in if it falls out. See also our recommendations of the best baby pacifiers.

Pacifier

 Room and Bed

The room should be dark, with the possible exception of a night light. The bed should be empty of extraneous blankets, stuffed animals, clothes, etc. Turn on a soother or sound machine to help your baby relax.

Put him in, make sure his blanket is secure, and leave the room. Note, it’s advisable that you put your baby to bed while he or she is still awake. This teaches your baby to soothe himself to sleep, so that he can fall asleep on his own.

Portable Nightlight

It is critical that you set a pattern and stick to it as much as possible. The bath-bottle-bed routine is a classic, and it works because it trains your baby that when those things are done, it’s time to go to sleep. Once the baby is settled and asleep, it’s probably a good time to hit the sack yourself. You hear this bit of advice over and over: when they sleep, you sleep.

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Choosing a Night Light for Baby

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choosing a night light for babySome say the room should be totally dark when the baby goes to sleep. For newborns that fall asleep on their own anyway, this is perfectly reasonable. As babies get older, the process of going to sleep becomes less automatic. Teaching your baby to fall asleep by himself or herself is important to do at a young age. To succeed, you should make everything as routine as possible – sleeping on a set schedule, in an environment that’s always the same. This means putting the baby to bed in the same bed, facing the same direction, in a room with constant temperature.

Contents:
Should my baby have a night light?
Choosing a night light
Projection Night Lights
Portable Night Lights
Basic Wall Night Lights

Should My Baby Have A Night Light?

Controlling the level of darkness in the room matters as well – at night, it’s easy to keep a room pitch-black, but this has some disadvantages: first, you end up stumbling into everything and possibly poking your baby in the eye because you can’t see. Second, if your baby’s room has windows, the room will generally be lighter during the day even with shades and curtains drawn.

Using a night light in your baby’s room can offer several advantages:

  • It helps the parents see better in the dark so that they can get around
  • It can provide a more consistent level of light (and sound) for your baby at bedtime
  • It offers a comfort to babies who don’t like falling asleep in total darkness.
  • Fancier nightlights that change colors, play music, and project lights on the ceiling keep your baby entertained while he’s in bed.

Choosing a Night Light for Baby

As with most baby products, there are hundreds of products available. Choosing the best night light for a baby’s room depends on a number of factors: the size, the brightness, the availability of an outlet, the cost, etc. Here’s a selection of night lights of various kinds, from the basic to the fancy-pants models.

Projection Night Lights

The latest night lights do more than simply glow – they project lighted shapes or designs on the ceiling.
These are all the rage right now. One of the more popular ones is a turtle that projects a constellation
of stars up on the ceiling (he also comes as a sea turtle or ladybug). Undoubtedly these use a bit more
electricity, but they provide relatively safe and passive entertainment for your baby before he falls asleep.

twilight turtle night light for baby Twilight Turtle Starry Constellation Night Light
This turtle night light projects a complete starry night sky to the ceiling of your baby’s room in blue, amber, and green light. Embedded in the star patterns are eight actual constellations including the Big Dipper. It has a 45-minute auto-shutoff and runs on three AAA batteries (included).This night light plays music for up to half an hour as well. In 2013 this was the #1 selling baby item on Amazon. It’s also available in sea turtle and lady bug forms. We love it so much that we have a whole article on starry night night lights.
twilight turtle night light for baby Summer Infant Slumber Buddies Elephant
Since virtually everyone seems to have the Twilight Turtle, I went looking for a different. I found this adorable elephant “Slumber Buddy” from Summer Infant. It has all the features of the turtle — the projected stars in different colors, a 5-10-15 minute timer, 5 different melodies, etc. — but it costs about half as much and you can buy it at Amazon.com.
Fisher-Price Zoo Crib’N Go Projector Soother
This combination projection night light, music player, and crib mirror attaches to the side of your baby’s crib. In soother mode, it projects a night light image on the wall that changes between two different scenes, and plays music for 18 minutes (classical music or lullaby).Alternatively, you can remove the projection partand it’s a crib mirror for your baby to look at and play with.
baby projection night lightbaby projection night light Homedics Soundspa LullabyHomedics projection night light
We have this night light, which has about three hundred reviews on Amazon. It creates a soothing environment for your baby to go to sleep, complete with a gently-rotating image projection (3 different options) and sound (heartbeat, ocean surf, rainforest, or one of three lullabies). There’s an automatic shutoff timer that’s easy to use; you can set it for 15, 30, or 45 minutes.Our twins and their 2-year old sister loved the image projection. Unfortunately, we’ve had to exchange it because the projection rotation feature stopped working; this seems to be a common issue. When it works, though, this is a bright, entertaining night light.
projection night light mobile Fisher Price 2-in-1 Projection Mobile
This is a combination music box, mobile, and projection night light. The mobile has four little stuffed animals (a teal whale, white polar bear, green alligator, and yellow lion). You can remove the mobile part and just use it as a music box that projects to the ceiling.It takes two AAA batteries and includes a remote control. There are three different music settings as well: classical music, ocean white noise, or heartbeat/womb white noise.

Portable Night Lights

Portable night lights offer another option – these are either rechargeable or run on batteries. The main advantage is that they’re generally baby-safe and you can take them with you on trips or in the car. Kinderglo makes a series of rechargeable ones that are BPA-free and safe to touch. There are also numerous toys that serve as portable night lights; the Playskool Gloworm is one that lights up and plays a little song whenever the belly is squeezed.

Kinderglo Elephant/Moon Rechargeable Night Lightsportable baby night light
Kinderglo makes a portable night light that runs on rechargeable batteries. They have a single, large button that changes the color to red, green, or blue. These LED night lights are safe to handle and BPA-free; your baby can touch and play with them.There are several designs available including brontosaurusbaby night light dinosaur and quarter moon night lights.
Boon Glo Nightlight with Portable Balls
This modern night light could be right out of a science fiction movie. The powered base has LED lights, which charge the removable balls on top of them so that they glow in the dark. The balls themselves are about the size of a ripe plum and contain no electronics in them; they’re safe to handle and durable enough for a toddler to play with.The default mode is soft bluish-white light, but it has an option to slowly cycle through different colors. This space-age night light will entertain and impress in retro or modern decor nurseries.
gloworm baby sleep doll Playskool Lullaby GlowormPlayskool lullaby gloworm
Our daughter received one of these Playskool Gloworms as a gift, and at first, we didn’t even open it. Turns out, when we got it out of the packaging, she loved it. When you press its belly, the worm’s face lights up (for about 5 seconds) and plays a little song that lasts about 15 seconds.Change it out of demo mode, and it plays some additional songs (including Pachelbel’s Canon in D) which are a bit longer, say 30-40 seconds. The battery life was pretty good and I like that this doll is soft and ultra-portable. We’ve taken it on trips with our daughter; she’ll press it over and over again until she falls asleep.

Basic Wall Night-Lights

Even standard night lights have come a long way in recent years – most of them now use LED lights, which are far more efficient, and the designs are always getting better. The down-side of these lights is that they have to be plugged directly into an outlet, which isn’t always available in a convenient location in baby’s room.

Safe baby night light AmerTac Flat Panel Night Light
Your basic rectangular LED night light, this one in blue. These offer a nice, soft glow but they might be brighter than you’d like for a baby’s room. They’re good for bathrooms or hallways, though. The blue light is soft, and should never burn out (as traditional night-lights used to do).No bells and whistles here; if you plug it in, it turns on. One nice feature is that it’s thin and will be flush against the wall if possible, and thus makes a good outlet cover.
Megabrite LED Color Changing Night Lights
These color-changing LED lights with photo sensor are entertaining for babies and toddlers both. They plug right into the wall and change from red to green to blue to white when you push the botton.The only disadvantage to these is that they draw your toddler’s attention to the outlet, even though they cover it pretty well.

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The best crib mobiles in musical, black/white, and organic categories. If your baby baby won’t sleep, this guide will help you diagnose and fix the problem. With cold and flu season approaching, here are 14 things for baby’s medicine cabinet. Establishing a bedtime routine is a critical for teaching babies to sleep through the night

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Choosing A Night Light for Baby

Nighttime Feeding and Sleep

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nighttime feeding and baby sleepOne of the most important things to get right to help your baby to sleep through the night is the nighttime feeding. In most cases, this is the last time you feed the baby before you go to bed, and how you do it will affect how much sleep you’ll get. For newborns this doesn’t really apply; they eat every two to four hours, so you’re going to be up in the middle of the night regardless.

As time passes, however, the baby’s tummy gets big enough to take more food. More food takes longer to digest, and that means more time until the baby wakes up. In my experience, when it comes to reasons why babies won’t sleep when you want them to, hunger is number one. What you feed your baby at night, and your baby’s age, are two of the principal factors in when babies start sleeping through the night.
Contents:
What to Feed Baby at Night
Nighttime Feeding for Newborns (0-3 months)
Nighttime Feeding for Infants (3-6 months)
Nighttime Feeding for Older Babies (6-18 months)

What to Feed Baby At Night

As you’ve probably noticed with your baby, food and sleep are correlated. The more an infant eats, the longer he generally sleeps. What you feed your baby matters as well. At the newborn stage you don’t have much choice other than breast milk or formula, but once your baby is old enough to start solid food, a baby buffet of options becomes available. Let’s break down your basic baby foods, with their advantages and disadvantages relative to sleeping through the night.

Breast Milk

There are innumerable benefits of breast feeding your newborn. It’s an intimate bonding experience. It saves money. It confers health benefits (such as natural immunity) to your infant. Breast milk digests extremely well, too. This is a plus for diaper changes, but a minus when it comes to sleeping for long hours. On breast milk alone, I think it’s hard for a baby to go longer than 4-5 hours. Also, nursing tends to be more physically demanding than drinking from a bottle, so your baby may tire before drinking his fill.

I am NOT about to suggest that you give formula instead of nursing your baby. I am clarifying here because I get the occasional angry comment or e-mail from someone who gets that wrong impression.

However, If you are one of the many mothers who supplements her newborn’s diet with formula, try to save that for nighttime. You might also consider offering a small bottle after nursing if your baby exhausted the milk supply and still seems hungry.

Infant Formula

Gerber Baby Formula

Baby Formula

No matter what the makers of Similac and Enfamil would have you believe, most baby formulas are quite similar. Mainstream products come in a few different forms:

  • Newborn formula is lower-calorie and designed to be gentle on the stomach. Good for your baby’s tummy, but hard to sleep through the night on.
  • Infant formula is pretty standard. The three main ingredients are nonfat milk, lactose, and vegetable oil. I won’t push you toward one particular brand, and generics are fine too. Just try to stick with one that your baby likes.
  • Gentle formula in various forms is marketed for babies that have reflux or other problems. This stuff is fine, but you should be aware that the number one ingredient is not milk. It’s corn syrup.

See our review of infant formula for some recommendations of pre-mixed and organic formula options.

One thing all baby formulas have in common is that they’re expensive. Like liquid gold. The advantage for sleep, however, is that formula is essentially in unlimited supply, so you can always offer more if your baby seems hungry before bed. It tends to be a bit thicker, too, which may help extend sleep.

Single-grain Cereal

Baby Cereal

Baby Cereal

When your baby is 4-6 months old, you may be told to start offering solid food, usually single-grain cereal. Our pediatrician’s baby guide further specifies that the first solid foods (in order) should be rice cereal, oatmeal cereal, and then barley cereal. See our guide on When to Give Baby Cereal. You generally mix this in a bowl with milk or water, and spoon-feed it to your infant. Start trying it right away, because it will take a few times for your baby to get the hang of eating solid food. Once he or she can eat it, baby cereal is a game changer. Give it before a nap or at dinner, and I can almost guarantee you’ll notice a difference in how long your baby can sleep.

Solid Baby Foods

It’s usually around 6 months that your baby will start eating Gerber-type baby food. You’ll begin with the classics – peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, and apples in unrecognizable smoothie form. I’ve heard from many that you should start with the veggies first, because once your baby tastes fruit, he won’t want anything else. This wasn’t true for my kids; a hungry baby will generally eat what is offered. However, the sweeter foods — fruits, carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes — tend to be of thinner consistency; I highly recommend thickening them with single-grain cereal. This helps the food “hug” the spoon for feeding, and it also offers more calories. See our guide, 6 Tips for Starting Solid Food.

No matter what food or foods you choose to offer, make sure that your baby likes it well enough, and that you’ve plenty in stock for those nighttime feedings.

Nighttime Feeding for Newborns (0-3 months)

Newborn babies have essentially two jobs: eat most of the time, and sleep the rest (16-18 hours a day). You will feed a newborn every two to four hours, but it’s important to stick to that schedule. Feed him as much as he’ll take (pausing to burp every ounce or so), do a last round of burping, and then put him down. One of the worst mistakes you can make is to try and feed your baby every time he cries. Not only does it set a bad precedent, but it shouldn’t be necessary because his tummy should be full. I’m not suggesting that you ignore a baby that’s crying and clearly hungry. But if it’s too soon for a baby to be eating, try soothing with a pacifier or a rocking chair first. When it is time to eat, there are two things you should always strive to do:

  1. Feed the baby until his tummy is full. If he starts to doze off in the middle of nursing or a bottle, wake him gently. Unbutton the onesie for a little cool air if you must. It won’t do you any good if he’s asleep now but awake again (and hungry) in half an hour.
  2. Get the gas out. The digestive system of a newborn is a delicate thing. Every parent knows how unhappy babies get when they have bubbles in their tummies. Address this by burping regularly during the feeding, not just after (see How To Burp A Baby). Many parents swear by the Dr. Brown’s Bottles which are engineered to reduce the air ingested by the baby. We have about a dozen of them. They work.

Nighttime Feeding for Infants (3-6 months)

At the age of three months, most babies can eat enough to last three to six hours before the next feeding. Don’t forget to burp him, because your baby is drinking more milk and doing it faster. Try to burp two or three times during the feeding, and once afterward. Listen for the warning signs of an imminent spit-up: deep gurgling noises, little burps, or grumbles from the stomach.

Establishing a routine is especially important here, because many babies are capable of sleeping for that critical six hours overnight that lets parents get to REM sleep. Try and time the last feeding to coincide with your own bedtime. At the last feeding, offer as much milk as the baby will take. Put in an extra round of burping. Swaddle, put in crib, and hurry to bed yourself.

Nighttime Feeding for Older Babies (6-18 months)

At six months you’ll probably notice an important turning point. For me, the biggest factor was the green-light from the pediatrician on giving the babies rice cereal. Once they start eating solid food, babies sleep longer without waking up to eat. The crucial step is to feed your baby a good and nourishing meal at dinner time. Don’t settle for finishing one container and assuming your baby is full; keep offering food until he’s obviously satisfied. Offering baby cereal in 2 tablespoon increments is good for this.

On Putting Cereal in the Bottle

Pediatricians and nutritionists generally advise against putting cereal in the baby’s bottle. The concerns are that it’s a choking hazard and that it might delay your baby’s learning to eat from a spoon. Even so, I know many parents who do mix a little bit of cereal in the last bottle before bed. We did this for the boys and it made a big difference for sleep, but hasn’t handicapped their ability to eat at all! But that’s my personal experience, and I won’t tell you what to do lest I get more angry e-mails about it (probably from people who don’t remember or know what it was like to have a baby waking up every 2 hours to eat).

If you do choose to try it, only use a teaspoon or two of cereal in a 4-6 ounce bottle. It should still be quite liquid and nowhere near applesauce consistency. Also, make sure to have a level 2 or level 3 nipple because cereal tends to clog.

With a full bottle of warm milk plus cereal, babies at this age sleep eight to 12 hours overnight. If you’re on solid food and still having trouble, see my article on getting a baby to sleep through the night.

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Getting Babies to Sleep

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baby sleepingBabies are supposed to be sleeping most of the time. And yet, getting a baby to sleep is often difficult. The purpose of this site is to help parents get their babies to sleep, and keep them there. As long as possible.

First, some credentials. I have a daughter (age 2) and twin boys (age 7 months). By the age of 5 months, all of them were sleeping through the night. That is, from midnight to 7 a.m. By seven months, they were sleeping from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Believe it or not, this is what pediatricians say your baby should be doing (or at least capable of) by six months of age. The problem of reaching this point is two-fold: first, how to get your baby to sleep. Second, ensuring that he or she sleeps as long as possible.

Part 1: Getting the Baby to Sleep

Getting babies to sleep does not take luck or a certain knack. It takes learned skills and practice of a routine. In my experience, to go to sleep, a baby needs to be:

  1. Well-fed. This is the most important one. A baby’s strongest instinct upon being born is to eat, and if he’s not fed, he’s not going to sleep. Not for long, anyway. See nighttime feeding and sleep.
  2. Clean and dry. In the grand scheme of things, it is worth the extra 45 seconds and $0.24 to put a baby in a fresh diaper, no matter that you changed him half an hour ago. There’s one diaper that will almost certainly help your baby sleep longer. Read about it in the importance of diapers for sleeping.
  3. Burped out. Unresolved bubbles in the tummy will either keep your infant awake, or make him spit up. Neither will help him sleep. See how to burp a baby for some tips.
  4. Warm and snug. This means tightly swaddled in a temperature-controlled room. For newborns, a soft hat is a good idea as well. See my post on what a newborn should sleep in for more.

With these four parts in place, and knowing some soothing techniques, your chances of getting the baby to go sleep are pretty good. But that’s only where the challenge begins.

Part 2: Keeping the Baby Asleep

It doesn’t do you much good to get the baby to sleep if you’re (1) still holding him, or (2) he wakes up fifteen minutes later. Here, a few strategies can help ensure that the baby will stay asleep. Rule number one: put the baby in bed before he falls asleep. This is a common mistake that new parents make – they believe that the baby can only fall asleep in their arms. If you establish and follow a bedtime routine, the baby will fall asleep on his own. Even better if you’re out of the room with the door closed before he drifts off. That leaves less noises that might wake him up.

Most babies can sleep right through a certain amount of noise, particularly if they’re accustomed to it. Case in point: each of my twins will usually keep on snoozing even if his brother is screaming his lungs out. Even so, in the baby’s room, it should be either totally quiet or have a low-level white noise. I’m talking about something that hums, like a baby soother or sound machine.  Not a TV, radio, or anything that beeps.

Next up, pacifier. The hospital-issued Soothie is a popular one. If your baby will take one, keep two or three in the crib so that you can always grab one. Better yet, use a pacifier clip to ensure that one’s always in reach. If a sleeping baby starts to fuss, don’t say a word. Don’t pick him up. Give him his pacifier, tuck the blanket even snugger around him, and tiptoe out of the room. Babies need to learn to soothe themselves, and this is a good way to get them started.

That’s enough to get you started. In subsequent posts, I go into more detail on establishing the routines and keeping the baby comfortable enough that he’ll start logging some real sack time. And when he does, so will you.

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