What Do You Do When Your Baby Only Sleeps In Your Arms
If youve tried everything, as in all the solutions and ideas in this post for how to get a newborn to sleep in a bassinet and still youre not winning, then take a break from trying.
Im all for determination and perseverance which you need in buckets to navigate the motherhood journey, particularly early on. But sometimes the feeling that you just have to do something adds to the stress and exhaustion.
Youve probably discovered a few different ways to make the arm/chest sleeping more bearable my favorite was a baby wrap or sling, at least giving me some hand-free time.
So carry on with whatever you need to do and then try again to get baby sleeping in her bassinet.
What To Do If Your Newborn Wont Sleep Unless Held
If your newborn sleeps great while held and not at all when laid down, know that youâre not alone⦠Many newborns wonât sleep unless they are held. It is comforting for a baby in weeks 0-12, the fourth trimester, to be held for sleep. Afterall, they are used to the movement, swaying, coziness and snugness of being in-utero.
If your baby will not sleep unless held, you can absolutely hold them! Chances are, you are reading this blog because your arms are ready for a break, you would like to have a moment to shower and that hot meal is calling your name.
Enter baby-wearing! Wrapping your baby in a sling or using a newborn carrier can be a great, hands-free way to let them nap without feeling trapped on the couch holding a sleeping baby. As Sleeper Teachers, we love the idea of parents having time during the day to care for themselves. Baby-wearing is particularly helpful if you have a baby that wonât sleep unless held in the evening. By the late afternoon, witching hour approaches, overtiredness builds and crying increases which leaves everyone ready for a break.
If babywearing isnât an option in the evening, consider a car ride or walk with your baby in their carseat in order to get a few hands-free moments. Remember that evening naps are trickier, so doing what you can to get baby a nap is more important than how they are napping, as long as they are safe.
The Fourth Trimester Its Effect On Sleep And Babys Ability To Fall Asleep
Wait, fourth trimester I hear you say? Theres widespread belief that newborns would have been better off staying put a little longer in the womb, an extra 3 months in fact. This would allow time for further development, making the transition into the big wide world easier.
During the newborn phase, baby is in need of almost, round-the-clock nourishment and nurturing, as you cant fail to have noticed. So much so that its pretty much an extension of gestation, but outside of the womb. Hence the term fourth trimester coined by well-known pediatrician and author, Dr. Karp.
Looking at the developmental progress a newborn makes during this phase, this seemingly early entry into the world makes life one heck of a challenge for baby, and for mom.
Don’t Miss: How To Interview A Nanny For A Newborn
Place A Familiar Blanket
Do you hold your baby with a blanket? This can give her extra comfort and even a familiar scent while she falls asleep in your arms.
Then, when its time to put her down in the bassinet, place the blanket on top of her body to help her adjust to her new sleeping arrangement. Infants shouldnt sleep with a blanket because of a risk of SIDS, especially unsupervised. So, when shes finally settled in and sleeping well, you can then gradually remove the blanket.
This tip only works during the day for nap time when youre awake long enough to remove the blanket. But this can be a great way to ease her out of your arms and into the bassinet for naps.
Its Safer For Your Baby
Itâs important that babies sleep in their bassinet so that they have a safe sleep space. According to the CDCâs safe sleep guidelines, babies should sleep in the bassinet or crib rather than in bed with their parents. This recommendation is based on research that shows that babies who sleep in the same bed with their parents are at a higher risk for SIDS.
Also Check: Why Does My Newborn Breathe So Hard
How To Get Your Overtired Newborn To Sleep In The Bassinet
Newborn babies are VERY easily overstimulated and VERY quickly overtired. When we have a group of people over to visit, or keep baby up too long, the risk of passing the point of exhaustion is high. For this reason alone, preserve some quiet time for you and baby, even if you have guests!
To prevent overtiredness and help your newborn sleep without having to be held, pay attention to the amount of time they are awake between sleep periods. Developmentally most newborns are able to stay awake between 45 and 90 minutes. The lower end of this range is primarily used before 6 weeks and the length of time awake stretches with each of the following weeks.
If you are curious about wake windows, check out this post and snag your free wake window guide so you can learn more.
Due to underdeveloped fine and gross motor skills, newborn babies cannot easily show us when they are tired, so sleepy cues are often missing or show up long after baby is sleepy. This is why wake windows are important if you want to learn how to get your baby to sleep in a crib.
If you are finding yourself in a cycle of short naps and small feeds, it can be helpful to break this cycle in order to prevent overtiredness. Depending on the advice from your pediatrician, most babies need to eat about every 2-3 hours during the day to get enough daytime calories. This means that if feeds are happening more frequently, they are likely overlapping with sleep.
Yes I Want More Sleep
If you need a helping hand with tackling your babys sleep, then check out our Pediatrician-recommended App.
As you can see there are a lot of potential causes that could be making it difficult for your baby to sleep in their bassinet. Our Little Ones App can help to rule out some of these causes and guide your baby to better sleep.
Now that we have identified the potential reasons your baby won’t sleep in their bassinet, let’s look at what we can do to help your baby to fall asleep…
Recommended Reading: Is It Hard To Adopt A Newborn
Baby Wont Sleep In The Bassinet Becausetheyre Uncomfortable
Babies cant adjust to temperature changes as well as adults, which means they can overheat or catch a chill easily. So, if Babys room is too hot or too coldor if they arent dressed for the climatesleep is not only difficult, its dangerous. Research has shown that thick pjs, too many layers, and high room temperatures increase a babys risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome .
How To Get Your Newborn Baby To Sleep In The Bassinet
To start, be sure that your baby is comfortable. You want to be sure that they have been fed, changed and are dressed in an appropriate number of layers based on the temperature of their sleep space.
Next, consider swaddling them to prevent their underdeveloped reflexes from startling them awake. Properly fit swaddles are key for helping some newborns to remain comfortable in their independent sleep space. This swaddle bag by Kyte Baby is great because it can transition into a non-swaddled Sleep Bag once baby is able to roll. It also has a zipper at the bottom which helps with middle of the night diaper changes.
Keep working on swaddling if your babe struggles to sleep in their bassinet. It may take time!
When practicing bassinet naps, try to lay them in their bassinet in the morning rather than waiting until the afternoon or evening. As the day goes on, it is more likely that your baby is overtired. Believe it or not, overtiredness actually makes it harder for a newborn to sleep. When a newborn is overtired it will be even more likely that your newborn wonât sleep in a bassinet.
Don’t Miss: How To Clear Newborn Reflux Congestion
Is It Ok To Leave A Newborn In The Bassinet Awake
Absolutely. Not while you go to the shops of course, but this is an ideal opportunity for baby to become more familiar with the bassinet, This also allows babys own smell to linger inside, since newborns are soothed and calmed by their own smell.
Once baby is awake for short periods outside of eating, the bassinet is an ideal place to let baby stretch and kick her legs or try a few minutes of tummy time, while youre close by.
How We Chose Our Best Bassinets
We asked thousands of real Babylist families about the baby products they love the most, then took the top bassinets they shared with us and added our own research and insight. We think you and your little one will love at least one of these items too.
Do you think this content is helpful? Let our editors know!
Best Bedside Bassinet
Don’t Miss: How Much Is A Newborn Photography Session
Dim The Lights Around The Bassinet
Ideally, babies can sleep anywhere at any time.
But when it comes to trying to teach them that bassinets are for sleeping, sometimes you need to pull out the royal treatment.
Thus, darken the room and put a soft, adjustable light in a corner that wont fall directly on the bassinet to help you see when in the room.
Baby Wont Sleep In The Bassinet Becauseits Too Quiet Or Too Loud
Most babies dont like silence and they dont like inconsistent and sudden sounds when theyre trying to sleep. Since it was pretty noisy in the womb, your little one is simply not used to a quiet sleeping environment. Plus, unexpected noises, like a passing truck or dog barking, can easily wake your baby when theyre in a light sleep phasewhich occurs every 45 to 50 minutes or so.
Don’t Miss: A Must Have For Newborn
When To Stop Using A Crib
Along with asking when to start using a crib, parents also wonder how long babies sleep in cribs. Thereâs no standard age for outgrowing a crib and switching to a bed, as all children grow at different rates. Consider the following to determine when to stop using a crib for your child:
-
Check the manufacturer’s guidelines when you buy your crib, as there may be a maximum height, weight, or age limit.
-
To ensure the crib is safe during both babyhood and toddlerhood, youâll need to lower the mattress height from time to time. This will prohibit your toddler from climbing out or falling over the rails.
Before your child gets to the point where they can climb out of the crib, even with the mattress at the lowest setting, itâs a good idea to transition to a toddler bed. Some of the best baby cribs can transition to beds for toddlers, older children, and teens.If you’re planning to install toddler bed rails, know that some parents prefer to place a second mattress next to the bed to soften the fall should their toddler or preschooler roll out accidentally .Some parents also choose to transition their toddler to a bed once they are expecting another baby, as the crib is needed for the newborn. In this case, making the switch at least six to eight weeks before the new baby is due is a good plan that way, your toddler is adjusting to only one big change at a time.
How To Set A Bedtime Routine For Babies
The most important thing about establishing a bedtime routine for your baby is to stick with it. If you start to let your baby stay up later than usual a few times, the whole routine is going to collapse and it might take a while to get back on track.
After the babys bath, you should have a warm bottle, your babys jammies, a favorite toy, a prayer, and a story, and these should all happen in that order. How To Get Baby To Sleep Without Bottle
If you dont stick with the order all the time, your baby might not associate these things with bedtime. Your baby will learn that the routine is part of the bedtime process, and this might help her to sleep better for you.
If you miss a night, dont worry about it too much, but try to get back on a schedule as soon as possible.
The bedtime routine is an important Baby schedule to develop, as it is a signal for your baby that it is time for sleep.
A bedtime routine is a must for babies, because it helps them to understand what is happening, and it helps to know what is coming.
Creating a bedtime routine helps a baby to know that it will soon be time to go to sleep, and when the parents say goodnight, it is time to sleep.
It is important that the parents are consistent with putting the baby to sleep and follow the same routine every night.
If the parents can sing a song, or say the same story at bedtime, the baby learns that this is what happens at bedtime.
Recommended Reading: When Can I Give My Newborn Cereal
Swaddling: The Best Way To Help Baby Sleep
We all know the benefits of swaddling for our kids. But, today, most parents avoid swaddling, and this affects their kids in many ways. But, the thing that it impacts the most is the sleep of your kid. Swaddling allows your kid to avoid startle reflexes and be colicky.
It clearly means that with swaddling, you can guarantee peaceful sleep to your kids. Therefore, for making a kid sleep in the bassinet, swaddling is the best tool a parent will ever have.
Why Infants Dont Sleep In A Bassinet
For new parents, getting their baby to sleep is tricky, let alone have him sleep in a bassinet. Most newborns prefer being swaddled and fall asleep in the warmth and comfort of their mothers arms. Bassinets come nowhere close to offering the same comfort. Also, babies are light sleepers who wake often, even when parents put them in the bassinet after swaddling them for almost an hour, the babies begin to cry as soon as they are disturbed.
Recommended Reading: What Do We Need For Newborn Baby
First Things First: Adjust For Prematurity
Your babys sleep typically matures week by week based on your estimated due date. If your baby was born before due date, youll want to be sure to adjust for that. For example, if your baby was born 2 weeks before due date, when your baby is 7 weeks old, she is considered only 5 weeks old in terms of sleep development. If your baby was born post due date its possible shell be a little precocious in her sleep development, but in a situation like that we suggest calculating sleep age from BIRTH date. In other words, when it comes to due dates and birth dates use the date that came later to figure out your babys sleep age.
When your baby reaches approximately 6 months you can stop adjusting.
Allow other caregivers to soothe your baby and offer a variety of soothing if possible.
How To Get A Baby To Sleep In A Bassinet
Sharing is caring! If you love this post, please share!
Any new parent can tell you how physically and mentally exhausting the first few weeks home with a newborn can be. Struggling to get baby to sleep can make things even more challenging. Wondering how to get baby to sleep in a bassinet? Read on for 12 tips from real moms!
The first few couple of weeks home with a newborn baby are filled with so many truly wonderful moments. One of the ones that remains not so wonderful though for new parents are those middle of the night moments when youre desperately trying to get your baby to sleep in their bassinet and they firmly are fighting against you.
Whether this is your first baby or your fifth, newborn sleep is challenging. If youre struggling, please know youre not alone!
When youre struggling to get your baby to sleep on their own in the middle of the night, it can feel really tempting to let your baby fall asleep in your arms. How can you say no to that sweet face and snuggles?
But when it comes to sleep, you want to keep safety at the front of your mind. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics safe sleep guidelines, the safest place for your baby to sleep is on a firm, flat surface in their own sleep space, like the firm mattress in babys crib or bassinet. This safe sleep guideline helps to reduce the risks of SIDS
Also Check: How Often Do I Feed My Newborn
How Do You Calm An Overtired Newborn Baby
This ones a toughie because overtiredness brings big tears. Not only will your baby be almost inconsolable, but harder and harder to settle to sleep the longer she stays awake. This is due to cortisol flooding your little ones body in an attempt to help them stay awake when they actually need to sleep.
More on this and how to avoid overtiredness here: Baby fighting sleep? Overtired baby alert! 3 tactics to prevent overtiredness that really work
When baby is fussy and overtired, you want to initiate the calming reflex check out #4 in the list above.
For more ideas on how to soothe and calm a fussy baby check out: Baby wont stop fussing or crying? 7 winning strategies to calm and soothe