Getting Newborn to Sleep

Baby J. asleep at last

I know when we first had Baby J. I really could have used some specific instructions on how to get her to sleep. I kind of laugh now when I think of the things I tried. During that first week, I discovered that Baby J. passed out if (while holding her) I walked up and down the stairs. It was great exercise, but it wasn't exactly practical, and I found that on top of being exhausted mentally, I was now completely exhausted physically. We also tried putting her in her vibrating bouncy seat next to the washing machine while it ran; it worked for the hour or so that the machine was going, but after that...and I couldn't exactly run it all the time. While holding her, I would run the vacuum, which usually helped conk her out, but like the washing machine, it wasn't a good solution for every time I needed to get her to sleep. Neither was taking her out in the car for a drive, which although it worked sometimes, it wasn't practical (also, it stopped working when Baby J.'s reflux kicked in; the car only made her feel worse).

So, I'll tell you what I discovered after reading some books and a lot of trial and error. Now, I won't say these simple steps will work with your baby. They might not. They might only work well on Baby J. But if you're like I was, absolutely frustrated that your little one won't sleep, and you're a minute or two from passing out, give this a try. Maybe it'll work.

1. Swaddle your baby. You know how they swaddled the babies in the hospital? You lay your baby down on a blanket, where one corner has been turned down. Then you wrap one side around your baby nice and tight, wrap the bottom up toward the baby, and then wrap the other side over the baby. It keeps them nice and warm. And it prevents them from moving. Newborns get scared, when their limbs are exposed, and they think they're falling. Swaddling the baby takes away that fear, so they can calm down. Think about it, how much sleep could you get if these crazy limbs were going all over the place, and you had no control over them?
2. Put your baby on his/her side. Babies do not like to be put on their backs. Once again, this makes them feel like they're falling. I usually held Baby J. on the nook of my arm, while resting her on her side, so that her head was cradled gently within my elbow. Keep that baby close to your body; newborns get cold easily, and that added warmth makes a big difference. Also, this is a great way to hold your baby when making skin-to-skin contact; another thing your baby needs a lot of.
3. Gently vibrate your baby. The easiest way to do this is while holding the baby, jiggle your leg. You don't have to do much, just enough that the baby feels like she's back in the womb. The gentle jiggling she experiences will probably put her into a more calm mood, if she's upset.
4. Let your baby suck. Either use a pacifier, or like I used to do, use your thumb. Let the baby get into a nice sucking motion. Coupling the sucking with the vibrating is usually enough to put the baby into a sleep right there.
5. Lastly, shush your baby. Gently shush her in a steady, continuous way, sort of like the white noise on a TV set. If you get tired of shushing, play sounds of the ocean on your computer or TV, or tune the radio to a station that doesn't exist. Apparently, when inside the womb, it sounds like a vacuum cleaner to your baby, so they love that white noise. Don't be afraid to get loud. If your baby is screaming/crying really loudly, shush louder than the baby. This will usually knock them out of the screaming fit.

Hope this helps. Let me know how it goes getting those newborns to sleep.

D.