To get the baby to sleep alone in the crib, you need to get the baby used to sleeping alone little by little. To do this, a few steps must be followed each week. Each baby develops from one sleep to the next, and sometimes what works for one doesn’t work for another, so it’s important to be patient during the process.
It is important to clarify that it is recommended that babies under 1 year old sleep in their parents’ room for safety reasons.
There is no appropriate time to make the baby sleep alone in the crib, and this process can begin according to the baby’s needs and the family’s situation. However, it is recommended that the sooner the baby gets used to sleeping alone, the better, as this makes the transition easier.
Steps to teach your baby to sleep alone
Below is a step-by-step guide to teaching your baby to sleep alone:
1. Respect your sleep routine
The first step is to respect your sleep routine, creating habits that must be maintained at the same time, daily, for at least 10 days. For example: The baby can take a bath at 7:30 p.m., have dinner at 8 p.m., breastfeed or take a bottle at 10 p.m., then the father or mother can go to the room with him or her, keeping the light low, in a calm and peaceful environment, which favors sleep and changing diapers and putting on pajamas.
You must be very calm and centered and always speak to the baby softly so that he is not over stimulated and becomes more sleepy. If the baby is used to being held, you can initially follow this routine and put the baby to sleep on your lap.
2. Putting the baby in the crib
After the bedtime routine, instead of holding the baby on your lap to sleep, you should place the baby in the crib and stay next to him, looking at him, singing and rocking the baby so that he is calm and peaceful. . You can even put a small pillow or stuffed animal to sleep with the baby.
It’s important to resist and not pick up your baby if he starts to grumble and cry, but if he cries very intensely for more than 1 minute, you may want to rethink whether it’s time for him to sleep alone or whether you’re going to try later. If this is your option, maintain the sleep routine so that he is always used to it because this way he will feel safer in the room and go to sleep more quickly.
3. Comfort him if he cries, but without taking him out of the crib
If the baby is just mumbling and doesn’t cry for more than 1 minute, you can try to resist not picking him up, but you should stay very close, stroking his back or head, saying ‘xiiiiiii’, for example. This way, the child can calm down and can feel safe and stop crying. However, it is not yet time to leave the room and you should reach this step in approximately 2 weeks.
4. Slowly move away
If you no longer need to hold the baby and if he calms down lying in the crib, just with your presence nearby, you can now move on to the 4th step which consists of gradually moving away. Each day you should move further away from the crib, but this does not mean that you will put the baby to sleep in this 4th step, but that each day you will complete steps 1 to 4.
You can sit in the breastfeeding chair, on the bed next to you or even sit on the floor. The important thing is that the baby is aware of his presence in the room and if he lifts his head he will find you looking at him, and ready to help him, if necessary. This way the child learns to have more confidence and feels safer sleeping without being held.
5. Show security and firmness
With the 4th step, the baby will realize that you are close, but far from his touch and in the 5th step, it is important that he realizes that you are there ready to comfort him, but that you will not pick him up every time he grumbles. or threaten to cry. So, if he still starts to grumble in the crib, while still far away, you can very calmly just say ‘xiiiiiii’ and talk to him very quietly and calmly so that he feels safe.
6. Stay in the room until he falls asleep
Initially you should stay in the room until the baby sleeps, making this a routine that should be followed for a few weeks. Little by little you should move away and one day you should be 3 steps away, the next 6 steps until you can be leaning against the door of the baby’s room. After he sleeps, you can leave the room, quietly so he doesn’t wake up.
You should not leave the room suddenly, nor place the baby in the crib and turn your back to him or not try to comfort the baby when he cries and shows that he needs attention. Babies don’t know how to speak and their greatest form of communication is crying, so when a child cries and no one answers him, he tends to become more insecure and scared, causing him to cry even more.
Therefore, if it is not possible to follow these steps each week, you do not need to feel defeated or angry with the baby. Each child develops differently and sometimes what works for one doesn’t work for another. There are babies who really like to be held and if their parents don’t see a problem with holding the child, there’s no reason to try to separate them if everyone is happy.
7. Avoid stimuli before sleeping
Some stimulants such as television and very loud noises, for example, can make the baby have difficulty sleeping or wake up several times throughout the night. Therefore, it is important to avoid stimuli that could interfere with the baby’s daily sleep routine. See more tips on how to make your baby sleep through the night.
What to do if the baby can’t sleep?
In cases where the baby cannot sleep even after following the tips, you can try to follow the recommendations again after a few weeks, until the baby is more prepared. The idea is that the tips are followed gradually so that it does not cause distress to parents or babies.
In addition, it is recommended to speak to a pediatrician so that the child can be monitored regularly and the need for professional help, such as a child psychologist, can be assessed to obtain other tools that can help the baby sleep alone, if necessary. necessary.
