5 Top Tips for What to Do if Your Baby Won’t Sleep in the Bassinet

Sleeping babies are absolutely adorable; we all know that. However, when your baby just won’t settle in their bassinet, you’re likely to be tearing your hair out trying to get them to sleep. This can be especially true as you take on the challenge of returning to work as a new mother. Your baby might be perfectly comfortable resting on you or enjoying daytime fun in their baby swing or on a playmat; but, if they’re up all night after a long, stressful day of work, nobody’s happy. This short article gives practical advice on how to get your baby to sleep in the bassinet, giving you a much needed restful night of sleep as a new working mother.

Tip 1: Swaddling

Feeling like they’re in an open space, alongside their new reflexes, can startle babies into waking up. So, until your baby is around two months old, they can be helped to feel more secure by swaddling.

Tip 2: Darkness

Babies are likely to keep waking up if they’re in a bright room. Try blackout drapes to make the space extra dark. Muted nightlights can still be used if you need to see what you’re doing in the middle of the night, but remember that your baby has been used to darkness for the last nine months.

Tip 3: Temperature

If your baby keeps waking up, check their temperature, as well as the temperature of the room. Many baby monitors now have thermometers built-in, which can really help. If your newborn is too hot or too cold, they’ll struggle to sleep. More importantly, it’s been shown that being too hot is more likely to lead to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) than being too cold, so don’t layer them up too much.

Tip 4: Timing

Try to get your baby into their bassinet as soon as possible as part of the nighttime routine. Having them fall asleep by themselves may be harder to begin with, but it will help massively with getting them to stay asleep through the night. Of course, it’s fine to be feeding or cuddling them before they go to bed. But, when they’re showing signs that they’re sleepy, put them in the bassinet.

Tip 5: Positioning

It’s safer for babies to sleep on their backs rather than their stomachs, as this prevents them from breathing in their own exhaled air that’s full of carbon. You should also avoid wedges or sleep positioners as these present a suffocation risk. If your baby is gassy or showing signs of reflux, they won’t sleep well. If you’ve already tried extra winding, but they’re still uncomfortable, try keeping them upright for around thirty minutes after each feed, especially their bedtime one. This should help to reduce reflux, meaning that they’ll sleep better when you put them down.

Author for guest blog post: Brielle Albert is a writer and digital marketing professional for 4Moms. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree at New York University. Brielle has professional experience in social media marketing and copywriting.

Kimberly DidriksonComment