- When your baby is ready, this will be the cornerstone of helping her learn to independently fall asleep.
- Don’t worry if at this age she may need more help. Some babies may not fully develop the skill of self -soothing independently to sleep until she is at least 4-6 months of age.
- If you want, you can “practice” this step at this age. It may or may not work and that’s ok. Some babies need more soothing than others and it’s more important to respond to their needs than to expect them to learn a skill they may not be capable of doing.
- Avoid letting your baby cry during this experiment (or a least not for more than 5 minutes).
How to put your baby down drowsy but awake:
- When your baby is very sleepy, you can try putting her down once a day (at bedtime after a nice routine is a good time to try this). Your baby may fall asleep after a while or she may fuss.
- If she begins to fuss or cry, you can try to soothe her next to the crib for a few minutes.
- If she begins to cry, then pick her up and soothe her until she is calm and drowsy and try putting her back in her crib again to see if she can do that last piece of falling asleep on her own.
- If she begins to cry again and is unable to settle, pick her up and soothe her to sleep in whatever way works. You can try again at another time or wait a few days
Posted in: Gentle Sleep Strategies