Falling asleep can be difficult, especially when you're a toddler. If your child has trouble falling asleep, here are a few tips to help you get your child to sleep. You can help your child fall asleep on his own by first creating a favorable environment in which he will naturally find the sleep. If you wait for the right moment, usually between your baby's 3 and 6 months, and pay attention to your baby's sleeping environment, he should be able to fall asleep on his own.
Why help baby fall asleep on his own?
Learning to fall asleep on your own is a bit like learning to walk on your own. four legs. If you always hold your child in your arms, he'll never get the chance to discover how to move around on his own. The same goes for sleep! If you always let your child fall asleep on your breast or bottle, or rock him to sleep, he'll never be able to fall asleep on his own.
How can I help my baby fall asleep?
It's important to know that some children need help falling asleep, and that it's important to help them do so. There are various methods that can help your child fall asleep on his own. You can try reading a bedtime story, singing a lullaby or playing soft music. You can also give him something he loves and that reassures him, to help him fall asleep.
Most children need a little help to fall asleep, and that's perfectly normal. There are two things to watch out for:
- Stick to regular bedtimes to regulate your baby's internal clock. This way, he'll feel naturally tired at regular times. Establish a daily sleep ritual so that your baby knows it's time to go to sleep. Choose calm activities such as a warm bath, soft music, a story, a song, a cuddle and a kiss.
- Once this ritual is complete, put your baby down gently in his crib if he's drowsy but not yet asleep. Most babies will fall asleep without any problem. For older babies who are used to falling asleep at the breast or in your arms, repeat the ritual every day until it's well established.
You can proceed in stages. You sit next to his bed on the first night and move further and further away as the evenings go by (one night you stay in the middle of the room, the next night by the door, etc.).
If your baby is used to falling asleep at the breast or with his bottle in his arms, you should gently wake him up before putting him to bed. Or, if you notice that your baby is getting tired while breastfeeding, shorten the feed and start the next feeding. bedtime ritual before putting him to bed.
What can I do if my baby won't go to sleep?
Take a step back and try to understand why. Perhaps he's still too young to calm down on his own. In this case, wait a few days, weeks or even months before trying again. Maybe he's too tired and excited to fall asleep. Try to get him to bed earlier with a calm ritual. Finally, analyze the situation: do you really give him the chance to fall asleep on his own, or do you rush into his room at the slightest noise to comfort him?
If all this sounds difficult, think of the long-term benefits. If your child can fall asleep on his own, he'll be able to rest longer and go back to sleep if he wakes up in the middle of the night. This gives him the calm he needs to grow and develop.
Falling asleep on your own is another important skill that doesn't just help your child go to bed. He also learns to calm down in other situations, such as when you're at work, when you leave the room or when he's in a bad mood.