Baby Tips and Sleep -Nighty-Night

Not all babies are alike

Here are two tips designed to help put a baby to sleep, and I hope; keep him asleep for at least a few hours. I have tried lots of crazy and not so crazy sounding tricks through my years of parenting 12 children. Not all babies are alike. Different tactics will work for individual babies.

Calm and confident

It's also important to remember that one trick might be working for you when all of a sudden; it stops producing the desired result. Be flexible and ready to try something new. On the other hand, an idea that wasn't helpful in the past, might work later. Never say never, and don't give up in despair. If you are calm and confident, your baby will, at some point, respond to your authority.

Rhythm—rocking the baby in a crib, bouncing him with gentleness while he's in the front pack, shaking him in the stroller, patting him on the back, or rocking with him in a rocking chair. I had a swinging bassinet that turned into a swing for when the baby was older and could sit. This was an absolute life saver for me. So much so, that when the mechanism died, I felt I could not manage without buying a new one. I went through three such swinging bassinets during the years my 12 children were infants.

White noise—Some parents find that white noise works like a charm. Another comforting sound for babies is that of an alarm clock. The rhythmic ticking mimics the sound of the mother's heart, tricking the baby into believing you are near. Some of my friends have insisted that having a radio on in the baby's room accustoms the baby to noise and teaches him to sleep through anything. Alas, this never worked for me. For more tips on sleep, click here.