My Baby Cannot Sleep On Her Own – Tricks To Help Her

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Mom’s Question:

My 7-month-old baby cannot sleep on her own.

I have tried several methods taught by experts:

  1. Leave her alone for 5 minutes then come and see her again.
  2. Stay with her and talk with her when she cries.
  3. Stay at bed with her by telling a story, sing a song
  4. Tap at her shoulder when she started to show signs of tiredness.

The problem is when my baby starts crying with the intention that I will carry her and rock, she will close her eye and cried/scream non stop. She even starts coughing and vomiting. What should I do to make her sleep on her own?

Baby Helpline:

Tips To Make Baby Sleep On Her Own

I’m sorry you’re having difficulty in getting your baby to sleep by herself – I know that it can be very hard to deal with.

There may not be a magical solution – but here are some things I have tried and found useful with my little ones…

  1. First, ensure that she IS really tired and ready to sleep (in other words, don’t try putting her down for naps that she doesn’t really want – some babies just don’t need as many naps as others).
  2. Try putting her to bed with a piece of your clothing that you’ve been wearing during the day – sometimes the ‘smell’ of mom can be reassuring. Do check the item is safe, though – no buttons, ribbons, or loose threads. You could even knot it if it’s a large garment that she could become tangled in.
  3. Be sure to follow the same bedtime routine every day (we do the bath, quiet songs, milk, and bed).
  4. Use a musical crib toy and switch it on every time you put her to bed. I find that it works as a ‘signal’ for sleep and also provides a diversion if the baby is still a little too awake.
  5. See if she has a particular blanket that she really likes. With one of my sons, it took me a while to realize that his tears at sleep time were caused by my putting the wrong blanket on him – there was a particular one he wanted!
  6. Use white noise – we use a box fan at sleep time and it’s both soothing and drowns out the noises all our other children make!
  7. Record your voice, maybe singing softly or talking soothingly and play it back to the baby in her crib.
  8. If all else fails, you could try babywearing. (keeping her attached in a sling so that she will sleep, but you can get on with doing things!).I really hope that one of these suggestions may help. You can find additional baby sleep tips here.Paula

    More Babies That Won’t Sleep Alone

    Find answers and comments below.

    Comments for “My Baby Cannot Sleep On Her Own”
    May 09, 2013 thank you
    by: Diana
    My baby can sleep on her own now without the need of rocking….thank you so much for the help. By the way, are there any tips on reducing her night feed?
    Thank You So Much for the help.
    May 17, 2013 Reduce night feeding
    by: Paula (Baby Help Line)

    Hi again Diana,
    If you have the issue of many night feedings AND you are breastfeeding, let your spouse (or someone that your baby feels very safe with) take care of the night wakings.    If your baby is bottle-fed, just reduce the amount she gets each time every night, until the bottle is empty. Or offer her water instead of the formula; that is enough for some babies to start sleeping through.

    Warm wishes,

    Paula
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