How to put your baby to sleep in 5 minutes: rules and tips

Undoubtedly, for a child’s emotional and physical health it is very important to have a good sound sleep. A newborn sleeps a large amount of time, so his body adapts to new conditions. Over time, the baby is awake more and more and it becomes more difficult for him to fall asleep. The reason for this lies in the functioning of the nervous system. The child still does not know how to disconnect attention from internal and external stimuli, as well as relax. Therefore, a lot of both traditional and author's techniques have been developed to help parents, which will help them in the fight against night wakefulness.

How easy is it to put your baby to sleep in 5 minutes?

Sleep preparation should begin at the same time every day. In addition, it is necessary to take into account some points:

• Good indoor climate. The optimum temperature during the day is 22-23ºC, and at night 18-20ºC. Humidity is approximately 70%.
• Compliance with the regime of the day, while between the last hour of daytime sleep and the start of preparation for the night should take about four hours.
• Soft pajamas made from natural materials without rough seams.
• The absence of strangers, the usual room, the familiar atmosphere and the same bed.
• 3a an hour and a half before bedtime, turn off the TV and stop noisy games. It is best at this time to take a walk in the fresh air.
• The child should not go to bed overfed or hungry.
• Soothing treatments: take a warm bath, do a light massage, sing a lullaby or read a fairy tale, etc.

Traditional methods

Motion sickness, a lullaby, a baby's dummy, swaddling, gentle touch of a mother and a comfortable bed will help the baby fall asleep quickly.

1. Motion sickness. There are various conflicting opinions associated with this method. For example, Dr. Komarovsky believes that intense shaking can lead to dizziness and loss of consciousness due to a weak vestibular apparatus. Other experts claim that as a result of motion sickness comes calm, and the vestibular apparatus is strengthened.
2. A comfortable bed made of natural wood, which has a comfortable, moderately hard and elastic mattress, as well as bedding with funny patterns provide a healthy and sound sleep.
3. Tactile sensations. Thanks to the touch of the mother, the child relaxes and falls asleep as much as possible. The main thing is to gently act on certain points of the body. This may be the back, back of the palms, the area behind the ears, hair, eyebrows, feet. Doctors advise to press the crumb to the chest for the contact of his head with the neck of his mother, namely with the location of her carotid artery, where a pulsating rhythm is observed. This has a beneficial effect on the process of falling asleep. After performing the above steps, you should put the baby in bed and turn off the light.
4. Soother. Even in the womb, the baby sucks a finger, which is an unconditioned reflex and a protective reaction to various stimuli, both external and internal. After the birth of an alternative, the dummy nipple becomes, which is better to take out during a sound sleep. Thanks to her, the baby is not distracted by anything and quickly falls asleep. However, doctors claim that such a nipple can provoke malocclusion and nasal breathing.
5. Lullabies for children. A melodious chorus has a calming effect on the nervous system, and also relieves anxiety. It is necessary to sing, even without a musical ear. What is important is a measured pace, calm melody and mom’s voice.
6. Swaddling. How to put a month old baby to sleep? You need to swaddle him. This method reduces motor activity and promotes rapid falling asleep. The fact is that a baby who is not three months old is frightened by a large space, he begins to involuntarily swing his arms. Cramped conditions remind the womb, in this regard, the child feels safe and comfortable, postpartum stress is overcome. However, a large number of clothes and tight swaddling lead to the opposite effect.

Creating a sleepy ritual

This method is designed for children older than six months and consists in performing special actions that lead to peace of mind, as well as the appearance of a desire to see a sweet dream. So, how to put your baby to sleep in 5 minutes? Examples of some rituals that help to do this:

• A good bedtime story for children. Many psychologists compare this method with a lullaby, as the words are pronounced quietly and a little singing. For example, words from the famous fairy tale "Turnip" must be pronounced like this: "Grandma called her granddaughter. Granddaughter called grandma, grandmother said grandfather, and grandfather turned, they pull-pull, pull-pull, pull-pull, pull-pull, pull-pull ... " According to some parents, the child laughs at first, but after a few minutes he sleeps sweetly.
• We say goodbye to the sun. We take the baby in our arms, look out the window with it and wave the handle. Thus, we wish good night to the sun, tree, flower, cloud. And we say that the baby also goes to bed.
• We listen to the nature. We turn on a music disc with recordings of various soothing sounds. This may be the murmur of a stream, the twittering of birds or the rustling of leaves.
• We say good night to toys. We suggest that the child put to bed her favorite doll or typewriter.

Lullabies

The smooth melody that my mother sings is the best sleeping pill. Anxiety, excitement quickly disappear, the whim calms down and enters a state of drowsiness. At this moment, he is as relaxed and focused only on the voice of an adult. From the lullaby, the baby receives initial knowledge of universal values ​​and certain moral principles, he is happy to absorb ideas about the world around him. In such songs are sung:

• about kindness, love for the world;
• about the wonderful character of the child;
• about a good future;
• that he is under the protection of relatives and nature, animals and plants.

This is the first music in the life of the crumbs through which the spiritual unity of him and his mother takes place. There are many folk and modern lullabies for children. Here is some of them:

• "Hush, Little Baby, Do not Say a Word".
• The Green Carriage.
• "Tired toys are sleeping".
• From the movie "The Long Road in the Dunes".
• "A month is shining over our roof."
• "Lullaby of the Bear."
• "It's time to sleep! The goby fell asleep."
• "Nose-snub-nosed".
• "Sleep, my joy, sleep."
• "Oh, how a dream went about the bench."
• "The cat, the cat has a good cradle."
• "Ay, tu-tu, tu-tu, tu-tu, do not cook porridge cool."

Book with fairy tales

Reading before bedtime brings the baby and his parents together. Stories related to battles and battles, evil heroes, deceit should be put aside for a day. At night, it is recommended to read fairy tales in poetic form or containing repetitions. Such books should be saturated with positive emotions, omnipotent love and kindness. Examples of good bedtime stories for children:

1. Bruno Hahler, "Good night Bear." The story is about a bear who does not want to go to sleep at all, and for this he comes up with various excuses. But in the morning I don’t feel like getting up. "Bear, I will catch you!" tells about a girl watching her favorite toy to find out what he does when no one sees him.
2. Carolyn Curtis and Alison Jay, "Walking with the Moon." A simple story about a boy who walks, and the moon illuminates his path.
3. Samuel Marshak, "The Tale of the Stupid Mouse," where the hero was eaten by a nanny cat. A "silent fairy tale" in which wolves attack a family of hedgehogs, but it all ends well. Such stories are not scary at all, but even meditative ones.
4. Gillian Loubel, "For You and For Me." About how a little mouse wakes up and goes to know the world around him.
5. Rothraut Berner, "Good Night, Karlchen." The bunny does not want to go to bed every day. But his inventive dad quickly solves this problem by inventing a special game.
6. Galina Lebedeva, "How Masha fell out with a pillow." The story of a girl who was so offended by the blanket and pillow that she began to try to fall asleep in very unusual places: a chicken coop, a doghouse, an attic. Of course, nothing came of her, and, she realized that her bed is the best option.
7. Karl-Johan Forssen Erlin, "The Rabbit Who Wants to Sleep." A hero who suffers from insomnia goes with his mother in search of a wizard to get rid of this problem. On the way, they meet an owl and a snail that give their advice.

Tips from Abroad

Pediatricians, somnologists and even parents come up with their own unusual methods on the topic "How to lay a child in 5 minutes."

• Tracy Hogg , specializing in newborn care, has developed an interesting way. When the baby cannot fall asleep and tries to get up in his crib, mother should gently hug him and repeat a certain soothing phrase several times, for example, "Katya should go to bed."
• Nathan Dailo , a young Australian dad, became famous due to a video published on the Internet in which he shows how to put a child to sleep in 5 minutes. A few times he runs a soft napkin over the baby’s face, and he closes his eyes, his brain gives the appropriate command and after a few minutes the baby sees a sweet dream.
• Harvey Karp , a pediatrician from the USA, suggested that with quiet and monotonous sounds, the baby can fall asleep faster. This is due to the fact that the child, when he was in the womb, used to hear various sounds: the beating of the mother’s heart or the sound of amniotic fluid. So he feels calmer than in complete silence. For example, a two-month-old baby will fall asleep in just a few minutes to the sound of a working hair dryer, but it is worth noting that this item should blow in the opposite direction.

Elizabeth Pantley Tips

How to put a child to sleep without tears? The mother of four children and the author of a wonderful book offers very effective tricks. It is worth noting that both one and two awakenings per night for a baby less than three years old are a normal situation. Here are just some of the tips published in Elizabeth Pantley's best-selling book, "How to Get Your Baby to Sleep Without Tears":

• The main amount of calories the baby should eat in the daytime, when you need to give only wholesome food. And in the evening you should feed with proteins and carbohydrates, for example, it can be: various cereals, yogurt, oats, cheese, some fruits, brown rice, a small amount of meat. Do not consume foods containing sugar at night.
• Both the bed and the pajamas should be cozy, comfortable and soft. Be sure to observe the daily routine. So, for example, some time before a night’s sleep, the sequence of actions may be the following: a walk in the fresh air, dinner, taking a bath, reading a book, quiet, calm music, feeding from a bottle or breast, dim light and bedding.
• From 18:30 you need to watch the mischievous person. As soon as signs of fatigue begin to appear, he should be put to bed. This should be done before he completely walks around and runs around the house. During laying, you can turn on soft music, the room should be twilight.
• From nighttime sleep depends. If at "quiet time" the baby slept less than 60 minutes, then this is not a complete rest. The child rubs his eyes, gets annoyed, asks for his hands, yawns and is no longer interested in games - all these are sure signs of fatigue. Therefore, it is recommended to quickly put him to bed.
• If the little one wakes up in the middle of the night, he needs to be helped to fall asleep again. Do not make eye contact with him or change diapers unless absolutely necessary. You can repeat a soothing phrase several times, for example: "Tshshsh". At the same time, it does not need to be used in other situations, the baby should have an association with night sleep. No need to turn on the light; windows should be darkened.
• How to put your baby to sleep in 5 minutes? The baby just needs to have some kind of soft object next to him, to which he experiences great affection. For example, it could be a stuffed toy. But it should not be something sharp, prickly, with buttons or cords. Only one favorite toy should be kept near the bed.

We accustom to independence

Sooner or later, the baby must learn to sleep alone, without disturbing his parents. There are several recommendations regarding this. So, how to teach your child to sleep on their own?

1. No need to give in to manipulation. It is necessary to stock up with enormous patience to withstand the loud cry and cry of the baby. You should not immediately run and calm him, it is better to wait at least two minutes. Then come up to him, thereby showing that everything is in order and mom is nearby. Go out again. This time, wait a little longer, for example, four minutes.
2. Every day you need to go to bed at a strictly defined time. The child should develop a habit. It will not be possible to use the first technique without observing the second. After all, if you put the baby in the crib and go out, he will not be able to fall asleep, as he will be at the mercy of his own fear.
3. In bed - just to sleep. It is not recommended to play or eat in it. The bed should only be associated with sleep.
4. Eliminate fears. You need to ask the baby why he does not want to sleep alone. For example, he may have fears associated with a watched cartoon or some thing in the room scares him.
5. Turn on the night light. He does not interfere with sleep. Over time, you should make the lamp dimmer until the child gets used to being in complete darkness.

If there are twins in the house

Regardless of the number of babies, the algorithm of actions remains unchanged. But how to put two children to bed at once? This question has been raised more than once.

• Two children need to be put to bed at the same time. It is necessary to synchronize their sleep. And if one cries to be fed, then the second should be awakened.
• It is best to have two separate beds. At the same time, it is recommended to install them at a close distance so that the kids see each other.
• Come up with a simple ritual before going to bed and perform it daily. For example, take a warm bath, read a fairy tale or sing a lullaby.
• First put to sleep a calmer child. You do not need to be afraid that a noisy brother or sister can wake him.
• Swaddle children until they learn how to roll over, that is, until about two months.

Duration of baby sleep up to a year

A newborn sleeps about 16-20 hours a day. He does not distinguish day and night, often wakes up and easily falls asleep. Moreover, sleep periods vary from 40 minutes to 120.

A monthly baby may suffer from colic, resulting in insomnia. The norm of sleep in the daytime is 7 hours, at night - 8-10.

In a child aged from four months to six months, wakeful periods increase. The duration of the "quiet hour" is 3-5 hours, night dreams take 10-11.

A baby from 6 to 12 months sleeps for about three hours in the daytime, and a threefold sleep goes into a double. And at night - 11-12 hours and wakes up one or two times in order to be fed.

How much should a child sleep in a year and older?

By the age of 12 months, the child already falls asleep without any problems at any time of the day. His daily routine has become familiar. If, however, nervous breakdowns, excessive excitability, vagaries for no reason, a bad mood in the morning, or if he tries to fall asleep ahead of time, are noticed, then the baby is not resting enough. You should adjust the daily routine.

Quite often, many parents have questions about how much a child should sleep per year. For a good rest, a one-year-old baby needs 13 hours. Of these, three hours are spent on two daytime sleeps, and ten hours are intended for night dreams.

The quiet hour rate for children aged 2-3 years is approximately 2.5 hours, 3-7 years - 2 hours. After seven years of age, it is not necessary to sleep during the day.