About six months after giving birth, many mothers begin to complain that it is becoming more difficult to put their baby to bed. Sometimes the process takes several hours! Mom's hands start to feel numb, her back begins to ache, her tongue is no longer able to move from so many stories told, and the baby does not want to sleep in any. What to do? How long will this last?
There is only one way out - to teach the child to fall asleep on their own. Most likely, the first days will seem like a living hell to you, but thanks to iron patience, you can still cope.
When can you teach your child to fall asleep on their own
It all depends on the temperament of your baby. It is much easier to teach calm children to fall asleep on their own. But with whims, parents will have to "sweat". But you should not despair, nothing is impossible. And teaching a child to fall asleep on their own is not the most difficult thing that can be.
Be patient, you will need it very much now. If you decide to make changes to the regime, do not retreat, go to the end. Your success depends on it.
Usually, parents try to teach the child to fall asleep on their own by six months. But not everyone succeeds. One baby can learn to fall asleep at 6 months in just 4-5 days, while another at the same age cannot be re-educated at all. Therefore, it is important to choose the moment when the child is ready for change.
In no case try to teach your child to fall asleep on their own when the baby is sick or teething. At this moment he needs you more than usual. The kid needs your affection and care, and not global changes (and for him they are) in life. Therefore, for now, it is better to leave the idea of teaching your child to fall asleep on their own. Wait until the baby is fully recovered, so you will have a better chance of success.
How to teach a child to fall asleep in his crib?
To begin with, it's worth understanding the mode. If you want to teach your child to fall asleep on their own, make sure that the sleep time does not change every day. It will be easier for your child to get used to the fact that he will now fall asleep by himself if you put him to bed at the same time. This is an important point. Think about the ideal time for you.
Second, tell your baby that today he will learn to fall asleep on his own. Explain that he is already big and can do it himself. If the baby is only six months old, this does not mean that he does not need to be told anything, because he still will not understand. Take 10 minutes, tell me.
Just before going to bed, make sure that the child is not fond of too noisy games, exclude watching TV. An hour before bed, put away toys together, read a book, just talk to your baby. The main thing is that the child is calm at this time. It is much more difficult for a violent capricious to go to bed.
After the fairy tale is read, the song is sung, kiss the baby and put it in the crib. Give him a pacifier (if needed) and a favorite toy. It is advisable that this toy was not a rattle or some kind of squeaky mouse. Otherwise, instead of falling asleep, the child will arrange a real concert.
Cover the baby with a blanket, wish sweet dreams, turn off the lights and leave the room. Don't go far, be in the next room. Leave the door ajar a little so that you can hear what is happening in the baby's room. And wait.
Naturally, one should not hope that the baby will immediately turn on its side, close its eyes and sleep. It was not so. The child will get up, call you, maybe even cry. Do not rush to immediately run headlong into the bedroom and turn on the light. Wait 4-5 minutes. At the same time, do not let the baby cry for a long time. Advice - “cry, get tired and fall asleep” is not the best option. Find a middle ground. Running at the first squeak of the crumbs is also not worth it, so he will quickly understand that mom can be easily manipulated. And all your labors will end in one big failure.
If the child is afraid to fall asleep on their own when the lights in the room are off, do not force them. Turn on the light, or better the night light. The baby will be calmer this way. The most important thing now is to teach the child to fall asleep on their own, with light or not - the second question. Otherwise, the baby will be afraid of the dark and will be afraid to fall asleep. And this is a more serious problem.
If the child cries for a long time, go to the bedroom, but do not turn on the light. Tell me that everything is fine, mom is near. Explain that it’s late and it’s time to go to bed. Lay down the baby, cover with a blanket, give a toy and a pacifier. Don't stay in the bedroom for too long. Do whatever is necessary and leave.
What should not be done in any case when trying to teach a child to fall asleep on their own?
You cannot swear and shout at the baby. Otherwise, the dream will become sheer torture for him. He will be afraid to fall asleep in his bed. Do not try to beat the crumbs in the pope! Understand that your treasure does not yet know what you want from him. And even if he understands, he still does not want to fall asleep without mom. After all, even adults with great difficulty give up their habits. And children - even more so.
The most valuable advice in this case is to be patient! It is possible and necessary to teach a child to fall asleep on their own as early as possible. After all, coping with a six-month-old baby is much easier than with a 2-year-old child.
I can't say how long it will take you to teach your little one to fall asleep in his crib. We dealt with this problem in 8 months. Now my daughter is 1 year old and 9 months old. And when she wants to sleep, she goes to the bedroom herself. And he usually leaves in silence. She takes a pacifier, lies down on my husband's bed, covers herself with a blanket and falls asleep. After the first such "trick" we were shocked. Now this is the norm.
