Infant Naps

It has recently come to my attention that I am pretty good at getting infants to sleep… and transferring them to a crib. I will say that I have always enjoyed rocking them to sleep. So much so that I have consistently said that when I retire I will volunteer to rock babies to sleep. Watching their little eyes gazing into mine and then their eyelids softening is just so precious. If they’re very upset about sleep, you can see the tension on their face fade away. It occurred to me when I heard someone confirm that I have a knack for getting babies to sleep, that I could share some tips. I have developed these tricks over nearly two decades of work with infants and their caregivers through the power of observation.

The foundation of these tips is that the goal is for the infant to sleep in their crib. Another important point is this always assumes the infant is more capable today than they were yesterday, because let’s face it, they are!

• Be present. This means that you need to calm the storm within your own mind and focus on the little one in your arms.

• Once they close their eyes, begin planning the trip to the crib.

• Wait just a few minutes, ensuring you’ve heard and felt the sigh of surrender which indicates sleep. Waiting too long will make the process much more difficult.

• Now you’re able to transfer, always to their back.

• Some will just throw their arms straight out. This is the ultimate sleep pose.

• Some will still be fighting their startle reflex and need extra support to fully sleep. This requires gradually moving your hands down from their legs and arms so each time they startle they are actually getting their extremities closer to the mattress.

• Some will need a hand on their abdomen until they’ve fully relaxed. Again, I usually gradually remove that support.

Every infant is different and it takes being in tune with them to find what works. If you need advice, support, or have a question, feel free to reach out! I’m always happy to help find solutions.