How to Teach a Baby to Self Settle

Parenting doesn't stop for a pandemic and neither do we! Tresillian is here for you - 7 days a week. If your baby is having sleep difficulties you can now self-refer to Tresillian services by calling our Parent's Help Line on 1300 272 736. Call now to talk to one of our experienced nurses about which Tresillian service will best suit you.

How much sleep does my baby need?

Babies sleep patterns vary however most babies sleep 14 or 15 hours spread across both day and night. A newborn sleep routine can be different to the sleep routine of a baby that is older. As your baby grows he/she will sleep for longer periods through the night with 2-3 shorter sleeps during the day. If your baby is happy during wake periods during the day, he/she has had enough sleep.

What are sleep cycles?

• Your baby's sleep-wake cycle is the time spent going through both deep (quiet) and light (active) stages of sleep.
• A baby sleep cycle is around 30 to 50 minutes and babies rouse, briefly wake and re-settle.
• In the early months babies need to be physically close to their parents and some need help going to sleep or re-settling.

What are baby tired signs?

Babies show 'tired signs' when they are getting tired and need sleep such as grimacing, yawning, grizzling, frowning, sucking, staring, snuggling in, jerky movements, becoming over active, clenching fists, rubbing eyes, fussiness or crying. Responding early to these tired signs prevents your baby becoming distressed and makes it easier to get baby to sleep.

How do I settle my crying baby?

1. Check your baby is comfortable:  change their nappy, provide a feed if hungry.  Make sure they aren't too hot or too cold.
2. Try repetitive, slow, rocking and rhythmical movement
3. Try a baby massage or warm bath
4. Try a change of scenery such as going for a walk

If your baby is unsettled at night, you can try hands on settling.

Hands on settling: 3 - 6 months

1. For babies aged three to six months, Tresillian recommends either soothing in arms or hands-on settling to calm your baby.  Start by wrapping baby in a light cotton fabric, talk quietly and cuddle baby until calm
2. Put your baby on their back in the cot awake [calm/drowsy]
3. Comfort your baby with gentle 'ssshhh' sounds, gentle rhythmic patting, rocking, or stroking until baby is calm or asleep
4. If your baby becomes or stays distressed pick your baby up for a cuddle until calm or asleep before putting baby back in the cot
5. Provide comfort to your baby and stay until he/she is asleep.  Learning how to go to sleep is a skill babies usually develop during the first year of life with help from their parents but like most skills, it takes time and varies for each baby.

Baby Safety (SIDS Guidlines)

Baby safe sleeping is very important.

• Sleep baby on the back from birth, not on the tummy or side
• Sleep baby with head and face uncovered

Sleeping and Settling FAQ's

• The only way my baby will sleep is on me, what do I do?

  My baby won't sleep. I can't put him into the cot/bassinet because he keeps crying. The only way he will go to sleep is on me. At 4-6 weeks of age, this is normal behaviour. Babies need to be physically close to their parents and some need help going to sleep or re-settling. Comforting with cuddles is the best way to settle your baby when he is crying. Wrapping can also help – use a light material such as cotton making sure that the arms are above waist level and there is room to move the legs. Also check how you are feeding your baby and whether or not there is a link between how the baby is feeding (i.e. fast or gulping or snacking) and his unsettled behaviour.

• How can I help my baby have longer sleeps during the day?

  "My baby will only have 40 minute short day sleeps, but sleeps well overnight. How can I help him have longer day sleeps?" At 4-5 mths, your baby's sleep-wake cycle is the time spent going through both deep (quiet) and light (active) stages of sleep. A sleep cycle is around 30-50 minutes and then babies can rouse. It's very common for babies to wake up after 30-40 minutes sleep at this age. There are several ways of re-settling baby. Hands-on settling is one option where you comfort your baby with gentle 'ssshh' sounds, gentle rhythmic patting, rocking or stroking until baby is calm or asleep. If your baby becomes or stays distressed pick him up for a cuddle until calm or asleep before putting baby back in the cot. Stay with your baby until he/she is asleep.

• What can I do to help my baby sleep better at night?

  "6-7mths of age. My baby has started waking more overnight and I can't re-settle him without having to rock him to sleep. What can I do to help him sleep better overnight." A: Its very common for babies to "start" night waking more often at this age, due to them becoming more aware of when they come into their light sleep cycles. When settling your baby ensure they are wrapped or use a sleeping bag with fitted arm holes and no hood. Try lots of reassurance : 1) Talk quietly and cuddle your baby until calm 2) Put your baby on their back in the cot awake (drowsy) 3) Comfort your baby with gentle 'ssshh' sounds, gentle rhythmic patting, rocking or stroking until baby is calm or asleep. As your baby calms, move away from the cot or leave the room but if your baby becomes or stays distressed return and comfort your baby using the steps 1-3.

• My baby has started waking and screaming at night, he used to be a good sleeper. What do I do?

  This is also very common, when babies start to move around more or standing up in their cot, this can disturb their sleep, so they wake up more often. At this age babies understand your tone of voice, and you can guide them by gently saying things like "It's time to lay down to go to sleep" and then showing or guiding them how to do that.

• My baby takes hours to settle in the evening, what can I do to make him go to sleep sooner?

  Check if your baby is content and chatting etc. or screaming and restless. If chatting, leave him. If screaming, check how he is used to settling…. is he needing some help with learning new ways to settle? A predictable bedtime routine (sequence of activities) including a wind-down period (for example, meal, bath, cleaning teeth, story time, brief cuddle and kiss, and into bed) is important to help your child recognise and establish good sleep patterns. In preparation for sleep, a bedtime routine (depending on day or night) encourages a wind-down period and ensures that your child's physical needs are met.

• My toddler wakes at 5am every morning. Any tips how to get him to sleep a bit longer?

  The early riser is a common concern and it can be challenging to change this. It often improves with age and as the day naps lessen. It helps to consider how your child settles to sleep and support them to learn self settling skills. Also this is a time of the morning when the basal body temperature is at its lowest so ensure they are warm enough. It can take time for children to sleep longer in the morning so set realistic goals and be consistent with self settling methods.

• My newborn cries on and off all day. Nothing I have tried works. What can I do to make baby sleep?

  This is a common concern for many new parents. Being unsettled and crying are very normal behaviours for newborn babies and part of their development during this time. Things usually improve after baby is around three months. We suggest you offer lots of hands on support like patting, body rocking and a soothing voice. Going out for a walk in the pram or drive in a car can be helpful. This is a time to get support from partner, family and friends as these methods take up a lot of energy and can be very exhausting.

• I recently had my second baby but now find my 3 year old is having sleep problems and waking up overnight. Any tips?

  A new baby in the family can cause lots of change in the household especially for an older sibling. It can take up to 6 months for older children to adjust to a new baby. Being mindful of the adjustments your older child needs to make to a new baby in the household and demands on your time, is helpful. If possible involve your older child with caring for the new baby and there are lots of ways you can do this (i.e. at nappy change time, bathing time etc.). Set limits and be clear about boundaries with the older child.

• My baby likes to sleep in my arms. Will I spoil my baby by doing this?

  Newborn babies love being held close against their parents. This position promotes bonding. Developmentally babies are not capable to learn routines at this time. Hands-on support is very appropriate at this age, especially if baby is distressed and you definitely won't spoil baby. A feed, play and sleep routine can help to support younger babies to develop better sleeping behaviours.

• My baby is difficult to get to sleep, should I use a bottle to help get her down?

  Firstly, most babies have an unsettled period each day which can vary from one to three hours. Giving your baby a bottle is usually not the answer. In fact, it may even make your baby more unsettled. Firstly, start by visiting your child and family health nurse and asking her to assess one of your feeds. The nurse will observe a breastfeed and possibly also weigh your baby. She may suggest strategies to increase your milk supply if your baby is not gaining adequate weight. These might include increasing the number of times you breastfeed, expressing a small amount of milk before the feed, resting more and drinking more water. However the issue may be the way you are currently settling your baby to sleep. So, it would also be worthwhile explaining to the Nurse how you put baby to sleep (for example do you wrap baby, and are you consistent in the way you put baby to sleep every time. Again, your Child and Family Health Nurse can advise you on some new strategies to try at home. The nurse may ask you to visit your doctor to check there is not a medical reason behind your baby's crying. However, once any medical cause is ruled out, parents can be reassured that normal crying peaks at this age and will decrease naturally from about 5 months of age.

• I feel like a failure because my baby does not sleep through the night like other babies in my mother's group

  There are lots of variations in the sleep patterns of infants. No two babies are alike. For many babies waking once or twice during the night is normal. It does not mean you are a failure in anyway. Perhaps you could ask the mothers what they mean by 'sleeping through the night'. You might find that they feed before midnight and again at around 4.00am to 5.00am.

• Does Tresillian believe in controlled crying?

  No, Tresillian does not recommend or use controlled crying. Parents are encouraged to learn to identify their baby's cues and state of wakefulness and recognise the intensity of the baby's cry; this may include picking the baby up and cuddling and soothing baby, repositioning and patting baby or offering a feed or trying to settle at a later time.

• Is 'crying it out' a good method to use to help my baby learn to sleep?

  Crying it out seems to be the new name to describe 'controlled crying' which was a popular teaching to sleep method used in the 1980's. But since then new research about infant mental health has shown that there are more gentler and effective ways to support good sleep behaviours. Tresillian uses an evidenced based method called responsive settling where we encourage parents to gently practice the skills for independent sleep with their baby by soothing baby if they get distressed. Many parents find this approach much easier to use and less stressful as baby does not have to cry for prolonged periods.

Download Tip Sheet

How to Teach a Baby to Self Settle

Source: https://www.tresillian.org.au/advice-tips/settling/3-6-months/

Share this post