How To Get Baby To Sleep In Bassinet?

Well, As a parent, I know it is very frustrating to see your newborn struggle to sleep when they won’t sleep in the bassinet. In order to avoid sleep deprivation for both you and your baby, it is crucial to get your baby used to sleeping in the bassinet. 

If you want to sleep your baby in the bassinet, you must first understand why the bassinet is not being accepted. By knowing this, you can make it easier to encourage them to sleep in a bassinet.

Why Infants Don’t Sleep In A Bassinet

Before we discuss How to get baby to sleep in bassinet, we need to know the reasons why they don’t sleep? Here are the following are a few possible reasons why your baby won’t sleep in the bassinet.

• Separation Anxiety: Your child might refuse to sleep alone if they are habituated to sleeping in your arms as they will miss your touch and proximity. Separation anxiety usually goes away by the age of two.

• Temperature: Babies can’t effectively regulate their body temperature until the age of 12 months, so make sure that they aren’t too hot or cold in the room. Their room should be between 68 and 72°F (20 to 22°C).

• Startle Reflex: Studies have shown that babies’ startle reflex, also known as the Moro reflex, may cause them to wake up in their bassinet when they are placed there or cause them to wake between sleep cycles.

• Hunger: When your baby is hungry, it will be difficult for them to settle or they will only sleep for short periods before waking up. Their little stomachs empty quickly and must be refilled. When your baby is growing and is cluster feeding, he or she may prefer to feed rather than sleep.

• Uncomfortable: Things like wind, reflux, and even dirty diapers can make your baby uncomfortable enough to fall asleep. When a little one needs to burp or pass gas, it can be difficult to keep them asleep.

• Overtired: Cortisol, a stress hormone, can build up in your baby’s system that causes them to wake sooner. if they have remained awake too long before sleeping.
  
  Parents often put their children to bed or nap too late, and when they try to put them in the bassinet, they refuse. They are usually overtired. If your baby is overtired, it is probably not the right time to try the bassinet again.

• Habit: If your baby sleeps on your chest or in your arms, they may wake when you put them down in their bassinet. Because they went from a warm, comfortable body with a soothing heartbeat to a cold sheet and firm mattress.

• Light: Having an overly bright room for your baby to sleep in means it is too curious to look around when it wakes rather than go back to sleep.

How To Get Baby To Sleep In Bassinet: 4 Best Practices

After understanding why your baby refuses to sleep in the bassinet, you can take the following steps to get your baby to sleep:

• Create A Consistent Routine: You can help your child sleep on time by creating a bedtime routine. Preparing a relaxing bedtime routine that includes a warm bath, followed by a light massage or breastfeeding will help him sleep at the same time each night.
  
  Keep him or her in the bassinet even during naps during the day. You should place the baby in his/her bassinet after he/she is drowsy and before he/she falls asleep in your arms.

• Put The Baby Down For A Nap In The Bassinet: Generally, this is the easiest nap to get your baby to fall asleep in the bassinet. Use the pick-up and put-down technique to make it work.
  
  You should put them down, Offer comfort by touching them and gently whispering “shh”.  Give him or her 2-3 minutes to settle. Pick up your baby and calm him if he is having trouble settling. Then, try again. 

• Put The Bassinet Close To Your Bed: Keeping the bassinet close to your bed will help your baby fall asleep. It’s because your baby can feel your presence and as well as your scent on the sheets when you place the bassinet next to your bed. This will make him realize that there is nothing to be afraid of.
  
  If your baby wakes up and cries in the middle of the night, it is helpful to keep the bassinet near the bed so you can hear him or her. 

• Swaddle Your Baby: Swaddling helps your baby sleep better as it mimics the womb and reduces limb activity that may be distracting. It is believed that swaddling helps prevent startle reflex-related wake-ups in babies.

Try swaddling your baby if he is having night terrors or refusing to sleep in the bassinet. Moreover, the swaddle gives your baby a feeling of safety, just as though he or she was inside the tummy. You should stop swaddling your baby once he/she starts to roll, which usually occurs at about six months.

• Make The Sleeping Environment Comfortable: If your baby has a good sleeping environment, he or she will fall asleep quickly. Whenever you put your baby in the bassinet, make sure the light is dimmed an hour before you put him in it. Make sure the bassinet sheets are soft and comfortable. 
  

It is best to use sheets made of natural cotton or a cotton-polyester blend that are soft and warm to the touch. If the room temperature is too warm or too cold, your baby could wake up. You should keep the room temperature optimal for the sheets and not too warm or too cold.

• Sing A Lullaby: The best way to help a newborn sleep is to sing them lullabies at night. Baby lullabies were created for a reason – to help lull your baby to sleep.
  
  By singing lullabies to your baby, you help them feel safe and familiar. You should continue to sing to your child once he falls asleep to make sure he doesn’t wake up once you stop. After you are sure he is sound asleep, stop gradually.

• Get A Bassinet That Rocks: There are several bassinet models with rocking skids and wheels. You can buy a bassinet with a rocking skid if your baby enjoys being rocked while sleeping.
  
  With a motorized rocker and vibration feature, the incline bassinet is ideal for babies who experience reflux difficulty sleeping. It’s better if the bassinet has more features.

Which Are The Safe Ways For Your Baby To Sleep In A Bassinet?

The most important thing is to make sure you put your baby to sleep in a safe way, regardless of how you do so. Below are a few safety tips for sleeping in a bassinet.

• Always put your baby to sleep on their back instead of on their stomach or side.
  
• Make sure the bassinet is empty and remove pillows, blankets, toys, and crib bumpers from your baby’s sleep area.
  
• Ensure that your baby’s bassinet or crib has a firm mattress and well-fitting crib sheet.
  
• Do not smoke around your baby or in the rooms where the baby sleeps.
  
• Try to give the baby a pacifier during naps and at bedtime.

Parents should also sleep in the same room with their babies until they are at least 6 months old, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. If possible, stay in the same room until the baby is at least one year old.

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