The Ultimate Guide For Dads: How to Put a Baby to Sleep
- Created:
12. 4. 2022 - Updated:
19. 2. 2024 -
It’s here, the moment when the mother leaves the nest, and after a long time, she goes out into the company. Every new dad’s nightmare – babysitting is up to him.
But no mother leaves her partner at the mercy of ignorance. Your wife will likely leave you a guide on how, when, and where to do what.
You’ll feed at great first, not to mention burping and changing a diaper. Change the baby into pajamas, and it’s here the sleep time. However, there is no instruction on the list that says, “How to put a baby to sleep.”
Don’t panic! Fortunately for you, we wrote the ultimate guide for dads, thanks to which you put asleep your baby in a few minutes.
Baby Sleep Environment
Children’s sleep significantly affects the environment where they fall asleep and sleep. Always ventilate the room just before going to bed and dim the lighting as possible. Change the baby into pajamas or cotton overalls so that the baby feels comfortable and does not feel hot. If the baby is sleeping in the crib, also pay close attention to choosing a mattress for the crib.
What’s Important While Putting Baby to Sleep?
No matter the child’s age, whether he/she is 9 months or 4 years old, always do the same. Always stick to your set sleep routine. Children like regularity. It gives them a sense of security and safety. The exact sequence of events should always precede a sleeping time.
💡TIP: 10 Ideas for Your Baby Bedtime Routine
The child should fall asleep in his crib at a room temperature of around 20 ° C.
Distinguish day and night. When sleeping in the daytime, do not pull the blinds, leave daylight in the room, and do not significantly reduce the noise. On the contrary, it needs to be dark in the room at night – do not use any lights. If you find that your baby is not doing well in the dark, then use dimmed lights or projectors with different calm colors or even pictures – special lamps made for sleep.
Before Putting the Baby to Sleep
- Prepare items that will keep the child asleep and company at night – blanket, pacifier, favorite toy.
- Set a bedtime routine – bathing, feeding, and sleeping at about the same time.
- Install the Annie Baby Monitor app – this app will help you with both putting the baby to sleep and monitoring the baby after he/she falls asleep.
Time to Put a Baby to Sleep
Perform a bedtime routine that prepares the baby for sleep. Put the baby to sleep in the crib/bed. Choose an activity to calm down the child – reading a fairy tale, singing a lullaby, etc. Or combine these activities.
If you are unsure of your singing talent, just install the Annie Baby Monitor app, which features “Lullabies and white noises” to help you with this task. This helper will help you to put asleep the baby for you. You can watch your baby fall asleep on the monitor from the comfort of the couch while your baby falls asleep alone in a calming environment.
💡TIP: 5 Tips How to Use Baby Monitor Effectively
How Do Lullabies and White Noises Work?
Researchers proved that lullabies before bed could improve a baby’s sleep. In a study of premature infants, lullaby music calmed babies, reducing their heart rates and slowing breathing. These effects may be the result of music reducing stress. This relaxation response seems to occur regardless of the infant’s previous music-listening experiences, even when the lullaby is in another language.
The white noise is similar to the sounds inside the belly and is very pleasant for the baby. It helps the child relieves stress, creates a safe space, and blocks external stimuli and noises.
The sound of the noise must drown other sounds (e.g., the crying of the baby itself) in the room. The optimal volume is around 60-70 dB, corresponding to the volume of stimuli in the belly. You can adjust the volume yourself in the Annie baby monitor app. Try yourself what works best for your child – you can try the app for free for three days. The sound should not turn off suddenly, as this is likely to wake the baby. Therefore, we recommend leaving the sounds on and muting them gradually.
To put a child asleep in this way is suitable until the 1st – 2nd year. If you don’t want the child to get used to falling asleep at the sounds, you can teach the child to fall asleep without ambient sounds by gradually attenuating the sound within a few weeks. However, many adults worldwide use this method to fall asleep every day as an alternative to sleeping pills. Therefore, if you find that your baby is soothed by the sounds while falling asleep, you don’t have to get rid of it.
💡TIP: How the App Annie Baby Monitor Works
How to Put Your Baby to Sleep
- Feed your baby.
- Have a soothing bath.
- Keep a low stimulation.
- Do a massage with lotion.
- Make the room dark.
- Turn the white noise on.
- Swaddle or change into pajamas.
- Read a bedtime story.
- Say goodnight.
- Play a lullaby.
Keep Your Baby Safe During Sleep
Specialists recommend monitoring children up to six months of age. Monitoring is not a prerequisite if the baby sleeps in a crib near the parent and is healthy, satisfied, and thriving. Monitoring is suitable for increased caution and oversight of the baby anywhere, anytime.
💡TIP: 5 Best Baby Monitor App Reviews
Final Tip: The Ultimate Slumber Solution with Annie Baby Monitor
As a caring dad, you know how crucial it is to ensure that your baby sleeps well.
With the Annie Baby Monitor, its baby tracking feature and sleep history, you can take your parenting game to the next level.
Monitor your baby’s sleep patterns, track when your baby falls asleep, how long they sleep, and even the quality of their slumber.
By using these features, you can fine-tune bedtime routine to match your baby’s natural sleep patterns. You can adjust feeding and nap times for optimal rest, making all the difference when you’re trying to put your baby to sleep like a pro.
Annie Baby Monitor also has your back with real-time monitoring, tracking features and a lullabies player.
So, make the most of the Annie Baby Monitor and become a sleep-savvy dad. Sweet dreams!
How to DAD: Video tutorial on how to put a baby to sleep
FAQ: How to Put a Baby to Sleep
The easiest way to put a baby to sleep is by creating a calming bedtime routine that includes activities like gentle rocking, swaddling, and soft lullabies.
The 5-8 rule for babies means they should sleep for around 16-17 hours a day, with 5 hours of daytime naps and 8 hours of nighttime sleep, but this can vary depending on the baby’s age and individual needs.
To put a baby down to sleep, lay them on their back in a crib or bassinet with no loose bedding, and make sure the sleep environment is quiet and dark to help them fall asleep comfortably.
To help your one-year-old sleep, establish a consistent bedtime routine with calming activities like reading a book, dimming the lights, and offering a comfort item like a stuffed animal.
