How to get your “fussy” baby to sleep

Your sweet cuddly baby is born and this is indeed a proud moment for mom and dad.  Babies are a blessing and fun to play with but there comes a time when they will cry so much that it drives you crazy. Crying is a form of communication for babies and we as parents have to try and figure out what the baby actually needs. They become fussy for numerous reasons, some of which are hunger, the need to burp, the need to sleep, the need to change, teething, gas and tummy ache. This can become stressful to us parents, especially at nights, when we are tired and can’t soothe our crying child. Here are some things you can try to comfort your crying baby and put him/her to sleep.

1. Give your baby a warm bath. The warm water and your comforting touch help to soothe the baby. Use the bedtime body wash, as it releases calming aromas when added to a warm bath.

2. After giving a bath, gently massage baby with lotion or baby oil.  Massage the baby’s back, hands, fingers, legs, and feet, this helps to relax tense muscles. 

3. Dress your baby according to the temperature inside the room. If it’s too cold, dress the baby in a warm sleeper or if it’s warm, dress the baby much lighter.

4,  Dim all bright lights in the room; a well lit room can be distracting and can over stimulate your baby.

 5. Read a bedtime story or sing a song to your baby. Even though they may not understand what you are saying, they enjoy the familiar sound of your voice. Gently rock them in your arms and cuddle them while you are singing.

6. Talk to your baby. Say little phrase like “close your eyes sweetie” or “go to sleep darling”. Once again the sound of your voice will mesmerize them as they focus solely on you.

 7. Give your baby a warm formula or breastmilk to drink. He/she may be hungry and needs a little to drink or just the comfort of sucking on the nipple of the bottle or your breast.

 8. After feeding, try and burp your baby before putting him/her to lie down. You can do so by holding the baby in an upright position and pat his/her back or lay the child across your lap on his/her stomach and gently pat his back. This helps to get rid of some of the air that babies tend to swallow during feeding, hence resulting in less gas and crankiness.

 9. Try to do this routinely, especially at nights so that your baby will be familiar with this exercise and develop a good sleeping pattern.

10. If your baby continues to cry and scream after you have tried the tips given above, call your baby’s physician; as excessive screaming especially with the presence of fever could be an indication of a more serious issue such as GERD or an ear infection.