Getting Your Baby to Sleep Through the Night

So after your comments and advice, here is the number one tip: Establish Routines!

Here is what some of you are saying:

"Try a nice warm bath before bed.what ever u try u have to be consistent.It may seem like it will never work,but if u r consistent it will work in the end."

"Establish a bedtime routine and stick to it. Give your baby a bath, have a last nursing session or bottle, read a story, say a personal, meaningful goodnight to each of your baby's 47 stuffed animals 'whatever. It doesn't really matter what your ritual is, as long as it's soothing, not stimulating, and you're consistent."

"Incorporate a "cuddly" into your routine. Maybe your baby has already developed a special attachment to a stuffed animal or a blanket. If so, use it. If not, try to foster such an attachment by carrying around the blanket (or whatever) as you go through your routine."

"If your child cries when put to bed awake, don't pick her up! Some experts advise you to stay in the room so your baby doesn't panic, thinking she's been deserted. Others advise leaving the room but returning at regular intervals (five to ten minutes is commonly suggested), to speak softly to her, rub her back briefly (but don't take her out of the crib!) and then leave again. You'll have to decide which approach works best for you and your baby."

"When your baby naps, let him to sleep in a well-lit area. This will help encourage shorter naps, which may help him sleep better at night."

" When nursing, ley your baby to finish the first breast offered. This will provide him with more of your rich hindmilk, which helps to space out his nighttime feeds. "

"A really important thing you should do to so that you get baby to sleep through the night and to insure that she sleeps well, on her own, is to create a comfortable sleep environment."

"I have a five-year-old boy and a two-month-old little girl. My first experince with my son was a disaster. I had no clue on how to put him to sleep all night. I've now been parenting for five years and have an idea to try with my baby girl. I keep it bright in the house all day, either the T.V. or the radio is on. I talk and sing to her. Of course I let her take naps, for about 20-30 minutes every two hours. Then after dinner, I bathe my son then nurse my daughter in a dark room with a lulluby CD I bought. She loves to hear it before she lays down for the night. That gives me time to do homework with my son. I've been doing this routine since she was three weeks old. It took me about a week to become successful at it but it works!"

"For those babies who refuse the bassinette like mine did, try a cradle swing. I recommended it to a friend, and it worked for her as well! And my doctor said it was fine, because she was still on her back, the safest sleeping position."

Please leave a comment if any of the above has (or hasn't) worked for you. Or if you think something is missing, leave a comment as well!