Kiss them on the forehead…
Stroke them on the belly…
Swaddle them gently…
Roll them softly…
Yeah, yeah, yeah. We know you’ve heard tens of ways of getting your little one to sleep. But it’s not working out.
Why? Because these are just surface-level tricks, mommies and (some) daddies.
You want research-backed and deeper ways of getting your baby to sleep. And this is exactly what we’ll discuss today – how to put a baby to sleep in 40 seconds.
The time period may vary. But by 40, we mean pretty quickly. Let’s dive into the methods.
Ways of Putting Your Baby To Sleep in Less Than A Minute
We all know this statement is not true explicitly. You just can’t force them to sleep in the snap of a finger.
What this statement means is in fact, how to get your baby to sleep in the minimum possible time.
1. The white noise machine
What is white noise? According to Webmd, it’s a combination of sound frequencies that result in a static-like sound. It involves different frequencies that you can hear in equal parts.
Many studies have confirmed that this aids in sleep and reduces crying in babies. The theory is that it resembles the environment present in a mother’s womb, which makes it satisfying and calming for the baby.
If you don’t have a white noise speaker, you can DIY, too. A portable fan or a washing machine or a hair dryer produces sound waves that are close to white noise. You can put your baby’s crib or bassinet near these sources and hopefully, it would get them to slumber.
2. The tissue trick
Now there are different ways of doing the tissue trick. It’s as simple as brushing the tissue softly against the face of your little boy or girl.
Now, some say, you should do it horizontally from the cheek to the ear. Others found the vertical movement from the forehead to the mouth working for them.
The theory is that this movement take advantage of your baby’s rooting reflex. When something brushes their body (especially the face), it causes them to move their head, trying to root for what is touching them.
This rocking or swaying motion relaxes them and they go to sleep within a minute. The video below shows how effective this technique is.
3. Get them near the running water
Oh, no, not literally. Use a running water sound. You can easily download them from YouTube or other platforms. Plus there are speakers available online as well. They have this sound fed into them.
Running water is actually white noise, which means it soothes and relaxes your baby which in turn, triggers them to get into the valleys of sleep.
4. Stroke their forehead
This works like a charm as well if you want you get your baby to sleep in 40 seconds.
Your baby might be lethargic or jittery because of gas concerns or irregular sleeping patterns. Stroking their forehead in a calming environment will calm their nerves, helping them drift to sleep.
If you do it regularly, it will become a part of his sleeping routine. Be cautious, however. Use the palm of your thumb to stroke the forehead, not the nails.
5. Sing a lullaby
What do you do when the baby leaks at night? You clean him up and wrap him in a new cloth diaper, right?
Wrong. You sing him his favorite lullaby, too. Why, because it relaxes and soothes them. Babies love to hear their parents chanting to them. So don’t forget this simple tip to put your baby to sleep quickly.
While rocking or swaying them in the crib, sing them a lullaby – even a humming sound would do.
6. Swaddle and swing method
How to make a baby fall asleep fast? Swaddle them in a blanket and swing them from left to right, while keeping them close to your chest.
This is one of the most effective ways, to be honest. Chrissy Lawler, a sleep therapist, swears by this technique. In one of her videos, she advised, swaddling your baby into a warm blanket and then swinging her while patting the hip.
You can opt to sing your little one a lullaby while doing this as well. The idea is to have an environment as peaceful as you can.
7. Use lavender
Lavender is well-reputed for promoting relaxation and calming the mood. You see, baby’s natural sleeping routine or circadian rhythm should be improved with cues.
While maintaining a consistent sleep routine can be a good cue (One mom by the name of Cactus stressed upon this in a baby forum), mixing lavender essential oil or bath salt, or even massaging them with lavender oil, will only make this cue even more powerful.
Simply give them a lavender boost, dry them using a towel or baby wipes, and swaddle them so they doze off quickly.
Mistakes To Avoid When Putting The Baby To Sleep in 40 Seconds
Putting them to sleep quickly is no easy feat. You need a proper environment and practice. And if you make the following mistakes, things become even more difficult.
1. Not giving them enough time to sleep
We know babies are cute and you (plus the family) want to play with them all the time. But let’s be natural here. According to KidsHealth, newborns sleep 14-17 hours a day.
If you’re giving them a nap time shorter than this, you’re damaging their natural development and pattern. The rule of thumb is to give them the time to sleep whenever they rub their eyes, yawn, take a deep breath or are just feeling grumpy.
That is almost every few hours apart.
2. Not providing a comfortable environment
A good morning routine for the baby starts from a good night’s sleep. And if you’re not giving them the needed environment to relax and drift off to sleep, you’ll get a grumpy baby.
What do we mean by a good environment? A peaceful one with minimal noise and darkness. You can always have a night light so she feels safe. But no bright light, please.
And don’t forget to keep their bassinet or sleeping space away from the window where draft and noise can disturb them.
3. Not respecting their sleep cycle
We know babies have abnormal sleeping cycles. Some sleep in the morning while others like to nap all noon. It’s just like that.
If you try to change that according to your own sleeping routine, you’re just making is arduous for you. They won’t go to sleep even with effort, let alone quickly.
We recommend you change your sleeping time according to the baby.
Bottom line
So, these were some of the ways of putting a baby to sleep in 40 seconds. It won’t happen in a week or two. You’d need practice and understanding.
Test out the mentioned ways and see which one suits you and your baby the most. One or the other will work, no matter if you’re handling the baby alone or have your partner for support.
Happy parenting!