Seeking Tips for Getting Your Baby to Sleep Better

Fortunately my 21 month old son sleeps fantastically, but it was rather challenging from birth to 6 months.

I read Dr. Marc Weissbluth's "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child", instituted the techniques to the letter, and my child was sleeping wonderfully within three (yes, that's right...three) days with very little crying. Dr. Weissbluth is a practicing Chicago-area pediatrician with over three decades of infant/child sleep issues - in other words, he has studied and helped tens of thousands of babies and children with great success.

Only you can choose the technique that is appropriate for your family. Give this book a fair shot and you might just find the answers you and your child need.

The best suggestion I can offer is to try to set up a bedtime routine.

We have bedtime routines for our 5 year old and our 2 year old. I handle the routine for the 5 year old, and DH handles the routine for the 2 year old.

With the 2 year old, we change her into her pj's around 6:30-7:00 pm - when we do, we also change her pants. We make sure the temperature in the house is comfortable. We'll watch a Dora or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, have something to drink or a snack to make sure she isn't trying to go to sleep hungry. The 2 year old will usually tell us when she's ready do be held, and in about 5-10 minutes she's out (and she falls asleep around 8pm).

With the 5 year old- she has about 5 shows she likes to watch, and they're in about 10 minute segments. I have a poptart available and we have some water available. We'll usually take "giggle breaks" periodically to make faces at each other or something. Then we go into the girls room, read a book via flashlight, and then make shadows on the wall for a few minutes, and then she goes to sleep around 8:15.

In addition to the rice cereal, I suggest "bundling". Wrap her in a soft blanket, moderately snug. It usually works within one minute. I hope it works. I know that lack of sleep zaps us.

Hi K.,

I am a first time mom to a three month old so I don't know how much help I can be, but I saw no one had to responded to you yet. My daughter does the same thing sometimes. Could your daughter be going through a growth spurt maybe? I know that will change their sleep patterns as well as teething. Maybe she started teething? Also is she getting enough to eat? I started my 3.5 month old on rice cereal already (I called her dr. first and he said it was o.k.). That has made her sleep better at night. It is so hard because when they don't sleep good that means we don't sleep good! I don't know if this is any help or not, but best of luck to you!