What’s the funniest song that’s gotten stuck in your head?
When my kids were babies, I was usually humming a lullaby. Singing was a part of their nighttime routines. My oldest fell asleep to the soothing sound of my voice. I sang until he was fast asleep. Which meant that I sang,
and sang, and sang…
When he woke up after an hour or so, I wasn’t there ready to pick up the tune where I left off. Without my singing he cried,
and cried, and cried…
Unknowingly, I had created a negative sleep association. It’s a rookie mistake.
A sleep association is anything that helps a child fall asleep. A positive association develops when a baby can find a way to fall asleep by himself. Holding a lovey and sucking on fingers are good examples.
A negative sleep association involves somebody doing something for the baby to get him to sleep, like nursing or rocking. These aren’t bad things! It’s just not good for your baby to rely on them to fall asleep.
I learned to place my baby in his crib before the end of the song, while he was still drowsy.
He settled. And fell asleep.
When he was older, sometimes I could hear him singing to himself as he dozed off.
It was music to my ears.
What about you? What self settling tips have worked for you and your baby?
Do you feel like nothing’s working? You’ve come to the right place! Message me for a free consultation. Let’s create a personalized plan for you and your baby. I’ll be there to guide you every step of the way.
Photo by Alexander Dummer on Unsplash