How to Get Your Baby to Fall Asleep
Easily at Bedtime
By Meg Meadows, Senior Baby and Toddler Sleep Consultant
This is the number one challenge that we support families with!
In fact, you may be reading this because you just Googled “how can I get my baby to fall asleep easily at bedtime”.
I myself Googled the exact same question. Nine years ago I had this elaborate ritual with my baby girl. I would bounce her and do this crazy move and it was exhausting. I talk to so many families doing the exact same thing…bouncing their babies, rocking their babies, feeding their babies…this long elaborate ritual just to get baby to fall asleep and then to have them wake up about 45 minutes later or at best two hours, and then having to repeat the ritual all over again.
It is exhausting!
I didn't believe my baby could fall asleep easily, but she did. And I'm here to tell you that all babies can fall asleep easily at bedtime. We just have to get them set up for success and allow them the opportunity to do it.
There are four main aspects that help your baby fall asleep easily at bedtime. Each of these could be its own blog post but I will sum up the first three and save the big one for the end.
Sleep Friendly Environment
Number one is setting up a sleep friendly environment. You want the environment to be 100% conducive to sleep when you lay your baby down to sleep at night. So that means a pitch black room, a consistent sound machine that's gonna play brown noise throughout the entirety of the night.
The room temperature should be comfortable, not too hot or too cold, between 68 and 72 degrees. And then of course, ensuring that baby is dressed appropriately for sleep.
2. Age appropriate schedule2
Number two is an age appropriate schedule.
This one is huge!
15 minutes can make a massive difference. You want your baby to have just the right amount of sleep pressure and not be under tired or overtired as they go into the crib.
You want to follow an age appropriate schedule with the appropriate wake windows and then if your baby is 7/8 months or older you'll be following a consistent clock schedule to set your baby up for success when you lay them down to sleep.
3. Feeding and proper nutrition
Number three is feeding and proper nutrition. Feeding and proper weight gain are absolutely essential parts of getting your baby to fall asleep easily.
Make sure your baby is in a good place growth rise; they're tracking along the growth curve and then you can start working on sleep skills.
Another really important thing to mention here is that you want to strongly avoid getting drowsy during that last feeding, especially for babies four months and older. The problem with baby getting drowsy during the last feeding is they're going to break sleep pressure or what we call adenosine.
Adenosine builds in the time between sleep and you need enough adenosine to fall asleep and stay asleep all night. Breaking the sleep pressure makes it so, so much harder to fall asleep at bedtime.
4. Independent sleep skills
Finally, number four, the big one, the most massive one! Teaching your baby independent sleep skills.
Once they have independent sleep skills, you will be able to put them down fully awake and happy and they will drift off into sleep and then be able to connect their sleep cycles again and again through the night. I promise this can happen for you.
If you are going through a long, elaborate ritual to get your baby to sleep, just know that those old methods are no longer working for you and your baby is ready. They're ready for the challenges that come with learning this very vital life skill.
They can do it and so can you!
And a spoiler alert…I'm not going to tell you that you have to let your baby cry it out.
Absolutely not!
The Murray Method is a supportive method. We coach you through exactly how much support to give your baby so you're supporting them through the process and you're giving some comfort, but you're still allowing them some time and space to gain those independent sleep skills.
It is a process and it can be challenging, but you can get through it and it is for a bigger, better future. For easy bedtimes and more restful nights!
If you want your baby to fall asleep easily at bedtime, set them up for success. Make a plan. Choose a method of sleep training that is going to feel appropriate for you, that you will be confident in, and that you can execute consistently.
If you want to learn more about The Murray Method, I'm happy to hop on a free discovery call where we can discuss your unique situation and how the program could work for you.
I hope this blog has been helpful and I hope you feel confident and prepared to move forward into easier bedtimes.
All team members have completed training with Kelly and have learned the Murray Method. Kelly continues to support, guide and oversee the Sleep Squad as they work with the families who trust in us. This way, all clients are able to experience the same amazing results (and lots and lots of sleep).
Sweet Dreams…
Kelly Murray is a certified sleep coach and an award-winning pediatric sleep consultant based in Chicago offering sleep coaching services nationwide.
